Design of experiment for optimization of 3D printing parameters of base plate structures in colostomy bag for newborns

ABSTRACT

This study introduces a low-cost ostomy bag with sufficient softness for a newborn’s body to improve newborn medical care. Fused-deposition modeling was performed with a thermoplastic elastomer as the 3D printing material. The experimental design of the Taguchi L9(34) orthogonal arrays was used for the parameter design. To assess quality, the hardness was measured, with a focus on the smaller-the-better characteristic of the average hardness. The experimental results showed that the optimal combination of the structural hardness parameters is A1B3C1D1. As per the A scale, the average Shore hardness of the experimental model was 41.9. The signal-to-noise ratio of the experimental sample was −32.4526 dB, which is within the confidence interval, indicating that the factor effect has a reproduction characteristic that represents the reliability of this experimental result. The original material’s Shore hardness was reduced by 44.95%, from 85 A to 46.79 A, which represents an effective improvement in wearability.

KEYWORDS:

• Imperforate anus
• colostomy bag base plate
• design of experiment
• thermoplastic elastomer
• 3D printing
• fused-deposition modeling

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Taichung Veterans General Hospital [T1097807].

Notes on contributors

Chia Hung Yeh

Dr. Chia Hung Yeh is currently an Assistant Professor in the Industrial Engineering and Enterprise Information, Taichung, Taiwan, since 2015. His research interests include CAD/CAM/CAE, MEMS, 3D printing, optical design, and medical design.

Chia Man Chou

Dr. Chia-Man Chou is division director of pediatric surgery in Taichung Veterans General Hospital. She mainly Surgery of neonates, infants, children and adolescents Minimally invasive surgery of children less than 18 year-old, such as laparoscopic surgery for gastrointestinal tract disease (ex. choledochal cyst, intestinal atresia, intussusception, acute appendicitis..) 

Chien Pang Lin

Mr. Chien-Pang Lin is a student of the master’s degree graduated from Tunghai University.