Coupled Dynamics of Material Delivery and Robotic Manipulator Axes in Endoscopic Additive Manufacturing

Abstract

Tissue engineering (TE) has seen success in recapitulating the natural function of a variety of simple tissues in the laboratory setting. One barrier to increased clinical translation of tissue constructs is morbidities caused by open surgeries currently needed for their delivery into the body. Advanced robotics and control allow for new tools and manufacturing capabilities that can accelerate the clinical viability of existing forms of TE today. One such tool, an intracorporeal, additive manufacturing (AM) based TE fabrication system in an endoscopic form factor, the Endo AM system, allows for the fabrication of TE constructs inside the body in a minimally-invasive manner. The Endo AM system consists of a 9-joint robotic manipulator and a direct-write (DW) AM extruder, leading to complex flow and positioning dynamics. Here we describe and explore the dynamics of the Endo AM system in simulation, with a focus on studying the coupling of dynamic positioning and material delivery axes.