Smart Driver for Orthopedic Screw Extraction

Removing orthopedic hardware is routinely complicated by stripped or seized screw heads. This project developed a powered driver that senses torque and engagement in real time, alerting the surgeon before a screw head fails and adapting its approach to maximize purchase.

The design pairs a torque-sensing drivetrain with a feedback display, targeting safer and faster hardware extraction.

Contributions

1. Designed the torque-sensing drivetrain and interchangeable bit interface.
2. Implemented embedded sensing and a real-time engagement display.
3. Validated extraction performance against stripped-screw test fixtures.