How I Built a DIY Laparoscopic Trainer for Under $300

Sometimes, you get an idea so wild that you just have to try it—whether it works or not. That’s exactly how I felt when I set out to build my own DIY laparoscopic trainer at home. With commercial kits costing hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars, I figured: How hard can it be to make one myself?

thinking about the impending chaos

Spoiler: Pretty hard. But also kinda genius.

Here’s how it went down.

Step 1: Gathering

The goal was simple: create something functional that could help improve laparoscopic skills… or at least something that wouldn’t fall apart immediately. I went full MacGyver mode and grabbed:

• A Tupperware Container ($15): This would be the base of the whole setup, though cutting into it felt slightly illegal.

• A USB Inspection Camera (~$50): Found on eBay. I plugged it into my laptop using a USB-C adapter and hoped for the best.

• Laparoscopic Instruments Set (~$200): I bought a four-piece set, including graspers, scissors, and a needle driver. The real deal.

• Blue Tack: The secret hero of this entire operation.

• Egg Tray from My Fridge: Why not? It looked useful for threading exercises.

• A Whole Stack of Books: Harry Potter books made an appearance as an impromptu camera stand. Sorry, J.K. Rowling.

• A Drill: Because every chaotic DIY project needs power tools.

opening the laparoscopic toolkit

Step 2: Construction

This is where the chaos truly began. My first thought was to cut a hole in the Tupperware container to mount the camera. After some questionable drilling, I managed to create a rough “window” for the camera to peek through. I stacked some books under the container to create an angled workspace and secured everything with a generous amount of Blue Tack.

The result? A somewhat wobbly, but shockingly functional laparoscopic training box. The camera feed worked, and the image quality wasn’t half bad!

Step 3: Testing It Out (AKA “Egg Game Madness”)

To test the setup, I created a threading game using the egg tray and a shoelace. The goal was to thread the lace through the holes using only the laparoscopic graspers—just like performing surgery but with significantly lower stakes.

Was it pretty? Absolutely not. Did it work? Surprisingly, yes! After a few failed attempts, I managed to thread the lace while looking only at the laptop screen—exactly like how laparoscopic surgery is done.

the DIY laparoscopic trainer in action

What I Learned (Other Than That I’m Slightly Unhinged)

1. Function Over Perfection: My DIY setup worked way better than expected, even if it looked like something out of a failed science project.

   
   

2. Camera Quality Matters: The USB camera was decent, but better lighting would’ve made a massive difference.

   
   

3. Don’t Underestimate Blue Tack: Seriously, it held everything together when nothing else could.

   
   

Final Thoughts (and Next Steps)

Prototype #1 was chaotic but a success. The entire setup cost around $250-300, which is way cheaper than any commercial laparoscopic trainer out there. Of course, there’s room for improvement—better camera stability, sturdier materials, and maybe a less ridiculous egg game.

For anyone thinking about building something similar: DO IT. You don’t need fancy equipment—just some creativity, a bit of patience, and a willingness to embrace the chaos.

Next up, I’ll be refining this DIY laparoscopic trainer into something more stable and professional. Maybe even add some custom training exercises… or just keep playing that egg game. Stay tuned!

Watch me struggle below: