Wong Julielynn Y, Pfahnl Andreas C
Center for Innovative Technologies and Public Health, Toronto, ON, Canada.
Aerosp Med Hum Perform. 2016 Sep;87(9):806-10. doi: 10.3357/AMHP.4281.2016.
The first space-based fused deposition modeling (FDM) 3D printer became operational in 2014. This study evaluated whether Mars simulation crewmembers of the Hawai'i Space Exploration Analog and Simulation (HI-SEAS) II mission with no prior surgical experience could utilize acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) thermoplastic surgical instruments FDM 3D printed on Earth to complete simulated surgical tasks.
This study sought to examine the feasibility of using 3D printed surgical tools when the primary crew medical officer is incapacitated and the back-up crew medical officer must conduct a surgical procedure during a simulated extended space mission. During a 4 mo duration ground-based analog mission, five simulation crewmembers with no prior surgical experience completed 16 timed sets of simulated prepping, draping, incising, and suturing tasks to evaluate the relative speed of using four ABS thermoplastic instruments printed on Earth compared to conventional instruments.
All four simulated surgical tasks were successfully performed using 3D printed instruments by Mars simulation crewmembers with no prior surgical experience. There was no substantial difference in time to completion of simulated tasks with control vs. 3D printed sponge stick, towel clamp, scalpel handle, and toothed forceps.
These limited findings support further investigation into the creation of an onboard digital catalog of validated 3D printable surgical instrument design files to support autonomous, crew-administered healthcare on Mars missions. Future work could include addressing sterility, biocompatibility, and having astronaut crew medical officers test a wider range of surgical instruments printed in microgravity during actual surgical procedures. Wong JY, Pfahnl AC. 3D printed surgical instruments evaluated by a simulated crew of a Mars mission. Aerosp Med Hum Perform. 2016; 87(9):806-810.
第一台基于太空的熔融沉积建模（FDM）3D打印机于2014年投入使用。本研究评估了夏威夷太空探索模拟与仿真（HI-SEAS）II任务中没有外科手术经验的火星模拟机组人员是否能够使用在地球上3D打印的丙烯腈丁二烯苯乙烯（ABS）热塑性外科手术器械来完成模拟手术任务。
本研究旨在探讨在模拟的长期太空任务中，当主机组医疗官丧失能力且后备机组医疗官必须进行外科手术时，使用3D打印手术工具的可行性。在为期4个月的地面模拟任务中，五名没有外科手术经验的模拟机组人员完成了16组定时的模拟准备、铺巾、切开和缝合任务，以评估与传统器械相比，使用在地球上打印的四种ABS热塑性器械的相对速度。
没有外科手术经验的火星模拟机组人员使用3D打印器械成功完成了所有四项模拟手术任务。使用对照器械与3D打印的海绵棒、毛巾夹、手术刀柄和有齿镊子完成模拟任务的时间没有实质性差异。
这些有限的研究结果支持进一步研究创建一个经过验证的3D可打印手术器械设计文件的机载数字目录，以支持火星任务中的自主、机组人员管理的医疗保健。未来的工作可能包括解决无菌性、生物相容性问题，并让宇航员机组医疗官在实际手术过程中测试更广泛的在微重力环境下打印的手术器械。黄JY，普法恩尔AC。由火星任务模拟机组人员评估的3D打印手术器械。航空航天医学与人类表现。2016；87（9）：806 - 810。
