Karl-Heinz Fritz | Cicor Group: Can you print 20-micron conductive traces inside the threads of a 1mm surgical drill?
00:05:48 - 00:07:00
Other snippets from this talk
Summary of the clip:
Can you print 20-micron conductive traces inside the threads of a 1mm surgical drill?
Miniaturizing smart tools for surgical applications requires routing electrical signals across micro-scale, high-wear geometries. By printing 20-micron wide conductive lines directly inside the helical threads of a 1-millimeter drill bit, aerosol jet printing enables continuous electrical telemetry from the tip of the tool directly to the shaft.
This integration facilitates real-time telemetry of critical parameters like temperature and pressure at the active cutting site. During sensitive bone, dental, or reconstructive surgery, monitored drilling helps surgeons prevent tissue necrosis caused by frictional heat buildup.
The non-contact nature of aerosol jet printing allows high-resolution patterning inside deep, curved micro-channels where photolithography or standard circuit boards are impossible to implement. This opens up new possibilities for embedding smart functionality inside surgical micro-instruments.
In this short video, you can learn:
* How to route high-resolution 20-micron conductive traces within the micro-threads of a 1mm drill bit
* The role of real-time thermal and pressure telemetry at the tool tip to prevent bone tissue necrosis
* Why non-contact printing succeeds where photolithography fails on complex 3D medical micro-tools
š **Clip Abstract** This clip demonstrates the printing of 20-micron conductive lines inside the helical threads of a 1mm surgical drill bit. This direct-write technique enables integrated temperature and pressure sensing to protect tissue during dental and bone surgeries.
#AerosolJetPrinting, #ConformalElectronics, #DirectWriteTechnology, #MicroTelemetry, #SmartSurgicalTools, #MedicalDeviceMiniaturization
This is a highlight of the presentation:
More Highlights from the same talk.
00:04:45 - 00:05:45
Why are we still gluing flat flex circuits to curved surfaces when we can print them directly?
Why are we still gluing flat flex circuits to curved surfaces when we can print them directly?
Traditional sensor integration relies on adhesive-backed flexible PCBs wrapped around non-planar surfaces like tubes or hosing. This approach introduces mechanical points of failure, thermal mismatch issues, and assembly complexity. Aerosol jet printing completely upends this paradigm by directly writing functional sensor structures onto the complex 3D topography of the target substrate.
By printing the sensor and its associated routing traces in a single, continuous process step, manufacturers eliminate the need for secondary interconnect steps. There are no cables to route, no micro-soldering connections to stress, and no conductive adhesives to degrade.
This additive approach utilizes nearly 100% of the active ink materials with zero chemical etching waste. For space-constrained applications like medical devices, consumer wearables, or automotive plumbing, this technique dramatically reduces volumetric footprints while improving mechanical reliability under thermal cycling.
In this short video, you can learn:
* How direct-write printing eliminates the need for flexible PCBs on curved surfaces
* Techniques for continuously routing circuit traces onto 3D substrates without connectors
* The environmental and cost advantages of additive material utilization compared to subtractive processes
š **Clip Abstract** This clip highlights the transition from gluing flex circuits to directly printing sensors onto 3D structures. By integrating circuits on non-planar surfaces in a single step, manufacturers can eliminate failures associated with traditional cabling and micro-soldering.
#AerosolJetPrinting, #DirectWriteElectronics, #ConformalSensors, #3DConformalElectronics, #AdditiveElectronics, #PrintedElectronics
00:19:55 - 00:21:12
Why are particle-free inks poised to replace nanoparticle suspensions in micro-electronic manufacturing?
Why are particle-free inks poised to replace nanoparticle suspensions in micro-electronic manufacturing?
While silver nanoparticle inks are the current industry workhorse due to their balanced printability and conductivity, advanced applications demand a broader material palette. Modern aerosol jet printing has expanded to handle copper, gold-palladium, piezo-active formulations, carbon, and graphenes.
However, nanoparticle-based inks inherently contain organic binders, stabilizers, and surfactants that remain in the printed layer even after sintering. These residual organic matrices pose a major contamination and biocompatibility challenge, particularly in medical device and high-reliability implant applications.
The industry is actively transitioning toward particle-free organometallic inks. By printing metal-organic precursors that decompose during thermal treatment, manufacturers can achieve ultra-pure metallic structures free of organic contaminants, significantly improving both electrical performance and biocompatibility.
In this short video, you can learn:
* The material trade-offs between silver, copper, carbon, and graphene inks in printed electronics
* Why organic binders in nanoparticle inks present reliability and biocompatibility risks for medical devices
* The advantages of shifting to particle-free organometallic inks for pure, high-conductivity metal layers
š **Clip Abstract** This clip explores the material library of printed electronics, highlighting the transition from standard silver nanoparticle inks to alternative metals, graphenes, and piezos. It emphasizes the critical shift toward particle-free inks to eliminate organic binder contamination in high-performance and medical applications.
#ParticleFreeInks, #OrganometallicInks, #AerosolJetPrinting, #MetalOrganicPrecursors, #PrintedElectronics, #BiocompatibleElectronics