From 3D view to 3D print

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dima, M.; Farisato, G.; Bergomi, M.; Viotto, V.; Magrin, D.; Greggio, D.; Farinato, J.; Marafatto, L.; Ragazzoni, R.; Piazza, D.

2014-08-01

In the last few years 3D printing is getting more and more popular and used in many fields going from manufacturing to industrial design, architecture, medical support and aerospace. 3D printing is an evolution of bi-dimensional printing, which allows to obtain a solid object from a 3D model, realized with a 3D modelling software. The final product is obtained using an additive process, in which successive layers of material are laid down one over the other. A 3D printer allows to realize, in a simple way, very complex shapes, which would be quite difficult to be produced with dedicated conventional facilities. Thanks to the fact that the 3D printing is obtained superposing one layer to the others, it doesn't need any particular work flow and it is sufficient to simply draw the model and send it to print. Many different kinds of 3D printers exist based on the technology and material used for layer deposition. A common material used by the toner is ABS plastics, which is a light and rigid thermoplastic polymer, whose peculiar mechanical properties make it diffusely used in several fields, like pipes production and cars interiors manufacturing. I used this technology to create a 1:1 scale model of the telescope which is the hardware core of the space small mission CHEOPS (CHaracterising ExOPlanets Satellite) by ESA, which aims to characterize EXOplanets via transits observations. The telescope has a Ritchey-Chrétien configuration with a 30cm aperture and the launch is foreseen in 2017. In this paper, I present the different phases for the realization of such a model, focusing onto pros and cons of this kind of technology. For example, because of the finite printable volume (10×10×12 inches in the x, y and z directions respectively), it has been necessary to split the largest parts of the instrument in smaller components to be then reassembled and post-processed. A further issue is the resolution of the printed material, which is expressed in terms of layers

3D Modelling and Printing Technology to Produce Patient-Specific 3D Models.

PubMed

Birbara, Nicolette S; Otton, James M; Pather, Nalini

2017-11-10

A comprehensive knowledge of mitral valve (MV) anatomy is crucial in the assessment of MV disease. While the use of three-dimensional (3D) modelling and printing in MV assessment has undergone early clinical evaluation, the precision and usefulness of this technology requires further investigation. This study aimed to assess and validate 3D modelling and printing technology to produce patient-specific 3D MV models. A prototype method for MV 3D modelling and printing was developed from computed tomography (CT) scans of a plastinated human heart. Mitral valve models were printed using four 3D printing methods and validated to assess precision. Cardiac CT and 3D echocardiography imaging data of four MV disease patients was used to produce patient-specific 3D printed models, and 40 cardiac health professionals (CHPs) were surveyed on the perceived value and potential uses of 3D models in a clinical setting. The prototype method demonstrated submillimetre precision for all four 3D printing methods used, and statistical analysis showed a significant difference (p<0.05) in precision between these methods. Patient-specific 3D printed models, particularly using multiple print materials, were considered useful by CHPs for preoperative planning, as well as other applications such as teaching and training. This study suggests that, with further advances in 3D modelling and printing technology, patient-specific 3D MV models could serve as a useful clinical tool. The findings also highlight the potential of this technology to be applied in a variety of medical areas within both clinical and educational settings. Copyright © 2017 Australian and New Zealand Society of Cardiac and Thoracic Surgeons (ANZSCTS) and the Cardiac Society of Australia and New Zealand (CSANZ). Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

3D-printing technologies for electrochemical applications.

PubMed

Ambrosi, Adriano; Pumera, Martin

2016-05-21

Since its conception during the 80s, 3D-printing, also known as additive manufacturing, has been receiving unprecedented levels of attention and interest from industry and research laboratories. This is in addition to end users, who have benefited from the pervasiveness of desktop-size and relatively cheap printing machines available. 3D-printing enables almost infinite possibilities for rapid prototyping. Therefore, it has been considered for applications in numerous research fields, ranging from mechanical engineering, medicine, and materials science to chemistry. Electrochemistry is another branch of science that can certainly benefit from 3D-printing technologies, paving the way for the design and fabrication of cheaper, higher performing, and ubiquitously available electrochemical devices. Here, we aim to provide a general overview of the most commonly available 3D-printing methods along with a review of recent electrochemistry related studies adopting 3D-printing as a possible rapid prototyping fabrication tool.

