Exploring High-Precision Non-Assembly Mechanisms: Design of a Vitrectome Mechanism for Eye Surgery

A vitrectome is a commonly used instrument in eye surgery, which is used to cut and aspirate the vitreous body out of the eye. The mechanism of the vitrectome consists of miniature components that need to be assembled by hand due to their size. Non-assembly 3D printing, in which fully functional mechanisms can be produced in a single production...

Additive Manufacturing of a Miniature Functional Trocar for Eye Surgery

Stereolithography is emerging as a promising additive manufacturing technology for a range of applications in the medical domain. However, for miniature, medical devices such as those used in ophthalmic surgery, a number of production challenges arise due to the small size of the components. In this work, we investigate the challenges of...

A Fully 3D-Printed Steerable Instrument for Minimally Invasive Surgery

In the field of medical instruments, additive manufacturing allows for a drastic reduction in the number of components while improving the functionalities of the final design. In addition, modifications for users’ needs or specific procedures become possible by enabling the production of single customized items. In this work, we present the...