Overview of EP17HTND-CCM
EP17HTND-CCM is a one component, heat cured epoxy system for bonding, sealing and glob top applications. This epoxy system features excellent physical properties, superb electrical insulation along with good thermal conductivity, even at elevated temperatures. This system is also distinctive in that it has a relatively low exotherm upon curing. Master Bond EP17HTND-CCM was chosen for this application, in part, because it exhibited an excellent ~85 Shore D hardness, a high glass transition temperature, and a maximum service temperature up to 288°C (550°F). Additional benefits of Master Bond EP17HTND-CCM are its strong adhesion to a variety of substrates including polymers and metals, its great flow profile, low shrinkage upon cure, superb electrical insulation, and good thermal conductivity.
Application
Endoscopes have had a revolutionizing impact in the field of medicine. More recent approaches toward endoscope miniaturization utilize scanning fiber endoscopes (SFE) that can deliver relatively high image quality down to an insertion tube diameter of less than 2 mm. SFEs employ a clever design: a very thin, single-mode optical fiber emitting laser light is vibrated in resonance. Oscillation of the fiber is accomplished via an actuator such as a piezoelectric crystal that imparts a radial vibration resulting in a spiral scan pattern.1,2 Presently, for designs of this type, further miniaturization is limited by the size of the piezoelectric actuator.
To address the size limitations of the piezoelectric actuator, the researchers of this study sought to explore a novel SFE design employing a thermal actuator and a laterally oscillating, micro-cantilever fiber as the laser source.1 Actuation is accomplished at the base of the micro-cantilever by a metal bridge that thermally expands and contracts based upon an applied electrical current. The assembly itself is seated and bonded with Master Bond EP17HTND-CCM epoxy within a 500 m diameter hypodermic needle; a cap with an integrated lens system is used to ultimately seal the open end of the needle bore.
To read more about this application, its key parameters and requirements, and results, please download the full case study here.
Download the case study
References
1Ahrabi, A. A., Kaur, M., Li, Y., et al. An Electro-Thermal Actuation Method for Resonance Vibration of a Miniaturized Optical-Fiber Scanner for Future Scanning Fiber Endoscope design. Actuators, 2019, 8, 21.
2Physik Instrumente, PI Americas. Miniaturized Piezo Tubes in High-Resolution Scanning Fiber Endoscopy. Accessed: April 28, 2023. URL: https://www.pi-usa.us/en/expertise/mini-piezoelectric-tubes-for-fiber-en...