Elbow Clip Effectiveness Tests

Rough Effectiveness Test

To Roughly test the effectiveness of the clip. We did the Ruler Testing. By comparing the position of the tube tip, we could see clearly see that the elbow clip could create effective bending to the tube.

Ruler Testing

Comparison of tube bending among the tube without clip and tube with different angle clip.

Pressure Sensor Effectiveness Test

The pressure sensor test is used to evaluate the effectiveness of the clip on the 3D printed partial esophagus. Point pressure sensor, Circuit, Arduino, and Matlab are used to process this experiment.

Overall, the results from this experiment show the clips’ ability in contact force reduction as predicted and how those clips conform with the initial performance requirement of alleviating pressure at the posterior larynx area. The pressure sensor test proved the effectiveness of the clip. The clips could reduce ~45% force from the posterior larynx area.

Overview of the Pressure Testing Model

Force Sensing Resistor (FSR)

Sensing range 0~500g force

CAD Model for Setups

ActualTesting Setups

Circuit SetUps

Circuit Diagram
Actual Circuit Setups

Results

85-degree clip Effectiveness

Contact force measurement after applying an 85 degree clip. The no-clip contact force was averaged based on data corresponding to 0 to 6 seconds; the with-clip contact force was averaged on data from 20 to 60 second.

  • Proved that the 85-degree clip decrease the force for approximately 30 g [~43% of the force get removed]

85~115-degree clip Effectiveness

Contact force measurement after clip application of each clip ranging 85 to 115 degrees. Each clip was measured 3 times and the error bar was calculated using one standard deviation on each side of the average contact force data. No-clip contact force range was set based on 5 no-clip contact force measurements.

  • This figure clearly illustrates the clip’s effectiveness in contact force reduction as all the averaged contact force after applying clips are below the no-clip contact force region.

  • This figure also shows that there is no distinctive relationship between the increase in clip angle and the amount of force reduction.