Design and manufacture of an extruder to produce clinical grade stiches

Author

Rivero Sabiote, Alex

Abstract

An aortic aneurysm is a dilation of the aorta, the biggest blood vessel in the human body. The existence of an aortic aneurysm causes a weakening of the aorta wall, which can lead to a rip in the artery's inner vascular tissue, resulting in an aortic dissection. Drug therapy, open surgery, and endovascular catheterization to install synthetic stents are among the current treatments. None of these approaches, on the other hand, encourage tissue regeneration and healing. Aortyx has created a bioresorbable adhesive patch that replicates the mechanical qualities of the artery and encourages regeneration, based on the inadequacies of conventional treatments. A minimally invasive delivery system comprised of an endovascular catheter and a flower-shaped Nitinol deployer is used to implant the patch in the damaged artery.
The main objective of this project was to design from scratch a machine capable of producing the filament to be used to join the patch and deployer of the endovascular catheter. The first step was to design the extruder that would melt the pellets and extrude them through a nozzle to obtain the filament. Next, two other mechanisms were designed to guide and wind the filament under specific conditions. Once the CAD model of the machine was ready, the different parts were manufactured and assembled. At the same time, a specific code was designed, which with the help of a microcontroller controlled the machine. Finally, different tests were carried out in order to test the machine, which resulted in the production of the desired filament.

Director

Martorell López, Jordi

Degree

IQS SE - Undergraduate Program in Industrial Engineering

Date

2022-06-20