ME 481/482: BIOMEDICAL TEAM
One Injection | 2017-2018
ABOUT US
Since the Fall of 2017, the Biomed - One
Injection Team has joined the efforts of their mentor Dr. Kohn and the AMMI Lab's research toward a multi-directional steerable needle.
BACKGROUND & MOTIVATION
Technologies in the medical field are constantly being improved upon and developed. Biomedical engineering sets out to aid in those advancements. The area in which this team aims to improve upon is that of needle-based procedures.
Needle-based procedures have many applications. These include, but are not limited to, biopsies and brachytherapy treatment. Currently, rigid, bevel-tipped (angled) needles are in use. They rely on the angle of the tip and the skill of the surgeon to guide the needle during insertion. The control and accuracy of this procedure can still be bettered.
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Active (bendable) needles increase precision and assist in more accurately reaching locations with a single insertion. A fully operational active needle would enhance the safety and comfort for the patient and help promote sufficient and effective needle-based procedures. Progress toward an active needle is where our project aims to take stride.
ABOUT OUR PROJECT
Our primary goal is to develop a needle that is capable of three directional bending through the use of shape memory alloy (SMA) actuators. SMAs are able to be "trained" to remember an initial shape, and when heat is applied, they are able to revert back to that shape. This phenomenon drives the actuation for our needle along with a flexible joint to accommodate for this movement. This builds upon the previous years' model of a one-directional prototype.
Once our final prototype is created, tests will be run to gather more data and insights on how the active needle performs. This data will be useful in furthering the research and development toward a fully operational active needle.
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OBJECTIVES
Overall, our objectives are to
Design an active needle capable of deflecting in multiple directions, has minimal heat dissipation, and is controlled by a central control system
Develop two needle prototypes with nitinol actuators to be tested in air. One scaled prototype with an outer diameter (OD) of 6mm, and one actual sized prototype with an OD of 1.5mm
Test the needle when inserted and actuated in tissue-mimicking gel and determine the forces that are applied on the needle, such as puncture and friction forces.