REDEFINING THE REFLEX HAMMER

Reflex hammers are one of the most underrated and overlooked tools available to physicians.  In the eyes of the public, a reflex hammer is one of the most distinctive pieces of equipment unique to medical professionals, following only the stethoscope and a lab coat worn over light blue scrubs in its ability to connote a message of knowledge and expertise.  These other symbols are held in very high regard by doctors, with many medical schools now conducting a "white coat ceremony" for first year students, and with parents often buying engraved stethoscopes as graduation gifts.  And yet, unlike these other accoutrements, the reflex hammer is almost considered a commodity good, with some models available for under 5 dollars online, complete with free shipping.

Although seemingly relegated to the sales bin, reflex hammers are vitally important tools for diagnosing a wide variety of neurological problems, and perhaps just as importantly in the right hands can create a sense of comfort between the doctor and patient.  Working with a highly regarded professor at Stanford Medical School, my partner David Tung and I decided to investigate this conundrum.  We considered both the form and function of the device, and, utilizing many varied manufacturing techniques, created a wide range of prototypes to test our hypotheses (seen in the middle row of the picture to the right).  We eventually settled on a novel design, developing a weighted head that allowed the doctor to use their own arm as a kind of pendulum, making the reflex hammer both more portable and personal.