Comparative Study on Cushion Performance Between 3D Printed Kelvin Structure and 3D Printed Lattice Structure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Priyadarshini, Lakshmi

Frequently transported packaging goods are more prone to damage due to impact, jolting or vibration in transit. Fragile goods, for example, glass, ceramics, porcelain are susceptible to mechanical stresses. Hence ancillary materials like cushions play an important role when utilized within package. In this work, an analytical model of a 3D cellular structure is established based on Kelvin model and lattice structure. The research will provide a comparative study between the 3D printed Kelvin unit structure and 3D printed lattice structure. The comparative investigation is based on parameters defining cushion performance such as cushion creep, indentation, and cushion curve analysis. The applications of 3D printing is in rapid prototyping where the study will provide information of which model delivers better form of energy absorption. 3D printed foam will be shown as a cost-effective approach as prototype. The research also investigates about the selection of material for 3D printing process. As cushion development demands flexible material, three-dimensional printing with material having elastomeric properties is required. Further, the concept of cushion design is based on Kelvin model structure and lattice structure. The analytical solution provides the cushion curve analysis with respect to the results observed when load is applied over the cushion. The results are reported on basis of attenuation and amplification curves.

Dimensional accuracy of 3D printed vertebra

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ogden, Kent; Ordway, Nathaniel; Diallo, Dalanda; Tillapaugh-Fay, Gwen; Aslan, Can

2014-03-01

3D printer applications in the biomedical sciences and medical imaging are expanding and will have an increasing impact on the practice of medicine. Orthopedic and reconstructive surgery has been an obvious area for development of 3D printer applications as the segmentation of bony anatomy to generate printable models is relatively straightforward. There are important issues that should be addressed when using 3D printed models for applications that may affect patient care; in particular the dimensional accuracy of the printed parts needs to be high to avoid poor decisions being made prior to surgery or therapeutic procedures. In this work, the dimensional accuracy of 3D printed vertebral bodies derived from CT data for a cadaver spine is compared with direct measurements on the ex-vivo vertebra and with measurements made on the 3D rendered vertebra using commercial 3D image processing software. The vertebra was printed on a consumer grade 3D printer using an additive print process using PLA (polylactic acid) filament. Measurements were made for 15 different anatomic features of the vertebral body, including vertebral body height, endplate width and depth, pedicle height and width, and spinal canal width and depth, among others. It is shown that for the segmentation and printing process used, the results of measurements made on the 3D printed vertebral body are substantially the same as those produced by direct measurement on the vertebra and measurements made on the 3D rendered vertebra.

Endodontic applications of 3D printing.

PubMed

Anderson, J; Wealleans, J; Ray, J

2018-02-27

Computer-aided design (CAD) and computer-aided manufacturing (CAM) technologies can leverage cone beam computed tomography data for production of objects used in surgical and nonsurgical endodontics and in educational settings. The aim of this article was to review all current applications of 3D printing in endodontics and to speculate upon future directions for research and clinical use within the specialty. A literature search of PubMed, Ovid and Scopus was conducted using the following terms: stereolithography, 3D printing, computer aided rapid prototyping, surgical guide, guided endodontic surgery, guided endodontic access, additive manufacturing, rapid prototyping, autotransplantation rapid prototyping, CAD, CAM. Inclusion criteria were articles in the English language documenting endodontic applications of 3D printing. Fifty-one articles met inclusion criteria and were utilized. The endodontic literature on 3D printing is generally limited to case reports and pre-clinical studies. Documented solutions to endodontic challenges include: guided access with pulp canal obliteration, applications in autotransplantation, pre-surgical planning and educational modelling and accurate location of osteotomy perforation sites. Acquisition of technical expertise and equipment within endodontic practices present formidable obstacles to widespread deployment within the endodontic specialty. As knowledge advances, endodontic postgraduate programmes should consider implementing 3D printing into their curriculums. Future research directions should include clinical outcomes assessments of treatments employing 3D printed objects. Published 2018. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.

Applications of 3D printing in cardiovascular diseases.

PubMed

Giannopoulos, Andreas A; Mitsouras, Dimitris; Yoo, Shi-Joon; Liu, Peter P; Chatzizisis, Yiannis S; Rybicki, Frank J

2016-12-01

3D-printed models fabricated from CT, MRI, or echocardiography data provide the advantage of haptic feedback, direct manipulation, and enhanced understanding of cardiovascular anatomy and underlying pathologies. Reported applications of cardiovascular 3D printing span from diagnostic assistance and optimization of management algorithms in complex cardiovascular diseases, to planning and simulating surgical and interventional procedures. The technology has been used in practically the entire range of structural, valvular, and congenital heart diseases, and the added-value of 3D printing is established. Patient-specific implants and custom-made devices can be designed, produced, and tested, thus opening new horizons in personalized patient care and cardiovascular research. Physicians and trainees can better elucidate anatomical abnormalities with the use of 3D-printed models, and communication with patients is markedly improved. Cardiovascular 3D bioprinting and molecular 3D printing, although currently not translated into clinical practice, hold revolutionary potential. 3D printing is expected to have a broad influence in cardiovascular care, and will prove pivotal for the future generation of cardiovascular imagers and care providers. In this Review, we summarize the cardiovascular 3D printing workflow, from image acquisition to the generation of a hand-held model, and discuss the cardiovascular applications and the current status and future perspectives of cardiovascular 3D printing.

3D printing technologies for electrochemical energy storage

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Zhang, Feng; Wei, Min; Viswanathan, Vilayanur V.

