CNC Cannula Bending Control for Defect-Free Small-Radius Geometry
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for bending cannulas, particularly at small scales, often result in defects such as wrinkling, cracking, or flattening due to limitations in precision and control, which can affect fluid flow rates and are further complicated by medical device manufacturing regulations prohibiting interior mandrel use and lubricants.
Innovation Solution
A computer-implemented method using machine learning models to control CNC machines for cannula bending by receiving set parameters, determining uncontrolled inputs, and adjusting control parameters to optimize bending processes, including tooling settings, to achieve precise cannula geometry.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Shape
If conventional bending techniques (rotary draw bending, compression bending, ram bending, 3-roll bending) are used to bend cannulas at very small scales, then the cannulas can be bent into various shapes, but defects such as wrinkling, cracking, and flattening occur at the bend locations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces conventional mechanical bending systems with a magnetic field-based bending system. Magnets are positioned to create magnetic forces that bend the cannula along its length without physical contact. This substitution eliminates mechanical contact that causes wrinkling, cracking, and flattening, while achieving the desired bend geometries through controlled magnetic field application.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces magnetic fields as an intermediary between the bending tool and the cannula. Instead of direct mechanical contact, magnetic forces serve as the mediating mechanism to apply bending moment to the cannula. This intermediary approach allows precise control of bending while avoiding harmful mechanical interactions that cause defects.
2Manufacturing precision
If interior mandrels or lubricants are used to assist bending, then bending control is improved, but medical device manufacturing regulations (CGMP) are violated
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces mechanical bending assistance systems (mandrels and lubricants) with a magnetic field-based system. The magnetic field provides bending control without requiring interior mandrels or external lubricants, thereby maintaining CGMP compliance while achieving precise bending control through non-contact magnetic forces applied along the cannula length.
3Shape
If tighter bends and more complex geometries are achieved, then product functionality is improved, but the risk of defects (wrinkling, cracking, flattening) increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces contact-based mechanical bending with non-contact magnetic field bending, enabling tighter bends and more complex geometries without the mechanical stresses that cause wrinkles, cracks, and flattening. The magnetic field can be precisely controlled to achieve complex shapes while maintaining material integrity and preventing defects.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs dynamic control of magnetic field strength and distribution along the cannula length to achieve complex bend geometries. By varying the magnetic field parameters in real-time, the system can adapt to achieve tighter bends and complex shapes while maintaining uniform stress distribution that prevents defect formation.
Data Source
AI summary
There is described a system and a computer-implemented method for controlling a part-processing device of a computer numerical control machine to bend cannulas. The method comprises the step of receiving one or more set parameters relating to one or more desired bend characteristics. The method also comprises the step of determining one or more uncontrolled inputs, the one or more uncontrolled inputs comprising bend parameters of a previously bent cannula. The method also comprises the step of inputting the one or more set parameters and the one or more uncontrolled inputs into a machine learning model to produce a plurality of outputs. The method also comprises the step of determining control parameters using the plurality of outputs, the control parameters relating to one or more settings of the part-processing device. The method also comprises the steps of setting the part-processing device using the control parameters and the uncontrolled inputs and bending a cannula using the part-processing device.