# Smart Medical Devices ## expand\_more ###### End-effectors at mm scale ![overview.png](/sites/g/files/omnuum11441/files/styles/hwp_1_1__360x360_scale/public/biodesignlab/files/overview.png?itok=IUb9x_TY) The small scale of minimally-invasive surgical procedures presents significant challenges to developing robust, smart, and dexterous tools and end-effectors for manipulating millimeter and sub-millimeter anatomical structures (e.g. vessels or nerves) and surgical equipment (e.g. sutures or staples). To meet the demand, we are developing a versatile fabrication process, based on printed circuit board manufacturing techniques, to create monolithic, kinematically complex, three-dimensional machines in parallel at the millimeter to centimeter scales. During lamination, precisely aligned material layers are combined in different ways to create functional layers that serve a specific purpose, including structural layers, flexure layers that enable rotary joints and articulated structures, printed circuit board (PCB) layers, metal spring layers, or low-friction sliding bearing layers. Finally, various functional layers combine to create multi-structure, multi-material, quasi-2D laminates capable of folding into complex 3D structures. ###### Assured safety drill We have developed an assured safety drilling mechanism that is compatible with a large range of bit diameters and provides safe, reliable access to the inside of the skull. This is accomplished through a dynamic bi-stable linkage that supports drilling when force is applied against the skull but retracts upon penetration when the reaction force is diminished. In the initial design retraction was achieved when centrifugal forces from rotating masses overpower the axial forces, thus changing the state of the bi-stable mechanism. The current design iteration features a torsional spring loaded mechanism that overpowers axial forces upon penetration, thus triggering the change in the bi-stable mechanism. Testing on ex-vivo animal structures has demonstrated that the device can withdraw the drill bit in sufficient time to eliminate the risk of soft tissue damage. Ease of use and portability of the device will enable its use in unregulated environments such as hospital emergency rooms and emergency disaster relief areas. ![drilling_process3_hi_res.jpg](/sites/g/files/omnuum11441/files/styles/hwp_1_1__720x720_scale/public/biodesignlab/files/drilling_process3_hi_res.jpg?itok=XZZvcGT7) ## Associated Papers Download 5 citations download- [BibTeX](/bibcite/export?pager_style=no_pager&number_of_items=5&sort_field=bibcite_year--desc&taxonomy_filters%5Bfield_hwp_c_highlight%5D&taxonomy_filters%5Bfield_hwp_c_publicationtopics%5D%5B0%5D%5Btarget_id%5D=35286&taxonomy_filters%5Bfield_hwp_c_researchareas123%5D&&&format=bibtex) - [EndNote X3 XML](/bibcite/export?pager_style=no_pager&number_of_items=5&sort_field=bibcite_year--desc&taxonomy_filters%5Bfield_hwp_c_highlight%5D&taxonomy_filters%5Bfield_hwp_c_publicationtopics%5D%5B0%5D%5Btarget_id%5D=35286&taxonomy_filters%5Bfield_hwp_c_researchareas123%5D&&&format=endnote8) - [EndNote 7 XML](/bibcite/export?pager_style=no_pager&number_of_items=5&sort_field=bibcite_year--desc&taxonomy_filters%5Bfield_hwp_c_highlight%5D&taxonomy_filters%5Bfield_hwp_c_publicationtopics%5D%5B0%5D%5Btarget_id%5D=35286&taxonomy_filters%5Bfield_hwp_c_researchareas123%5D&&&format=endnote7) - [Endnote