Fabrication of electrodes and electrolytes play an important role in promoting the performance of electrochemical energy storage (EES) devices such as batteries and supercapacitors. Traditional fabrication techniques have limited capability in controlling the geometry and architecture of the electrode and solid-state electrolytes, which would otherwise compromise the performance. 3D printing, a disruptive manufacturing technology, has emerged as an innovative approach to fabricating EES devices from nanoscale to macroscale and from nanowatt to megawatt, providing great opportunities to accurately control device geometry (e.g., dimension, porosity, morphology) and structure with enhanced specific energy and power densities. Moreover, the additive manufacturing nature ofmore » 3D printing provides excellent controllability of the electrode thickness with much simplified process in a cost effective manner. With the unique spatial and temporal material manipulation capability, 3D printing can integrate multiple nanomaterials in the same print, and multi-functional EES devices (including functional gradient devices) can be fabricated. Herein, we review recent advances in 3D printing of EES devices. We focused on two major 3D printing technologies including direct writing and inkjet printing. The direct material deposition characteristics of these two processes enable them to print on a variety of flat substrates, even a conformal one, well suiting them to applications such as wearable devices and on-chip integrations. Other potential 3D printing techniques such as freeze nano-printing, stereolithography, fused deposition modeling, binder jetting, laminated object manufacturing, and metal 3D printing are also introduced. The advantages and limitations of each 3D printing technology are extensively discussed. More importantly, we provide a perspective on how to integrate the emerging 3D printing with existing technologies to create structures over multiple length scale

3D printing technologies for electrochemical energy storage

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Zhang, Feng; Wei, Min; Viswanathan, Vilayanur V.

We present that fabrication and assembly of electrodes and electrolytes play an important role in promoting the performance of electrochemical energy storage (EES) devices such as batteries and supercapacitors. Traditional fabrication techniques have limitations in controlling the geometry and architecture of the electrode and solid-state electrolytes, which would otherwise compromise the performance. 3D printing, a disruptive manufacturing technology, has emerged as an innovative approach to fabricating EES devices from nanoscale to macroscale, providing great opportunities to accurately control device geometry (e.g., dimension, porosity, and morphology) and structure with enhanced specific energy and power densities. Moreover, the “additive” manufacturing nature ofmore » 3D printing provides excellent controllability of the electrode thickness with much simplified process in a cost effective manner. Additionally, with the unique spatial and temporal material manipulation capability, 3D printing can integrate multiple nano-materials in the same print, and multi-functional EES devices (including functional gradient devices) can be fabricated. Herein, we review recent advances in 3D printing of EES devices. We focus on two major 3D printing technologies including direct writing and inkjet printing. The direct material deposition characteristics of these two processes enable them to print on a variety of flat substrates, even a conformal one, well suiting them to applications such as wearable devices and on-chip integrations. Other potential 3D printing techniques such as freeze nano-printing, stereolithography, fused deposition modeling, binder jetting, laminated object manufacturing, and metal 3D printing are also introduced. The advantages and limitations of each 3D printing technology are extensively discussed. More importantly, we provide a perspective on how to integrate the emerging 3D printing with existing technologies to create structures over

3D printing technologies for electrochemical energy storage

DOE PAGES

Zhang, Feng; Wei, Min; Viswanathan, Vilayanur V.; ...

2017-08-24

We present that fabrication and assembly of electrodes and electrolytes play an important role in promoting the performance of electrochemical energy storage (EES) devices such as batteries and supercapacitors. Traditional fabrication techniques have limitations in controlling the geometry and architecture of the electrode and solid-state electrolytes, which would otherwise compromise the performance. 3D printing, a disruptive manufacturing technology, has emerged as an innovative approach to fabricating EES devices from nanoscale to macroscale, providing great opportunities to accurately control device geometry (e.g., dimension, porosity, and morphology) and structure with enhanced specific energy and power densities. Moreover, the “additive” manufacturing nature ofmore » 3D printing provides excellent controllability of the electrode thickness with much simplified process in a cost effective manner. Additionally, with the unique spatial and temporal material manipulation capability, 3D printing can integrate multiple nano-materials in the same print, and multi-functional EES devices (including functional gradient devices) can be fabricated. Herein, we review recent advances in 3D printing of EES devices. We focus on two major 3D printing technologies including direct writing and inkjet printing. The direct material deposition characteristics of these two processes enable them to print on a variety of flat substrates, even a conformal one, well suiting them to applications such as wearable devices and on-chip integrations. Other potential 3D printing techniques such as freeze nano-printing, stereolithography, fused deposition modeling, binder jetting, laminated object manufacturing, and metal 3D printing are also introduced. The advantages and limitations of each 3D printing technology are extensively discussed. More importantly, we provide a perspective on how to integrate the emerging 3D printing with existing technologies to create structures over

