Automated medical device manufacturing through coherent imaging

微型医疗设备，如导管部件和神经支架，需要高度精密和可重复的制造。通过激光加工实现的非接触式和高度局部化的修改开辟了新的设计范例，但需要相当长的工艺开发时间，并受到潜在工艺固有的随机性的影响。通过采用最先进的医学成像技术，我们开发了一种高速(高达312 kHz)相干成像系统，该系统可以轻松集成到激光处理工作站中，并可以在样品发生时监控样品沿处理光束轴的变化。这包括以微米级的精度同时跟踪表面和次表面的变化。现场监测使我们能够闭合反馈回路，实现“全自动”激光加工，与开环加工相比，最终精度提高了一个数量级以上。这一战略项目将使我们能够与一家加拿大医疗器械制造公司和斯图加特大学的研究人员合作，利用这项屡获殊荣的技术(2010年ICALEO，阿纳海姆)来满足实际的设备加工要求，并将其作为深入激光加工(特别是在高通量下)的新窗口。资金将实现对工业3D设计的高速反馈控制，改进便携式系统并在合作伙伴的工艺开发实验室进行测试，以及探索与工业相关的超高速处理相关的基本问题。该项目的成果包括：i)先进制造业的HQP培训(几乎三分之二的预算是学生和PDF工资)，ii)通过现场实时监控减少工艺开发时间，iii)提高对激光加工的理解，以及iv)通过高速反馈控制创造新的医疗器械设计。目标与NSERC推进自动化、流程改进和检验/测量的战略目标保持一致。该项目将对汽车、农业和建筑设备、海洋和能源相关行业等其他利用激光加工的领域产生积极影响。

Miniature medical devices, such as catheter components and neurostents, require highly precise and repeatable manufacturing. The noncontact and highly localised modification possible through laser processing has opened up new design paradigms but requires considerable process development time and suffers from stochasticities inherent to the underlying process. By adapting state-of-the art medical imaging technology, we have developed a high-speed (up to 312 kHz) coherent imaging system that is easily integrated into a laser processing workstation and can monitor sample changes along the processing beam axis as they happen. This includes the tracking of surface and subsurface changes simultaneously with micron precision. In situ monitoring has allowed us to close the feedback loop to achieve *fully automatic* laser processing with final precision improved by over an order of magnitude compared to open loop processing. This strategic project will allow us to partner with a Canadian medical device manufacturing company and researchers at the University of Stuttgart to exploit this award-winning technology (2010 ICALEO, Anaheim) for practical device processing requirements, and as a novel window into deep laser processing (particularly at high fluences). Funding will enable high-speed feedback control of industrial 3D designs, refinement of a portable system and its testing in the partner's process development laboratory, and exploration of basic questions related to industrially relevant ultrafast processing. Outcomes of the project include: i) HQP training in advanced manufacturing (almost two-thirds of the budget is student and PDF salaries), ii) reduction of process development time through in situ real-time monitoring, iii) improved understanding of laser processing, and iv) creation of new medical device designs enabled by high-speed feedback control. Objectives are aligned with NSERC's strategic target of advancing automation, process improvement and inspection/measurement. This project will have positive implications for a variety of other fields that exploit laser processing such as automotive, agricultural and construction equipment, marine and energy-related industries.