TY - JOUR
T1 - 3D printer-driven design of a non-assembly titanium surgical instrument using compliant lattice flexures
AU - Lussenburg, Kirsten
AU - van Starkenburg, Remi
AU - Sakes, Aimée
AU - Breedveld, Paul
PY - 2024
Y1 - 2024
N2 - Metal additive manufacturing is a promising technology for the production of functional medical products, due to its high shape complexity and resolution, and ability to withstand sterilization temperatures. This study explores the possibility of designing a completely non-assembly steerable surgical instrument using Selective Laser Melting. Despite its advantages for medical devices, the rough surface quality of unfinished parts can be problematic for non-assembly designs, leading to increased friction and wear in rigid body mechanisms and tendon-actuated mechanisms. We investigated printing of rolling contact joints with crossed flexures as low-friction joints, adjusted for printing in titanium for the design of the instrument. Grid-based lattice structures were incorporated as miniature flexures, and we explored the influence of various grid sizes on the flexibility and bending stiffness of the lattices. Based on this exploration, we altered the rolling joint configuration from two crossed flexures to a single straight flexure for our design. The resulting steerable surgical instrument design is completely non-assembly, including its actuation, facilitates easy removal of support structures, and requires no surface finishing steps. It has a diameter of less than 20 mm, facilitates opening and closing of a grasper, and steering of the grasper by 20 degrees.
AB - Metal additive manufacturing is a promising technology for the production of functional medical products, due to its high shape complexity and resolution, and ability to withstand sterilization temperatures. This study explores the possibility of designing a completely non-assembly steerable surgical instrument using Selective Laser Melting. Despite its advantages for medical devices, the rough surface quality of unfinished parts can be problematic for non-assembly designs, leading to increased friction and wear in rigid body mechanisms and tendon-actuated mechanisms. We investigated printing of rolling contact joints with crossed flexures as low-friction joints, adjusted for printing in titanium for the design of the instrument. Grid-based lattice structures were incorporated as miniature flexures, and we explored the influence of various grid sizes on the flexibility and bending stiffness of the lattices. Based on this exploration, we altered the rolling joint configuration from two crossed flexures to a single straight flexure for our design. The resulting steerable surgical instrument design is completely non-assembly, including its actuation, facilitates easy removal of support structures, and requires no surface finishing steps. It has a diameter of less than 20 mm, facilitates opening and closing of a grasper, and steering of the grasper by 20 degrees.
KW - Compliant
KW - Lattice
KW - Non-assembly
KW - Selective laser melting
KW - Surgical instrument
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85188031442&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.matdes.2024.112845
DO - 10.1016/j.matdes.2024.112845
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85188031442
SN - 0264-1275
VL - 240
JO - Materials and Design
JF - Materials and Design
M1 - 112845
ER -