3D printed soft parallel actuator

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zolfagharian, Ali; Kouzani, Abbas Z.; Khoo, Sui Yang; Noshadi, Amin; Kaynak, Akif

2018-04-01

This paper presents a 3-dimensional (3D) printed soft parallel contactless actuator for the first time. The actuator involves an electro-responsive parallel mechanism made of two segments namely active chain and passive chain both 3D printed. The active chain is attached to the ground from one end and constitutes two actuator links made of responsive hydrogel. The passive chain, on the other hand, is attached to the active chain from one end and consists of two rigid links made of polymer. The actuator links are printed using an extrusion-based 3D-Bioplotter with polyelectrolyte hydrogel as printer ink. The rigid links are also printed by a 3D fused deposition modelling (FDM) printer with acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) as print material. The kinematics model of the soft parallel actuator is derived via transformation matrices notations to simulate and determine the workspace of the actuator. The printed soft parallel actuator is then immersed into NaOH solution with specific voltage applied to it via two contactless electrodes. The experimental data is then collected and used to develop a parametric model to estimate the end-effector position and regulate kinematics model in response to specific input voltage over time. It is observed that the electroactive actuator demonstrates expected behaviour according to the simulation of its kinematics model. The use of 3D printing for the fabrication of parallel soft actuators opens a new chapter in manufacturing sophisticated soft actuators with high dexterity and mechanical robustness for biomedical applications such as cell manipulation and drug release.

Direct 3D Printing of Catalytically Active Structures

DOE PAGES

Manzano, J. Sebastian; Weinstein, Zachary B.; Sadow, Aaron D.; ...

2017-09-22

3D printing of materials with active functional groups can provide custom-designed structures that promote chemical conversions. Catalytically active architectures were produced by photopolymerizing bifunctional molecules using a commercial stereolithographic 3D printer. Functionalities in the monomers included a polymerizable vinyl group to assemble the 3D structures and a secondary group to provide them with active sites. The 3D-printed architectures containing accessible carboxylic acid, amine, and copper carboxylate functionalities were catalytically active for the Mannich, aldol, and Huisgen cycloaddition reactions, respectively. The functional groups in the 3D-printed structures were also amenable to post-printing chemical modification. And as proof of principle, chemically activemore » cuvette adaptors were 3D printed and used to measure in situ the kinetics of a heterogeneously catalyzed Mannich reaction in a conventional solution spectrophotometer. In addition, 3D-printed millifluidic devices with catalytically active copper carboxylate complexes were used to promote azide-alkyne cycloaddition under flow conditions. The importance of controlling the 3D architecture of the millifluidic devices was evidenced by enhancing reaction conversion upon increasing the complexity of the 3D prints.« less

Direct 3D Printing of Catalytically Active Structures

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Manzano, J. Sebastian; Weinstein, Zachary B.; Sadow, Aaron D.

3D printing of materials with active functional groups can provide custom-designed structures that promote chemical conversions. Catalytically active architectures were produced by photopolymerizing bifunctional molecules using a commercial stereolithographic 3D printer. Functionalities in the monomers included a polymerizable vinyl group to assemble the 3D structures and a secondary group to provide them with active sites. The 3D-printed architectures containing accessible carboxylic acid, amine, and copper carboxylate functionalities were catalytically active for the Mannich, aldol, and Huisgen cycloaddition reactions, respectively. The functional groups in the 3D-printed structures were also amenable to post-printing chemical modification. And as proof of principle, chemically activemore » cuvette adaptors were 3D printed and used to measure in situ the kinetics of a heterogeneously catalyzed Mannich reaction in a conventional solution spectrophotometer. In addition, 3D-printed millifluidic devices with catalytically active copper carboxylate complexes were used to promote azide-alkyne cycloaddition under flow conditions. The importance of controlling the 3D architecture of the millifluidic devices was evidenced by enhancing reaction conversion upon increasing the complexity of the 3D prints.« less

3D Printing: Print the future of ophthalmology.

PubMed

Huang, Wenbin; Zhang, Xiulan

2014-08-26

The three-dimensional (3D) printer is a new technology that creates physical objects from digital files. Recent technological advances in 3D printing have resulted in increased use of this technology in the medical field, where it is beginning to revolutionize medical and surgical possibilities. It is already providing medicine with powerful tools that facilitate education, surgical planning, and organ transplantation research. A good understanding of this technology will be beneficial to ophthalmologists. The potential applications of 3D printing in ophthalmology, both current and future, are explored in this article. Copyright 2014 The Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology, Inc.

3D-printed upper limb prostheses: a review.