tagged](/bibcite/export?pager_style=no_pager&number_of_items=5&sort_field=bibcite_year--desc&taxonomy_filters%5Bfield_hwp_c_highlight%5D&taxonomy_filters%5Bfield_hwp_c_publicationtopics%5D%5B0%5D%5Btarget_id%5D=35286&taxonomy_filters%5Bfield_hwp_c_researchareas123%5D&&&format=tagged) - [Marc](/bibcite/export?pager_style=no_pager&number_of_items=5&sort_field=bibcite_year--desc&taxonomy_filters%5Bfield_hwp_c_highlight%5D&taxonomy_filters%5Bfield_hwp_c_publicationtopics%5D%5B0%5D%5Btarget_id%5D=35286&taxonomy_filters%5Bfield_hwp_c_researchareas123%5D&&&format=marc) - [PubMedId](/bibcite/export?pager_style=no_pager&number_of_items=5&sort_field=bibcite_year--desc&taxonomy_filters%5Bfield_hwp_c_highlight%5D&taxonomy_filters%5Bfield_hwp_c_publicationtopics%5D%5B0%5D%5Btarget_id%5D=35286&taxonomy_filters%5Bfield_hwp_c_researchareas123%5D&&&format=pubmed_id) - [RIS](/bibcite/export?pager_style=no_pager&number_of_items=5&sort_field=bibcite_year--desc&taxonomy_filters%5Bfield_hwp_c_highlight%5D&taxonomy_filters%5Bfield_hwp_c_publicationtopics%5D%5B0%5D%5Btarget_id%5D=35286&taxonomy_filters%5Bfield_hwp_c_researchareas123%5D&&&format=ris) ### 2017 J. B. Gafford *et al.*, “[Toward Medical Devices With Integrated Mechanisms, Sensors, and Actuators Via Printed-Circuit MEMS](/publications/towards-medical-devices-integrated-mechanisms-sensors-and-actuators)”, *ASME Journal of Medical Devices*, vol. 11, no. 1, pp. 011007–011018, 2017. J. B. Gafford *et al.*, “[Toward Medical Devices With Integrated Mechanisms, Sensors, and Actuators Via Printed-Circuit MEMS](/publications/towards-medical-devices-integrated-mechanisms-sensors-and-actuators)”, *ASME Journal of Medical Devices*, vol. 11, no. 1, pp. 011007–011018, 2017. - add\_circle\_outline do\_not\_disturb\_on Abstract - [ descriptionPublisher's Version](http://doi.org/10.1115/1.4035375) - [ picture\_as\_pdfPDF](/sites/g/files/omnuum11441/files/biodesignlab/files/2016_-_j_med_devices_-_gafford_-_toward_medical_devices_with_integrated_mechanisms_sensors_and_actuators_via_printed-circuit_mems.pdf) Recent advances in medical robotics have initiated a transition from rigid serial manipulators to flexible or continuum robots capable of navigating to confined anatomy within the body. A desire for further procedure minimization is a key accelerator for... - [ descriptionPublisher's Version](http://doi.org/10.1115/1.4035375) - [ picture\_as\_pdfPDF](/sites/g/files/omnuum11441/files/biodesignlab/files/2016_-_j_med_devices_-_gafford_-_toward_medical_devices_with_integrated_mechanisms_sensors_and_actuators_via_printed-circuit_mems.pdf) C. J. Payne *et al.*, “[Soft robotic ventricular assist device with septal bracing for therapy of heart failure](/publications/soft-robotic-ventricular-assist-device-septal-bracing-therapy-heart)”, *Science Robotics*, vol. 2, no. 12, 2017, doi: 10.1126/scirobotics.aan6736. C. J. Payne *et al.*, “[Soft robotic ventricular assist device with septal bracing for therapy of heart failure](/publications/soft-robotic-ventricular-assist-device-septal-bracing-therapy-heart)”, *Science Robotics*, vol. 2, no. 12, 2017, doi: 10.1126/scirobotics.aan6736. - add\_circle\_outline do\_not\_disturb\_on Abstract - [ descriptionPublisher's Version](http://robotics.sciencemag.org/content/2/12/eaan6736) - [ picture\_as\_pdfPDF](/sites/g/files/omnuum11441/files/biodesignlab/files/2017_payne_scirob_-_soft_robotic_ventricular_assist_device_with_septal_bracing_for_therapy_of_heart_failure_01.pdf) Previous soft robotic ventricular assist devices have generally targeted biventricular heart failure and have not engaged the interventricular septum that plays a critical role in blood ejection from the ventricle. We propose implantable soft robotic... - [ descriptionPublisher's Version](http://robotics.sciencemag.org/content/2/12/eaan6736) - [ picture\_as\_pdfPDF](/sites/g/files/omnuum11441/files/biodesignlab/files/2017_payne_scirob_-_soft_robotic_ventricular_assist_device_with_septal_bracing_for_therapy_of_heart_failure_01.pdf) T. Ranzani, S. Russo, F. Schwab, C. Walsh, and R. J. Wood, “[Deployable stabilization mechanisms for endoscopic procedures](/publications/deployable-stabilization-mechanisms-endoscopic-procedures)”, in *IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA)*, Singapore, 2017. T. Ranzani, S. Russo, F. Schwab, C. Walsh, and R. J. Wood, “[Deployable stabilization mechanisms for endoscopic