
Jigs & Fixtures for the Production Floor
Open up new possibilities for manufacturing-floor productivity. Download White PaperThe maternal fetal simulator produced by CAE Inc. provides obstetrical doctors and nurses with hands-on childbirth training. To create the highly complex, integrated model, 3D printing and subtractive CNC machining was critical for full realization of all simulations.
Childbirth, which continues to benefit from advanced medicine and studies, remains complicated. The body is undergoing a veritable storm of (sometimes dangerous) physical and mental exertion during birth. To ensure obstetric doctors and nurses have the optimal training to best prevent and care for conditions a mother and fetus might experience during birth, simulation technology giant CAE has developed the Fidelis™ Maternal Fetal Simulator (MFS). The Maternal Fetal Simulator trains obstetricians in the most dangerous of complications as well as problem-free birthing circumstances to provide the highest level of preparedness, which in turn ensures the protection and ideal care of mothers and babies during birth.
It’s not a feat easily undertaken to create a model that simulates breathing, heart rate and childbirth; essentially, the model is a fully articulated machine replicating in a test environment the exhaustive physical complications a mother and fetus experience in the delivery room. The team at CAE undertook a task that would require a simulator made of hundreds of considerably involved components. “The design of the human patient simulator is a complex endeavor requiring extensive validation of the components and in particular the interaction of the physical parts,” explains Giuseppe Mallaci, Senior Mechanical Designer for the CAE Fidelis™ Maternal Fetal Simulator at CAE Inc. “The complexity increases as we introduce moving parts and deformable components in a confined space. Small incremental changes are required to validate such a complex design. The competitive nature of our industry fuels a growing need for relatively short product development cycles – rapid prototypes are essential to the success of any product development initiative.”
CAE used rapid prototyping processes from Stratasys Direct Manufacturing Inc., including Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM), Stereolithography (SL), Laser Sintering (LS), QuantumCast™ cast urethanes and rapid machining. “Stratasys Direct Manufacturing was instrumental in responding to our needs for timely prototypes and subsequently responding to our need to make changes,” says Mallaci. “In all cases, whether it be FDM or SL rapid prints, QuantumCast parts, molded foam parts or molded urethane parts, Stratasys Direct Manufacturing was instrumental in advising on the manufacturing approach to meet our functional needs.” The interlocking and interacting components were in part accomplished by these advanced and rapid manufacturing processes to culminate in a fully functional, incredibly true-to-life simulator.
Mallaci details the critical components for the Maternal Fetal Simulator development:
“In addition to design and fabrication validation, the rapid prototype parts were also used extensively for validation with our subject matter experts who rely on having fully functional simulators,” says Mallaci. “These simulators must represent the manufacturing intent and consist all of the electronic components, firmware and software. It is inevitable that changes come at every validation gate. Rapid prototype parts are essential to minimize development costs.” The utilization of 3D printing, cast urethanes and advanced axis CNC machining afforded the MFS with organic shapes. The simulator exhibits waist, hip, thighs and pelvic tilt articulative maneuvers and responds to pressures and exercises doctors would be required to undertake during actual childbirth.
The Lucina simulator executes multiple childbirth procedures and scenarios, including: Normal delivery, instrumental vaginal delivery, fetal tachycardia due to maternal pyrexia, breech delivery, fetal central nervous system depression by narcotics given to mother, shoulder dystocia, major post-partum hemorrhage due to uterine atony, maternal cardio-respiratory arrest, eclampsia and umbilical cord prolapsed. These simulations were chosen in part based on the most common childbirth experiences to give an adequate range of training to doctors and nurses.
The simulator is equipped with an electronic monitoring system to display the physiological data of the fetus as well. The entirety of the MFS is meant to give the closest real-life practice, just one step removed from an actual human being. The software (or user interface) additionally emits the cry of the baby, and other sounds from the birthing room, for full sensory bombardments doctors will encounter. The operations the MFS completes provides well-rounded training and preparedness. The simulator is currently being received by hospitals, universities and training facilities throughout the US and Canada.
Jigs & Fixtures for the Production Floor
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