PubMed

Ten Kate, Jelle; Smit, Gerwin; Breedveld, Paul

2017-04-01

This paper aims to provide an overview with quantitative information of existing 3D-printed upper limb prostheses. We will identify the benefits and drawbacks of 3D-printed devices to enable improvement of current devices based on the demands of prostheses users. A review was performed using Scopus, Web of Science and websites related to 3D-printing. Quantitative information on the mechanical and kinematic specifications and 3D-printing technology used was extracted from the papers and websites. The overview (58 devices) provides the general specifications, the mechanical and kinematic specifications of the devices and information regarding the 3D-printing technology used for hands. The overview shows prostheses for all different upper limb amputation levels with different types of control and a maximum material cost of $500. A large range of various prostheses have been 3D-printed, of which the majority are used by children. Evidence with respect to the user acceptance, functionality and durability of the 3D-printed hands is lacking. Contrary to what is often claimed, 3D-printing is not necessarily cheap, e.g., injection moulding can be cheaper. Conversely, 3D-printing provides a promising possibility for individualization, e.g., personalized socket, colour, shape and size, without the need for adjusting the production machine. Implications for rehabilitation Upper limb deficiency is a condition in which a part of the upper limb is missing as a result of a congenital limb deficiency of as a result of an amputation. A prosthetic hand can restore some of the functions of a missing limb and help the user in performing activities of daily living. Using 3D-printing technology is one of the solutions to manufacture hand prostheses. This overview provides information about the general, mechanical and kinematic specifications of all the devices and it provides the information about the 3D-printing technology used to print the hands.

3D printing for clinical application in otorhinolaryngology.

PubMed

Zhong, Nongping; Zhao, Xia

2017-12-01

Three-dimensional (3D) printing is a promising technology that can use a patient's image data to create complex and personalized constructs precisely. It has made great progress over the past few decades and has been widely used in medicine including medical modeling, surgical planning, medical education and training, prosthesis and implants. Three-dimensional (3D) bioprinting is a powerful tool that has the potential to fabricate bioengineered constructs of the desired shape layer-by-layer using computer-aided deposition of living cells and biomaterials. Advances in 3D printed implants and future tissue-engineered constructs will bring great progress to the field of otolaryngology. By integrating 3D printing into tissue engineering and materials, it may be possible for otolaryngologists to implant 3D printed functional grafts into patients for reconstruction of a variety of tissue defects in the foreseeable future. In this review, we will introduce the current state of 3D printing technology and highlight the applications of 3D printed prosthesis and implants, 3D printing technology combined with tissue engineering and future directions of bioprinting in the field of otolaryngology.

3D Printing of Carbon Nanotubes-Based Microsupercapacitors.

PubMed

Yu, Wei; Zhou, Han; Li, Ben Q; Ding, Shujiang

2017-02-08

A novel 3D printing procedure is presented for fabricating carbon-nanotubes (CNTs)-based microsupercapacitors. The 3D printer uses a CNTs ink slurry with a moderate solid content and prints a stream of continuous droplets. Appropriate control of a heated base is applied to facilitate the solvent removal and adhesion between printed layers and to improve the structure integrity without structure delamination or distortion upon drying. The 3D-printed electrodes for microsupercapacitors are characterized by SEM, laser scanning confocal microscope, and step profiler. Effect of process parameters on 3D printing is also studied. The final solid-state microsupercapacitors are assembled with the printed multilayer CNTs structures and poly(vinyl alcohol)-H 3 PO 4 gel as the interdigitated microelectrodes and electrolyte. The electrochemical performance of 3D printed microsupercapacitors is also tested, showing a significant areal capacitance and excellent cycle stability.

3D Printing of Highly Stretchable, Shape-Memory, and Self-Healing Elastomer toward Novel 4D Printing.

PubMed

Kuang, Xiao; Chen, Kaijuan; Dunn, Conner K; Wu, Jiangtao; Li, Vincent C F; Qi, H Jerry

2018-02-28

The three-dimensional (3D) printing of flexible and stretchable materials with smart functions such as shape memory (SM) and self-healing (SH) is highly desirable for the development of future 4D printing technology for myriad applications, such as soft actuators, deployable smart medical devices, and flexible electronics. Here, we report a novel ink that can be used for the 3D printing of highly stretchable, SM, and SH elastomer via UV-light-assisted direct-ink-write printing. An ink containing urethane diacrylate and a linear semicrystalline polymer is developed for the 3D printing of a semi-interpenetrating polymer network elastomer that can be stretched by up to 600%. The 3D-printed complex structures show interesting functional properties, such as high strain SM and SM -assisted SH capability. We demonstrate that such a 3D-printed SM elastomer has the potential application for biomedical devices, such as vascular repair devices. This research paves a new way for the further development of novel 4D printing, soft robotics, and biomedical devices.

