Vacuum-assisted delivery is a common procedure in which a vacuum device is used to guide the baby through the birth canal. This device makes use of a suction cup that is attached to the baby’s head. Excessive suction forces cause a cone-shaped swelling on the baby’s head, which increases the risk of bruising, bleeding in the skull and skull fracture.

In this graduation project, you will develop an improved vacuum extraction device with a suction cup that causes less harm to the baby’s head. You will be taking inspiration from animals with suction discs, such as the Octopus, as those can perfectly adapt their discs to the objects they grasp.

Interested? Contact Aimée Sakes (a.sakes@tudelft.nl) or Vera Kortman (v.g.kortman@tudelft.nl)