RJ Greco | Exxelia Micropen: Can you print durable, reliable electrodes directly onto a flexible, inflatable medical tube to improve patient safety during surgery?
00:08:48 - 00:10:07
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Summary of the clip:
Can you print durable, reliable electrodes directly onto a flexible, inflatable medical tube to improve patient safety during surgery?
This case study focuses on an instrumented endotracheal tube, a critical device used in elective surgeries to monitor and protect the laryngeal and vagus nerves. Before this technology, surgeons relied on less precise methods like stickers and wires to avoid nerve damage during intubation. Micropen's solution provides a fully integrated, reliable method for intraoperative nerve monitoring, directly addressing this clinical need.
The technical solution involves printing functional electrodes directly onto the complex, flexible geometry of the tube. Two distinct patterns are printed: one set of electrodes on the inflatable cuff for EMG signals, and another set on the main body of the tube for nerve monitoring. This additive approach creates a low-profile, monolithic, and durable sensor that is seamlessly integrated into the device, eliminating the failure points associated with externally attached wires.
A key enabler for this long-standing "bread and butter" product is advanced material science. The conductive ink used is a proprietary formulation developed and refined by Micropen specifically for this application. It is perfectly matched to the substrate to ensure strong adhesion, flexibility, and biocompatibility, resulting in a highly reliable device that has been a testament to patient safety for over a decade.
In this short video, you can learn:
* The clinical need for nerve monitoring during intubation and the limitations of previous methods.
* How direct-write printing creates low-profile, monolithic electrodes on a flexible, 3D medical device.
* The critical role of custom ink formulation matched to the substrate for long-term product success and reliability.
📋 **Clip Abstract** Explore a real-world medical device application where electrodes are printed directly onto a flexible endotracheal tube for surgical nerve monitoring. This case study highlights how additive electronics can replace cumbersome wires, creating a durable, monolithic device that enhances patient safety.
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#DirectWritePrinting, #FlexibleElectrodes, #CustomInkFormulation, #BiocompatibleElectronics, #PrintedElectronics, #AdditiveManufacturing
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00:04:56 - 00:05:48
How do you print precise electronic traces on soft, fragile, or irregular 3D surfaces without ever touching them?
How do you print precise electronic traces on soft, fragile, or irregular 3D surfaces without ever touching them?
Micropen's core technology is a non-contact, air-over direct-write system. The process begins by delivering functional ink through a microfluidic block to linearize the flow. It then travels through a pen arm and is extruded from a small orifice at the tip, forming a continuous, precise stream of material.
The system is entirely non-contact, meaning the pen tip never touches the substrate. Instead, it "rides the printed layer" at a precise standoff distance. The final line width and cross-section are determined by a complex interaction between the ink's rheology and the surface energy of the substrate, allowing for printing on highly irregular, soft, and fragile surfaces where contact-based methods would fail.
This process enables high-resolution features, typically operating with a two-to-one aspect ratio. For example, a common specification is a 50-micron line width with a 25-micron white space between traces. While this is a standard capability, the system is flexible and can be adjusted to produce thicker or thinner lines depending on the specific material properties and application requirements.
In this short video, you can learn:
* The mechanics of Micropen's non-contact, air-over direct-write system.
* How ink rheology and substrate surface interaction determine final feature size.
* Typical achievable resolutions, such as 50-micron lines with 25-micron spacing.
📋 **Clip Abstract** Discover the inner workings of a unique non-contact dispensing technology capable of printing functional materials on complex 3D substrates. This clip details the air-over system, the importance of ink-substrate interaction, and the typical line resolutions achievable.
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#NonContactDirectWrite, #MicrofluidicDispensing, #InkRheology, #3DSurfacePrinting, #PrintedElectronics, #AdditiveElectronics
00:14:02 - 00:15:00
What are the real-world limits of additive electronics? How thick or thin can you print a functional metallic trace?
What are the real-world limits of additive electronics? How thick or thin can you print a functional metallic trace?
When asked about the printable line height, or "cross-section," the speaker clarifies that the capability is not a single number but is highly dependent on the specific material being printed and the required end-product performance. Factors like conductivity, adhesion, and the ink's ability to hold its shape during curing all play a critical role in determining the achievable Z-height of a printed trace.
The process has well-defined quantitative limits at the lower end of the scale. The minimum achievable cross-section for a printed trace is just under one mil, which is equivalent to 25.4 microns. This defines the finest features that the Micropen technology can reliably produce, enabling high-density and low-profile circuit designs on various substrates.
For maximum thickness, the limit is dictated by the material's physical properties and its ability to stand without slumping, sometimes aided by surface modifications. A concrete example is given for a tungsten-formulated radiopaque ink used on a medical balloon catheter. For this application, a very thick trace with a cross-section of approximately 250 microns (or 10 mils) is successfully printed to ensure visibility under fluoroscopy.
In this short video, you can learn:
* How printable feature height (cross-section) is dependent on material properties and performance needs.
* The minimum achievable trace thickness, which can be as fine as ~25 microns.
* A practical example of a thick-film application: a 250-micron tungsten trace for radiopaque markers.
📋 **Clip Abstract** Get a direct answer on the achievable feature sizes and resolutions for a 3D additive electronics process. This clip quantifies the minimum and maximum printable trace thickness, from as fine as 25 microns to as thick as 250 microns, using real-world examples.
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#TraceThickness, #MicropenTechnology, #AdditiveFeatureLimits, #RadiopaqueInk, #AdditiveElectronics, #MedicalElectronics