How We 3D-Print Aerogel

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

None

A new type of graphene aerogel will make for better energy storage, sensors, nanoelectronics, catalysis and separations. Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory researchers have made graphene aerogel microlattices with an engineered architecture via a 3D printing technique known as direct ink writing. The research appears in the April 22 edition of the journal, Nature Communications. The 3D printed graphene aerogels have high surface area, excellent electrical conductivity, are lightweight, have mechanical stiffness and exhibit supercompressibility (up to 90 percent compressive strain). In addition, the 3D printed graphene aerogel microlattices show an order of magnitude improvement over bulk graphene materials and muchmore » better mass transport.« less

3D Printing the Complete CubeSat

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kief, Craig

2015-01-01

The 3D Printing the Complete CubeSat project is designed to advance the state-of-the-art in 3D printing for CubeSat applications. Printing in 3D has the potential to increase reliability, reduce design iteration time and provide greater design flexibility in the areas of radiation mitigation, communications, propulsion, and wiring, among others. This project is investigating the possibility of including propulsion systems into the design of printed CubeSat components. One such concept, an embedded micro pulsed plasma thruster (mPPT), could provide auxiliary reaction control propulsion for a spacecraft as a means to desaturate momentum wheels.

3D Printing of Bench

NASA Image and Video Library

2018-02-09

Nathan Gelino, a NASA research engineer at Kennedy Space Center in Florida displays a 3-D printed cylinder used for compression testing. Engineers at the center’s Swamp Works measured how much force it takes to break the structure before moving on to 3-D printing with a simulated lunar regolith, or dirt, and polymers. Next, Gelino and his group are working on a Zero Launch Mass 3-D printer that can be used for construction projects on the Moon and Mars, even for troops in remote locations here on Earth. Zero launch mass refers to the fact that the printer uses these pellets to prove that space explorers can use resources at their destination instead of taking everything with them, saving them launch mass and money. Gelino and his team are working with Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to develop a system that can 3-D print barracks in remote locations on Earth, using the resources they have where they are.

Cardiothoracic Applications of 3D Printing

PubMed Central

Giannopoulos, Andreas A.; Steigner, Michael L.; George, Elizabeth; Barile, Maria; Hunsaker, Andetta R.; Rybicki, Frank J.; Mitsouras, Dimitris

2016-01-01

Summary Medical 3D printing is emerging as a clinically relevant imaging tool in directing preoperative and intraoperative planning in many surgical specialties and will therefore likely lead to interdisciplinary collaboration between engineers, radiologists, and surgeons. Data from standard imaging modalities such as CT, MRI, echocardiography and rotational angiography can be used to fabricate life-sized models of human anatomy and pathology, as well as patient-specific implants and surgical guides. Cardiovascular 3D printed models can improve diagnosis and allow for advanced pre-operative planning. The majority of applications reported involve congenital heart diseases, valvular and great vessels pathologies. Printed models are suitable for planning both surgical and minimally invasive procedures. Added value has been reported toward improving outcomes, minimizing peri-operative risk, and developing new procedures such as transcatheter mitral valve replacements. Similarly, thoracic surgeons are using 3D printing to assess invasion of vital structures by tumors and to assist in diagnosis and treatment of upper and lower airway diseases. Anatomic models enable surgeons to assimilate information more quickly than image review, choose the optimal surgical approach, and achieve surgery in a shorter time. Patient-specific 3D-printed implants are beginning to appear and may have significant impact on cosmetic and life-saving procedures in the future. In summary, cardiothoracic 3D printing is rapidly evolving and may be a potential game-changer for surgeons. The imager who is equipped with the tools to apply this new imaging science to cardiothoracic care is thus ideally positioned to innovate in this new emerging imaging modality. PMID:27149367

3D Printed Multimaterial Microfluidic Valve

PubMed Central

Patrick, William G.; Sharma, Sunanda; Kong, David S.; Oxman, Neri

2016-01-01

We present a novel 3D printed multimaterial microfluidic proportional valve. The microfluidic valve is a fundamental primitive that enables the development of programmable, automated devices for controlling fluids in a precise manner. We discuss valve characterization results, as well as exploratory design variations in channel width, membrane thickness, and membrane stiffness. Compared to previous single material 3D printed valves that are stiff, these printed valves constrain fluidic deformation spatially, through combinations of stiff and flexible materials, to enable intricate geometries in an actuated, functionally graded device. Research presented marks a shift towards 3D printing multi-property programmable fluidic devices in a single step, in which integrated multimaterial valves can be used to control complex fluidic reactions for a variety of applications, including DNA assembly and analysis, continuous sampling and sensing, and soft robotics. PMID:27525809

3D Printed Multimaterial Microfluidic Valve.

PubMed

Keating, Steven J; Gariboldi, Maria Isabella; Patrick, William G; Sharma, Sunanda; Kong, David S; Oxman, Neri

2016-01-01

We present a novel 3D printed multimaterial microfluidic proportional valve. The microfluidic valve is a fundamental primitive that enables the development of programmable, automated devices for controlling fluids in a precise manner. We discuss valve characterization results, as well as exploratory design variations in channel width, membrane thickness, and membrane stiffness. Compared to previous single material 3D printed valves that are stiff, these printed valves constrain fluidic deformation spatially, through combinations of stiff and flexible materials, to enable intricate geometries in an actuated, functionally graded device. Research presented marks a shift towards 3D printing multi-property programmable fluidic devices in a single step, in which integrated multimaterial valves can be used to control complex fluidic reactions for a variety of applications, including DNA assembly and analysis, continuous sampling and sensing, and soft robotics.

