For minimal-invasive surgical procedures operators need small tools to keep the damage to the patient as minimal as possible. Therefore, the tools get smaller and smaller. Now, researchers developed 3D printed tools based on origami.
Larry Howell and Spencer Magleby, two professors from Bringham Young University (BYU), are developing very small tools with the help of 3D printing. They are using FDM 3D printers to produce prototypes and make quick changes in the design.
“The whole concept is to make smaller and smaller incisions,” Howell said. “To that end, we’re creating devices that can be inserted into a tiny incision and then deployed inside the body to carry out a specific surgical function.”
But they are also using metal 3D printing to produce the finished product. These tools for gripping are just 3mm wide. Check out the video about the tiny tools:
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