3D Printing using steerable needles

Needle-based 3D printers are commonly used to 3D print bio-polymers to form complex geometries with specific physical characteristics and / or behavior (e.g., shape changing, etc.). With the recent advancements in bio-polymers for 3D / 4D printing applications, a need has arisen to 3D print or deposit these polymers for polymerization in various and previously un-imagined ways. This work explores the concept of using long, steerable needles to 3D print bio-polymers with certain characteristics inside of penetrable bodies that require a 3D structure in specific and previously hard to reach locations. We present a motion planning approach based on literature which can develop a path depending on a start position and desired end position within an input body. Several control measures are defined which enables an electro-mechanical system to perform several motions to achieve the aforementioned path. Furthermore, a system is presented which is designed specifically to “deposit” and then polymerize materials within a body after achieving the desired path and end position within satisfactory tolerance. This paper describes the potential of steerable needles for the application of 3D printing in penetrable bodies.