3D Printed Block Copolymer Nanostructures

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Scalfani, Vincent F.; Turner, C. Heath; Rupar, Paul A.; Jenkins, Alexander H.; Bara, Jason E.

2015-01-01

The emergence of 3D printing has dramatically advanced the availability of tangible molecular and extended solid models. Interestingly, there are few nanostructure models available both commercially and through other do-it-yourself approaches such as 3D printing. This is unfortunate given the importance of nanotechnology in science today. In this…

3D printing in chemistry: past, present and future

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shatford, Ryan; Karanassios, Vassili

2016-05-01

During the last years, 3d printing for rapid prototyping using additive manufacturing has been receiving increased attention in the technical and scientific literature including some Chemistry-related journals. Furthermore, 3D printing technology (defining size and resolution of 3D objects) and properties of printed materials (e.g., strength, resistance to chemical attack, electrical insulation) proved to be important for chemistry-related applications. In this paper these are discussed in detail. In addition, application of 3D printing for development of Micro Plasma Devices (MPDs) is discussed and 2d-profilometry data of a 3D printed surfaces is reported. And, past and present chemistry and bio-related applications of 3D printing are reviewed and possible future directions are postulated.

ABS 3D printed solutions for cryogenic applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bartolomé, E.; Bozzo, B.; Sevilla, P.; Martínez-Pasarell, O.; Puig, T.; Granados, X.

2017-03-01

3D printing has become a common, inexpensive and rapid prototyping technique, enabling the ad hoc fabrication of complex shapes. In this paper, we demonstrate that 3D printed objects in ABS can be used at cryogenic temperatures, offering flexible solutions in different fields. Firstly, a thermo-mechanical characterization of ABS 3D printed specimens at 77 K is reported, which allowed us to delimit the type of cryogenic uses where 3D printed pieces may be implemented. Secondly, we present three different examples where ABS 3D printed objects working at low temperatures have provided specific solutions: (i) SQUID inserts for angular magnetometry (low temperature material characterization field); (ii) a cage support for a metamaterial ;magnetic concentrator; (superconductivity application), and (iii) dedicated tools for cryopreservation in assisted reproductive techniques (medicine field).

Design of 3D-Printed Titanium Compliant Mechanisms

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Merriam, Ezekiel G.; Jones, Jonathan E.; Howell, Larry L.

2014-01-01

This paper describes 3D-printed titanium compliant mechanisms for aerospace applications. It is meant as a primer to help engineers design compliant, multi-axis, printed parts that exhibit high performance. Topics covered include brief introductions to both compliant mechanism design and 3D printing in titanium, material and geometry considerations for 3D printing, modeling techniques, and case studies of both successful and unsuccessful part geometries. Key findings include recommended flexure geometries, minimum thicknesses, and general design guidelines for compliant printed parts that may not be obvious to the first time designer.

3-D Printed Ultem 9085 Testing and Analysis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Aguilar, Daniel; Christensen, Sean; Fox, Emmet J.

2015-01-01

The purpose of this document is to analyze the mechanical properties of 3-D printed Ultem 9085. This document will focus on the capabilities, limitations, and complexities of 3D printing in general, and explain the methods by which this material is tested. Because 3-D printing is a relatively new process that offers an innovative means to produce hardware, it is important that the aerospace community understands its current advantages and limitations, so that future endeavors involving 3-D printing may be completely safe. This document encompasses three main sections: a Slosh damage assessment, a destructive test of 3-D printed Ultem 9085 samples, and a test to verify simulation for the 3-D printed SDP (SPHERES Docking Port). Described below, 'Slosh' and 'SDP' refer to two experiments that are built using Ultem 9085 for use with the SPHERES (Synchronized Position Hold, Engage, Reorient, Experimental Satellites) program onboard the International Space Station (ISS) [16]. The SPHERES Facility is managed out of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Ames Research Center in California.

3D Printing of Molecular Models

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gardner, Adam; Olson, Arthur

2016-01-01

Physical molecular models have played a valuable role in our understanding of the invisible nano-scale world. We discuss 3D printing and its use in producing models of the molecules of life. Complex biomolecular models, produced from 3D printed parts, can demonstrate characteristics of molecular structure and function, such as viral self-assembly,…

3D Printed Robotic Hand

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pizarro, Yaritzmar Rosario; Schuler, Jason M.; Lippitt, Thomas C.