procedures](/publications/deployable-stabilization-mechanisms-endoscopic-procedures)”, in *IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA)*, Singapore, 2017. - add\_circle\_outline do\_not\_disturb\_on Abstract - [ descriptionPublisher's Version](https://doi.org/10.1109/ICRA.2017.7989134) - [ picture\_as\_pdfPDF](/sites/g/files/omnuum11441/files/biodesignlab/files/2017_ranzani_icra_-_deployable_stabilization_mechanisms_for_endoscopic_procedures.pdf) Abstract: Flexible endoscopes are still the gold standard in most natural orifice translumenal endoscopic surgery (NOTES) procedures; however their flexibility (necessary for navigating through the GI tract) limits their capabilities in terms of distal... - [ descriptionPublisher's Version](https://doi.org/10.1109/ICRA.2017.7989134) - [ picture\_as\_pdfPDF](/sites/g/files/omnuum11441/files/biodesignlab/files/2017_ranzani_icra_-_deployable_stabilization_mechanisms_for_endoscopic_procedures.pdf) J. B. Gafford, R. J. Wood, and C. Walsh, “[A high-force, high-stroke distal robotic add-on for endoscopy](/publications/high-force-high-stroke-distal-robotic-add-endoscopy)”, in *IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA)*, Singapore, 2017. J. B. Gafford, R. J. Wood, and C. Walsh, “[A high-force, high-stroke distal robotic add-on for endoscopy](/publications/high-force-high-stroke-distal-robotic-add-endoscopy)”, in *IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA)*, Singapore, 2017. - add\_circle\_outline do\_not\_disturb\_on Abstract - [ descriptionPublisher's Version](https://doi.org/10.1109/ICRA.2017.7989133) - [ picture\_as\_pdfPDF](/sites/g/files/omnuum11441/files/biodesignlab/files/2017_gafford_icra_-_a_high-force_high-stroke_distal_robotic_add-on_for_endoscopy.pdf) ‘Snap-On’ robotic modules that can integrate distally with existing commercially-available endoscopic equipment have the potential to provide new capabilities such as enhanced dexterity, bilateral manipulation and feedback sensing with minimal disruption... - [ descriptionPublisher's Version](https://doi.org/10.1109/ICRA.2017.7989133) - [ picture\_as\_pdfPDF](/sites/g/files/omnuum11441/files/biodesignlab/files/2017_gafford_icra_-_a_high-force_high-stroke_distal_robotic_add-on_for_endoscopy.pdf) M. A. Horvath *et al.*, “[An Intracardiac Soft Robotic Device for Augmentation of Blood Ejection from the Failing Right Ventricle](/publications/intracardiac-soft-robotic-device-augmentation-blood-ejection-failing-right)”, *Annals of Biomedical Engineering*, pp. 1–12, 2017, doi: 10.1007/s10439-017-1855-z. M. A. Horvath *et al.*, “[An Intracardiac Soft Robotic Device for Augmentation of Blood Ejection from the Failing Right Ventricle](/publications/intracardiac-soft-robotic-device-augmentation-blood-ejection-failing-right)”, *Annals of Biomedical Engineering*, pp. 1–12, 2017, doi: 10.1007/s10439-017-1855-z. - add\_circle\_outline do\_not\_disturb\_on Abstract - [ descriptionPublisher's Version](http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10439-017-1855-z) - [ picture\_as\_pdfPDF](/sites/g/files/omnuum11441/files/biodesignlab/files/2017_horvath_abme_-_an_intracardiac_soft_robotic_device_for_augmentation_of_blood_ejection_from_the_failing_right_ventricle.pdf) We introduce an implantable intracardiac soft robotic right ventricular ejection device (RVED) for dynamic approximation of the right ventricular (RV) free wall and the interventricular septum (IVS) in synchrony with the cardiac cycle to augment blood... - [ descriptionPublisher's Version](http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10439-017-1855-z) - [ picture\_as\_pdfPDF](/sites/g/files/omnuum11441/files/biodesignlab/files/2017_horvath_abme_-_an_intracardiac_soft_robotic_device_for_augmentation_of_blood_ejection_from_the_failing_right_ventricle.pdf) [ More Papers arrow\_circle\_right ](/all-publications?f%5B0%5D=bibcite_reference_hwp_c_publicationtopics%3A35286)