Thermal modelling of shape memory alloy fixator for medical application

TY - JOUR

T1 - Thermal modelling of shape memory alloy fixator for medical application

AU - Song, C.

AU - Campbell, P. A.

AU - Frank, T. G.

AU - Cuschieri, A.

PY - 2002/4/5

Y1 - 2002/4/5

N2 - Shape memory alloy has been recently used for tissue fixation in minimal access surgery (MAS). It offers an alternative to conventional thread-based suturing of human tissue, with the advantage that its deployment is faster and requires fewer surgical skills. To minimize the damage to surrounding tissue, thermal analysis of tissue-fixator interactions has been done to optimize the heating method, and to predict the heating effect and affected range. The finite-difference method has been used to solve the one-dimensional transient heat transfer problem, with fixator-tissue conduction boundary condition, and the finite-element method was used to build a three-dimensional model for the design optimization. The predicted temperature responses of tissue are considered within a safety range. Tissue temperature drops quickly after heating, and the affected tissue is limited to a layer 1 mm thick next to the fixator. Further in vivo animal studies on the use of the shape memory alloy fixator are ongoing for future applications of tissue suturing in MAS.

AB - Shape memory alloy has been recently used for tissue fixation in minimal access surgery (MAS). It offers an alternative to conventional thread-based suturing of human tissue, with the advantage that its deployment is faster and requires fewer surgical skills. To minimize the damage to surrounding tissue, thermal analysis of tissue-fixator interactions has been done to optimize the heating method, and to predict the heating effect and affected range. The finite-difference method has been used to solve the one-dimensional transient heat transfer problem, with fixator-tissue conduction boundary condition, and the finite-element method was used to build a three-dimensional model for the design optimization. The predicted temperature responses of tissue are considered within a safety range. Tissue temperature drops quickly after heating, and the affected tissue is limited to a layer 1 mm thick next to the fixator. Further in vivo animal studies on the use of the shape memory alloy fixator are ongoing for future applications of tissue suturing in MAS.

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/0036539917

U2 - 10.1088/0964-1726/11/2/402

DO - 10.1088/0964-1726/11/2/402

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:0036539917

SN - 0964-1726

VL - 11

SP - 312

EP - 316

JO - Smart Materials and Structures

JF - Smart Materials and Structures

IS - 2

ER -