Development of recyclable jointless plastic grippers for use in the medical technology sector

Medical grippers can be used for various purposes. They are a standard instrument in medical technology and are widely used every day for multiple applications. Jointless grippers, which, due to their geometry and material properties, allow for an easy gripping function, are very welcome to the medical sector in order to make the work and especially the hygiene or sterilisation of the products easier. The application of a single-use instrument made of thermoplastic and 100% recyclable plastic is an ideal response to the current trend toward the increasingly frequent application of single-use instruments in medical technology. Moreover, the infected plastic material can be easily disposed of. The development of a new type of gripper made of plastic is a step towards partially fulfilling this need. This article presents the development and validation of a jointless medical gripper produced by additive manufacturing and injection moulding technologies, using a compliant mechanism and thermoplastic material.