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Design and evaluation of shape memory alloy-actuated active needle using finite element analysis and deflection
Sharad Raj Acharya1, Parsaoran Hutapea1
1Department of Mechanical Engineering, Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.
Background:
Conventional needles lack active mechanisms for large tip deflection to bypass obstacles or guide through a desired trajectory in needle-based procedures, compromising accuracy and effectiveness.
Methods:
An active needle with a shape memory alloy (SMA) actuator was designed and evaluated by demonstrating deflections in tissue-mimicking gels. Finite element simulation and real-time needle tip deflection tracking in tissue-mimicking gels were performed.
Results:
The active needle deflected 50 and 39 mm at 150 mm insertion depth in the liver and prostate mimicking gels, respectively. Reasonable simulation errors of 16.42% and 12.62% in needle deflections and small root mean squared errors of 1.42 and 1.47 mm in deflection tracking were obtained.
Conclusions:
The proposed needle produced desirable large tip deflections capable of bypassing obstacles in the insertion path and tracked a preplanned trajectory with minor errors. The finite element study would help optimise needle designs and predict deflections in soft tissues.
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