Author ORCID Identifier

https://orcid.org/0009-0006-3885-4855

Semester

Fall

Date of Graduation

2023

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Type

MS

College

Statler College of Engineering and Mineral Resources

Department

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

Committee Chair

Eduardo Sosa

Committee Member

Bruce Palmer

Committee Member

Gregory Thompson

Committee Member

Ever Barbero

Abstract

Cadaveric specimens are a necessary, albeit limited, resource for training medical students on basic surgical skills. The availability of surrogate 3D-printed organs would readily allow access to resources that could reduce or potentially eliminate the need for cadaveric specimens or, at a minimum, provide students the opportunity to practice with 3D-printed surrogates before transitioning to those specimens. This research focuses on determining which thermoplastic material most closely mimics mechanical properties such as hardness and stiffness of human organs and allows 3D printing surrogate organs to be used as safe, educational tools. Relatively “soft” materials such as thermoplastic polyurethanes (TPU) and thermoplastic elastomers (TPE) are selected as candidate materials for 3D printing of surrogate organs manufactured on a fusion deposition modeling printer (FDM). The mechanical properties of these materials are determined by a series of durometer, tensile, compression, puncture, cutting, and friction tests conducted for different printing configurations and testing conditions. Test results allowed the determination of the most suitable material for manufacturing the 3D-printed surrogate organs. This determination is based on data comparisons to unfixed and fixed cadaveric organs, porcine tissue, or through data reported in the literature. Professional anatomists and pathologists also tested a prototype model manufactured with the selected material to determine the level of realism and practicality of the 3D-printed prototype.

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