Project Description: 

Rhinoplasties, commonly known as nose jobs, are the number one cosmetic procedure performed in the U.S. Closed rhinoplasty, while a more patient-friendly procedure, makes harvesting cartilage from the septum difficult due to its complex nature. This cartilage is then used to make grafts to rebuild the shape of the nose. Currently, surgeons remove a large piece of this cartilage and carve the shapes needed on the side, but this method is wasteful and sacrifices the structural support of the septum. Our device, the septal punch, is designed to allow surgeons to simply cut out necessary grafts within the nose using a cookie-cutter-like die eliminating the need to remove the whole piece of cartilage. With our device, this procedure is 3x faster, less wasteful, and improves patients’ results and satisfaction.