Remember the Kobalt Double Drive that we discussed and reviewed a couple of months ago? Apparently Lowes sold over 800,000 units during the 2011 holiday season. The Double Drive is really more of a DIY and homeowner tool, but the company behind the design saw additional potential.
Shown above is the new Double Drive Medical Driver. It is constructed from stainless steel and is fully autoclavable. From the product page, it looks like there will be different modular handles available.
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The new medical-grade driver is intended for use in surgery environments where manual screwdriving is required.
We have also read that a double-driving socket driver is in the works.
More Info via Double Drive Medical Inc.
jesse says
Any visitors to this site planning on buying one? Doubt it.
Stuart says
Okay, and…? I happened across the bit of news and found it interesting. Nobody’s going to buy a $40,000 Leatherman or $1000 Swiss Army Knife either, but that doesn’t mean they weren’t worth mentioning.
If you’re not happy with what I post about, there is a suggestion box where you can submit story ideas.
fred says
I’m not sure but I think that the first oscillating saws (not Fein Multimasters) – were used for cutting plaster casts while protecting skin. So this is a bit analogous sort of in reverse
Chip says
I may not plan to buy one…
but its nice to see tools make a difference. You never know who reads this informative site and if they pass the info along to other fields of work to make their trade improve whats the harm in that? Theres nothing wrong with mentioning something such as a tool that could benefits someones health or ease at which the doctor operates with.
And on a side note… if I had the money… Id buy that gold Leatherman in a heartbeat. That’s some bitchin man jewelry rite there.
jeff_williams says
I sent the story to my brother who is a med student. He found it quite interesting. It started discussions on tools that have crossed over. Good post Stuart.
Robert says
From the standpoint of sales and business, any company would be foolish to not consider this. The moment an item becomes “specialized,” particularly when it involves the medical fields, the retail price skyrockets compared to the cost of manufacturing. Sometimes it just involves marketing saavy.
A good example is cameras for “dental photography.” I’ve seen cases where a company will simply acquire items that you can already purchase through any photo supplier. They’re not specialized items, but simple photo equipment. It would include a macro lens, a ringlight flash, etc. Then they do some fancy packaging and call it a specialized “dental camera.” The reality, is that it’s just a typical item that you’d see on any copystand in any studio. The users however, are often unaware of that. The buyers are not informed, and the companies are not about to spill the beans. Then they’ll sell it for virtually 4 times what it would otherwise be worth.
In my opinion, it’s almost unethical. On the other hand, I can’t blame any company for doing it. It can be incredibly lucrative. I don’t know what this item is selling for, but I’ll guarantee that their profit margin would be quite handsome.
Robert
Mike says
It’s amusing you say this because the company I work for did just this – repurposed an existing (and very popular) model of point and shoot camera to the dental market by means of a clear guide sticker on the LCD screen and as macro ring flash. Whereas the camera could be purchased at a Best Buy for under 200.00, the repurposed version was sold to dentists for nearly 2,000.00…
Dr. JOVITO c. Lao says
Its me again, are the drill bits design for surgery too? Are they autoclavable too.?Need it for my practice in orthopedic surgery which we use screws with hexagonal head 3.5 and 4.5 mm screws at the o.r.how much would be the shipping cost to this address
Dr. JOVITO c. Lao
Cagayan de Oro polymedic general hospital
A. Velez st., Cagayan de Oro city,
Philippines 9000
Hope you can respond the soonest. Have a good day.
Dr JOVITO c. Lao
Stuart says
As per the manufacturer, the tool is autoclavable. The bits I’m not sure of. You should contact the manufacturer for purchasing information.