A new approach to forming and sintering ceramic material, will create a high density, single-phase ceramic material, capable of 1,000 Angstrom-level precision machining, by non-contact (hence non-damaging) Electro Chemical Machining (ECM) processes. Resulting surgical tools will be more corrosion resistant than all metal, ceramic, carbide and diamond materials used today. Tools (i.e. ophthalmologic surgical knives) will be harder than polycrystalline diamond and within 15% of the theoretical hardness of diamond materials used today. Molding and ECM processes will enable many new dimensional and mechanical features, and provide long life in higher-temperature sterilization procedures. Phase 1 of the project will study Edge Sharpness requirements, and prove the required Electro Chemical Machining procedures required to establish these Edge Sharpness specifications. Previous material trials have proven the success of the material in these machining processes. Relevance: Reusable LASIK blades & other tools will become available, along with new complex features: curvilinear sharpened edges, locking tabs, guide lines, bar coding and index marks. Machining methods have all been demonstrated on the material, on a prototype basis. Phase 2 activities, including Institutional review board evaluations, will study and prove ECM procedures required attaining 1,000 Angstrom precision. Project designs will include ophthalmologic surgical knives, 2-4 centimeter-long Histology tissue blades, replacing surgical tools made from diamond today. Products will be available at a reduced cost, with a longer expected service life. This work will enable the development of long lived, durable surgical tools, specifically designed to extend contemporary surgical outcomes into third world environments. ? ? ?
