Designing a ribcage for a neonatal simulator manikin using 3d printing

In today’s simulation manikins anatomical mechanics and aesthetics are ignored, resulting in an incorrect haptic experience for a medical trainee who needs to learn the lifesaving chest compression procedure. Within this paper we detail the process of producing a neonatal ribcage with realistic mechanical , aesthetic, and haptic properties using 3D printing. One rib model was printed using the ABS material in multiple thicknesses and print angles. These ribs were tested for mechanical properties using a force gauge (Figure 1). The results were organized and compared to literature. We conclude that the ABS material, with a 10% increase in thickness, and printed under a 0 to 10 degree angle replicates neonatal bone properties best, and provides a more realistic mechanical, aesthetic, and haptic representation to use in simulation manikins.