The PhD student Rana Aidan Abdul was discussed in the Department of Biomedical Engineering on Monday, August 19, 2024, regarding her dissertation titled: "A Novel Design and Evaluation of Microsurgical Pen Needle Holder Instrument for Neurosurgical Practice."

The discussion committee was chaired by Professor Dr. Ali Abdul Aziz Al-Shawi, President of Al-Nahrain University, and included the following members: Professor Dr. Iyad Murad Tkakh, Head of the Department of Prosthetics and Orthotics Engineering at Al-Nahrain University; Professor Dr. Ahmed Fakhri Khudair from the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Al-Nahrain University; Professor Dr. Ihsan Subhi Naama from the College of Medicine at Al-Nahrain University; and Assistant Professor Dr. Noor Kamal Mohsen from the Department of Biomedical Engineering at the Al-Khwarizmi College of Engineering at the University of Baghdad.

The dissertation was supervised by Assistant Professor Dr. Sadiq Jaafar Abbas from the Department of Biomedical Engineering at Al-Nahrain University and Assistant Professor Dr. Muneer Khamees Faraj from the College of Medicine at the University of Baghdad. The dissertation was scientifically evaluated by the first scientific evaluator, Professor Dr. Kazem Kamel Rasn from the College of Engineering at Al-Mustansiriya University, and the second scientific evaluator, Assistant Professor Dr. Ghanim Shaker Sadiq from the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Al-Nahrain University. The linguistic evaluation was conducted by Dr. Samar Ali Jaber from the Department of Biomedical Engineering at Al-Nahrain University.

The research aims to develop a new surgical instrument design to assist surgeons in performing sutures with greater comfort and precision while reducing hand tremors, especially in thick tissues and deep areas. The needle holder was redesigned to resemble a pen, allowing for 360-degree control, using 3D design software, and it was mechanically analyzed. Additionally, an electronic circuit with integrated motors was added to facilitate suturing in thick tissues, making it an electronic pen-like needle holder. It was then used by 20 surgeons who filled out a questionnaire that demonstrated the new design is safe, more comfortable, takes less time for suturing, and eases the surgeon's work. This, in turn, creates an opportunity to develop further innovations by integrating electronic chips with other surgical instruments.

The dissertation was accepted as it met the requirements for obtaining the PhD degree.