Finite Element Simulation and Analysis of Drop Tests to Improve the Mechanical Design of a Handheld QSTM Medical Device

Abstract The structural integrity of an electro-mechanical assembly significantly determines the robustness of the design and durability of a product. Handheld portable medical devices require more attention on their compactness and packaging to ensure design fidelity for manufacturing and avoid permanent damages during inevitable drops or rough handling in a clinical setup. Hence, a finite element analysis is performed for quality conservation, risk assessment, and design failure mode error analysis. This paper investigates the mechanical impacts of drop tests on a handheld portable mechatronic medical device used to quantify real-time dispersive force-motion patterns in the form of Quantifiable Soft Tissue Manipulation (QSTM) for therapeutic massage, clinical manual therapy, and pain level assessments against neuro-musculoskeletal conditions. Structural analysis of the handheld medical device’s mechanical design and assembly has been performed by finite element methods to identify parts of assembly susceptible to maximum stress and deformation during static impact loading and impacts of collisions at drop test simulations. The CAD model of the medical device is illustrated and evaluated with material modeling and structural analysis to distinguish weaker supports and further reinforce them with modified design iterations. This analysis enabled a revised design of the QSTM device which showed significant reduction in stresses and deformations as compared to the baseline design.