title: Buckling prevention strategies in nature as inspiration for improving percutaneous instruments: a review.
abstract: A typical mechanical failure mode observed in slender percutaneous instruments, such as needles and guidewires, is buckling. Buckling is observed when the axial compressive force that is required to penetrate certain tissue types exceeds the critical load of the instrument and manifests itself by sudden lateral deflection of the instrument. In nature, several organisms are able to penetrate substrates without buckling while using apparatuses with diameters smaller than those of off-the-shelf available percutaneous needles and guidewires. In this study we reviewed the apparatuses and buckling prevention strategies employed by biological organisms to penetrate substrates such as wood and skin. A subdivision is made between buckling prevention strategies that focus on increasing the critical load of the penetration tool and strategies that focus on decreasing the penetration load of the substrate. In total, 28 buckling prevention strategies were identified and categorized. Most organisms appear to be using a combination of buckling prevention strategies simultaneously. Integration and combination of these biological buckling prevention strategies in percutaneous instruments may contribute to increasing the success rate of percutaneous interventions.
authors.affiliation: Bio-Inspired Technology (BITE) Group, Department of Biomechanical Engineering, Faculty of Mechanical, Maritime and Materials Engineering, Delft University of Technology, Mekelweg 2, 2628 CD Delft, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Aimée
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sakes
authors.forename: Dimitra
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Dodou
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Breedveld
mesh_terms: D060105:Animal Shells / Q000502:physiology*; D000818:Animals; D032701:Biomimetics / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D019245:Compressive Strength / Q000502:physiology; D003198:Computer Simulation; D017076:Computer-Aided Design; D055119:Elastic Modulus / Q000502:physiology; D004867:Equipment Design; D019544:Equipment Failure Analysis; D006244:Hardness / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008954:Models, Biological; D009339:Needles; D011677:Punctures / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D012879:Skin Physiological Phenomena