mould for making multiple universal light coupler devices

thingiverse

The print here enables the production of unlimited numbers of the universal light coupler. Please refer to published article "The universal light coupler" in The Laryngoscope for full details (http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/lary.26656/abstract;jsessionid=24784C37EE3CD0365F16F4980DC654A4.f03t01) The coupling device is produced by pouring silicone into a prefabricated mold, available to download here. The mold has been designed and subsequently printed in 3D using Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS). Silicone components are delivered as two-component low-viscosity liquids, which once mixed and cured, transform into a translucent, elastic, and resistant material. Equal parts are mixed and poured into the mold. Typically, 40ml of silicone is used, which is held in place using either an 8cm length of 3.2cm diameter plastic piping (commonly used for plumbing and costing less than £2 for 2 meters), or a 3D printed cylinder. The mold was designed using Autodesk 123d printing software available for free. After the two silicon components have been mixed, poured into the mold, and allowed to cure, the mold can be taken apart, and the silicone coupling device released from the mold. A releasing agent is recommended to facilitate the extraction of the coupling device from the mold. Pigments can be added and are widely available. The coupling device can be fitted with a pen torch and attached to a wide range of commonly used medical devices. A variant of the flexible scope, which has a long lead attachment for a boxed light source, is commonly used. The coupling device can be used by inserting a standard adult disposable aural speculum that has been slightly modified by trimming 6mm from the distal end. Alternatively, a long lead specific coupling device can be made using the same principles but with a slightly modified mold (figure 3 and 4). The author recommends careful selection of torches and advises not to use torches that have a head diameter greater than 13mm. If institutions or individuals would like support or an example of the device, please visit http://drbeegun.com.