How This USU Student's Daughter Inspired His Surgery Invention
By Vivian Mason
Medical student Harvey Harper’s 11-year-old daughter, Niyah, wants to do everything her dad does. When the Army second lieutenant was practicing his surgical suturing skills at home, she wanted to do it, too. That, and the opportunity to spend time with his daughter, was the impetus for his creation of the Harper Innovative Safety Suture Kit.
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| 2nd Lt. Harvey Harper and his daughter, Niyah, who was integral to the development of the Harper Innovative Safety Suture Kit. (Photo credit: 2nd Lt. Harvey Harper) |
Harper hatched the idea for the kit during one of his third-year clerkship rotations when he assisted on a thyroidectomy case. At the end of the case, he sought feedback on how to improve his surgical skills. He was instructed to work on his “economy of motion,” which refers to the conservation of energy during a task to avoid fatigue.
“I’d practice for 30 minutes to an hour every day throwing various sutures and running through multiple commercial suture kits,” says Harper.
While practicing at home, his daughter watched him.
“I started her off with the basics by teaching her how to tie a knot with the sutures,” Harper explains. “She very quickly learned that process and said that she wanted to drive the needle through the tissue like I was doing. I knew that I didn’t want my daughter to prick herself or go to my wife bleeding so I’d get in trouble. Also, I didn’t feel comfortable letting her do that even though she’s very independent.”
Harper then asked himself, ‘What can I do? How can I share my passion for surgery with my daughter in a safe way?’ and after researching suture kits with blunt needle tips, he found that nothing was really made for primary school age children. To top it off, the kits weren’t very anatomically correct.
“I wanted Niyah to work on something more realistic without being disturbed or grossed out by too much realism, but still have the experience of pulling the needle through the tissue.”
His resolve was to create a chessboard-like design with tissue on it where the user could pull a needle through and then close up the tissue. From that point on, he continued developing different ideas and refining them, explaining that he wanted the tissue layers to be more extendable so that the device could move back and forth. “But, at the same time,” Harper notes, “I didn’t want it too hard to move that a young child couldn’t participate.”
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| From left to right: 2nd Lt. Yeshak Wondwossen, 2nd Lt. Harvey Harper, and Ensign Brandon Neal. (Photo credit: Tom Balfour, USU) |
Harper created the suture kit as his medical school Capstone Project under his faculty advisor Army Lt. Col. (Dr.) Michael Orestes, program director for otolaryngology in the Department of Surgery at USU. Navy Ensign Brandon Neal and Army 2nd Lt. Yeshak Wondwossen, Harper’s classmates, were also contributors to the kit. All three medical students presented the suture kit at the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery (AAO-HNS) Simulation Fair in 2022.
The simulation suture kit combines the realistic feel of surgery, promotes interest in the health sciences, and introduces gamelike elements to learning surgical skills. It significantly reduces the potential for sharp object injury by eliminating the scalpel and suture scissors and replacing them with blunted needles and safety shears similar to those used in pre-K and kindergarten classrooms. A scalpel is not required because of the kit's prefabricated incisions and prepositioned holes for sutures. This safety-first approach allows the kit to be used by a broader age range of participants than currently available suture kits.
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| Prospective aerial view of the suture kit with the primary laceration. The light blue circle allows for varying suture throws. The blue rectangle represents the glass that allows users to see the tissue approximate as the suture is tightened. (Credit: 2nd Lt. Harvey Harper) |
Meanwhile, Niyah suggested building a model made out of LEGO™ pieces instead of the wood her dad was wrestling with. Working with his daughter’s suggestion, the pair converted his two-dimensional drawing into an operational training kit. Harper’s goal was to combine the childhood fun of the board game “Operation” and its Cavity Sam’s bright red, light-up nose with the realistic training of suture kits currently on the market, while enhancing the user's experience. Later, Harper, Neal, and Wondwossen took the prototype to the AAO-HNS Simulation Fair, where they were able to teach some of the first- and second-year students who were new to medicine how to suture using the kit.
“The advantage was not only use by primary school age children,” explains Harper, “but also by anyone not experienced in medicine or surgery. There are other additional educational features that help your knowledge in the [operating room (OR)]. For example, there’s an abdominal incision feature with a picture of it on the outside of the device that familiarizes the user with a common surgical test question about the seven layers of the abdomen. The kit also teaches multiple suture techniques that are used in the OR (e.g., superficial wounds vs. deep wounds).”
This STEM kit introduces some basics of surgery, including showing the various layers of tissue, teaching suture techniques, and developing economy of motion.
“The kit helps the user to develop the confidence that Cavity Sam’s bright red nose inspired in me as a child,” recalls Harper. “It made me believe that I could perform surgery. I hope it helps pique the next generation's interest in science and technology and inspires them to pursue medicine.”
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| Top: Niyah Harper test trialing the LEGO™ design. She assessed the platform base's mobility to simulate the tissue stretch as it is sutured together, and determined a need for a different suture material. Bottom: LEGO™ design. Left side depicts the epidermis with prefabricated holes. Right side depicts the mechanics under the silicon skin that provides the illusion of skin coming together. (Photo credit: 2nd Lt. Harvey Harper) |
Eventually, Harper plans to create an educational video on suture techniques to go along with the kit. He envisions using minority medical students and minority faculty so that users can be inspired by seeing people like themselves. He wants to encourage minority users to dream and aspire to be more than their circumstances. Harper also plans on donating kits to local area schools.
Harper enthusiastically acknowledges the contributions of Neal and Wondwossen to the project. They also created an educational pamphlet for the kit.
“I was shocked by how much [Harper] had accomplished on his own and was just happy to be a part of the process,” Wondwossen remarks. “Hopefully, his invention can inspire other kids like it did his daughter.”
“We talked through many ideas and brainstormed,” explains Neal. “We wanted to create something not only educational, but fun. But, mostly it was Harvey. We want this STEM project to continue without us being here. I believe that we have accomplished that goal.”
Concluding, Harper admits that “creating the suture kit has been enjoyable and challenging, but hard work. It has been so fulfilling to see the prototype reach this point from its humble beginnings. However, most importantly, I loved spending time with my daughter and watching her engage in the development of this device. I have to give a huge thank you to my wife because none of this would have been possible without her constant support and encouragement. Also, being here at USU in this atmosphere of teamwork, leadership, and support has been an incredible opportunity.”
