Acci is a non-assembly steerable illumination instrument for eye surgery, with a tip diameter of 0.75 mm, 3D printed in one single step.

3D printing is especially useful for making small, highly precise instruments, like those used in eye surgeries. While 3D printing has its advantages, there are challenges when it comes to making tiny devices due to size limitations and the accuracy of current 3D printers, as well as being able to assemble many small parts.

Acci is an extremely thin and flexible light pipe designed for eye surgery that addresses these challenges. The instrument consists of a handle and a functional tip which can be bent by pushing on the handle. The functional tip has a diameter of only 0.75 mm, which is accomplished by printing a spiral structure. The 360-degree precision grip handle makes it easy to operate and maneuver. Both the tip and handle are printed one single step, after which only the optical fiber that provides the illumination has to be inserted. The optical fiber also functions as the control cable to actuate the instrument, eliminating the need for extra parts and assembly steps.

ACCI was a finalist in the 3D Pioneers Challenge 2024.