TAGS: 3D Printing Medical Electrical & Electronics
University of Minnesota’s mechanical engineers and computer scientists have developed a 3D printing technique that uses motion capture technology, to print electronic sensors directly on organs that are expanding and contracting. The new 3D printing technique could have future applications in diagnosing and monitoring the lungs of patients with COVID-19.
Combining 3D Printing Technology with Surgical Robots
The research is the next generation of a 3D printing technique discovered two years ago by members of the team that allowed for printing of electronics directly on the skin of a hand that moved left to right or rotated. The new technique allows sophisticated tracking of 3D print sensors on organs like the lungs or heart that change shape or distort due to expanding and contracting.
The researchers started in the lab with a balloon-like surface and a specialized 3D printer. They used motion capture tracking markers, much like those used in movies to create special effects, to help the 3D printer adapt its printing path to the expansion and contraction movements on the surface. The researchers then moved on to an animal lung in the lab that was artificially inflated. They were able to successfully print a soft hydrogel-based sensor directly on the surface. Michael McAlpine, a University of Minnesota mechanical engineering professor and senior researcher on the study, said the technique could also possibly be used in the future to 3D print sensors on a pumping heart.
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The broader idea behind this research, is that this is a big step forward to the goal of combining 3D printing technology with surgical robots. In the future, 3D printing will not be just about printing but instead be part of a larger autonomous robotic system. This could be important for diseases like COVID-19 where health care providers are at risk when treating patients,” added McAlpine.
Source: University of Minnesota