First find a suitable piece of stainless steel

Then mark it out to make several plates

Then cut it and remove sharp edges

Then mark out each plate and create electrical connection tabs with an angle grinder

Checking the battery tabs

Then file and make sure that locally available motorcycle battery connectors fit the tabs nicely

Then find a scrapped ECG monitor from which to harvest "grab spares" in the form of female jack plug connectors

Then cut and solder a harvested "disposable" electrosurgical plate connector to the female jack plug to create an interface adaptor to the new ‘reusable’ plate cable – Sorry about the filthy nails – was really dirty work!!

Then electrically test that the connectors are still good

Make up enough interface adaptors and cables to use on all the Operating Room ESUs

One of the reusable plate cable "audio jack" connectors bought in town

Bingo – the first prototype for clinical testing is made and it works safely. New ‘reusable’ patient plate and interface adaptor on left, the expensive (adhesive) "disposable" patient plate and cable that it replaces on the right