Design Optimisation of a Biologically Inspired Multipart Probe for Soft Tissue Surgery

摘要

Finite Element Analysis oftenprovides a valuable tool in lie design of complex mechanismsfor which little prior knowledge is available. This paper describes the work to date on simplified numerical model of a multipart surgical probe, which is based on the unique ovipositor geometry of certain wood boring wasps and where forward motion is achieved through the reciprocal motion of probe segments held together by an interlocking mechanism. The theoretical foa-dations of the model are described alongside the results of a parametric analysis, where the effect of material stiffness, friction and force direction on interlock strength was measured for a single cross-sectional geometry.