The primary goals of this project were to show the feasibility of 3D printable medical equipment for the Autonomous Physician (AP) and the role compliant mechanisms can play when 3D printing tools. Compliant mechanisms are the opposite of most structural engineering designs; they are meant to bend and use that bending to their advantage. Due to the nature of rapid prototyping and trialing the tools from a 3D printer, compliant mechanisms seemed like the best option due to their lack of assembly and ability to be used fresh of the print bed. The tooling for the AP project was placed into two categories based on their roles in surgical procedures. There are grasping tools used for grabbing and manipulating tissues, sutures for grabbing needles, and clamping tissue together. The other category is retracting equipment, as the name suggests these tools ae used for separating skin and tissue apart to open the area the procedure is being performed for ease of access. Retracting equipment is largely locked so they can be set for the procedure and removed at the end. The tools were tested to show their strengths and weaknesses and provide data for subsequent projects in charge of integrating the arm and hand modules for the AP project.

• This report represents the work of one or more WPI undergraduate students submitted to the faculty as evidence of completion of a degree requirement. WPI routinely publishes these reports on its website without editorial or peer review.

Creator

• Koestner, Bailey

Publisher

• Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Identifier

• 121838
• E-project-042524-200404

Keyword

• Surgical
• Tools
• Autonomous

Advisor

• Moradi, Lee

Year

• 2024

Date created

• 2024-04-25

Resource type

• Major Qualifying Project

Major

• Mechanical Engineering

Source

• E-project-042524-200404

Rights statement

• In Copyright