2013-01-01

Dexterous robotic hands are changing the way robots and humans interact and use common tools. Unfortunately, the complexity of the joints and actuations drive up the manufacturing cost. Some cutting edge and commercially available rapid prototyping machines now have the ability to print multiple materials and even combine these materials in the same job. A 3D model of a robotic hand was designed using Creo Parametric 2.0. Combining "hard" and "soft" materials, the model was printed on the Object Connex350 3D printer with the purpose of resembling as much as possible the human appearance and mobility of a real hand while needing no assembly. After printing the prototype, strings where installed as actuators to test mobility. Based on printing materials, the manufacturing cost of the hand was $167, significantly lower than other robotic hands without the actuators since they have more complex assembly processes.

3D printing for soft robotics - a review.

PubMed

Gul, Jahan Zeb; Sajid, Memoon; Rehman, Muhammad Muqeet; Siddiqui, Ghayas Uddin; Shah, Imran; Kim, Kyung-Hwan; Lee, Jae-Wook; Choi, Kyung Hyun

2018-01-01

Soft robots have received an increasing attention due to their advantages of high flexibility and safety for human operators but the fabrication is a challenge. Recently, 3D printing has been used as a key technology to fabricate soft robots because of high quality and printing multiple materials at the same time. Functional soft materials are particularly well suited for soft robotics due to a wide range of stimulants and sensitive demonstration of large deformations, high motion complexities and varied multi-functionalities. This review comprises a detailed survey of 3D printing in soft robotics. The development of key 3D printing technologies and new materials along with composites for soft robotic applications is investigated. A brief summary of 3D-printed soft devices suitable for medical to industrial applications is also included. The growing research on both 3D printing and soft robotics needs a summary of the major reported studies and the authors believe that this review article serves the purpose.

Hybrid 3D-2D printing for bone scaffolds fabrication

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Seleznev, V. A.; Prinz, V. Ya

2017-02-01

It is a well-known fact that bone scaffold topography on micro- and nanometer scale influences the cellular behavior. Nano-scale surface modification of scaffolds allows the modulation of biological activity for enhanced cell differentiation. To date, there has been only a limited success in printing scaffolds with micro- and nano-scale features exposed on the surface. To improve on the currently available imperfect technologies, in our paper we introduce new hybrid technologies based on a combination of 2D (nano imprint) and 3D printing methods. The first method is based on using light projection 3D printing and simultaneous 2D nanostructuring of each of the layers during the formation of the 3D structure. The second method is based on the sequential integration of preliminarily created 2D nanostructured films into a 3D printed structure. The capabilities of the developed hybrid technologies are demonstrated with the example of forming 3D bone scaffolds. The proposed technologies can be used to fabricate complex 3D micro- and nanostructured products for various fields.

Viscoplastic Matrix Materials for Embedded 3D Printing.

PubMed

Grosskopf, Abigail K; Truby, Ryan L; Kim, Hyoungsoo; Perazzo, Antonio; Lewis, Jennifer A; Stone, Howard A

2018-03-16

Embedded three-dimensional (EMB3D) printing is an emerging technique that enables free-form fabrication of complex architectures. In this approach, a nozzle is translated omnidirectionally within a soft matrix that surrounds and supports the patterned material. To optimize print fidelity, we have investigated the effects of matrix viscoplasticity on the EMB3D printing process. Specifically, we determine how matrix composition, print path and speed, and nozzle diameter affect the yielded region within the matrix. By characterizing the velocity and strain fields and analyzing the dimensions of the yielded regions, we determine that scaling relationships based on the Oldroyd number, Od, exist between these dimensions and the rheological properties of the matrix materials and printing parameters. Finally, we use EMB3D printing to create complex architectures within an elastomeric silicone matrix. Our methods and findings will both facilitate future characterization of viscoplastic matrices and motivate the development of new materials for EMB3D printing.

3D printing applications for transdermal drug delivery.

PubMed

Economidou, Sophia N; Lamprou, Dimitrios A; Douroumis, Dennis

2018-06-15

The role of two and three-dimensional printing as a fabrication technology for sophisticated transdermal drug delivery systems is explored in literature. 3D printing encompasses a family of distinct technologies that employ a virtual model to produce a physical object through numerically controlled apparatuses. The applicability of several printing technologies has been researched for the direct or indirect printing of microneedle arrays or for the modification of their surface through drug-containing coatings. The findings of the respective studies are presented. The range of printable materials that are currently used or potentially can be employed for 3D printing of transdermal drug delivery (TDD) systems is also reviewed. Moreover, the expected impact and challenges of the adoption of 3D printing as a manufacturing technique for transdermal drug delivery systems, are assessed. Finally, this paper outlines the current regulatory framework associated with 3D printed transdermal drug delivery systems. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Large-Scale 3D Printing: The Way Forward

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jassmi, Hamad Al; Najjar, Fady Al; Ismail Mourad, Abdel-Hamid

2018-03-01

Research on small-scale 3D printing has rapidly evolved, where numerous industrial products have been tested and successfully applied. Nonetheless, research on large-scale 3D printing, directed to large-scale applications such as construction and automotive manufacturing, yet demands a great a great deal of efforts. Large-scale 3D printing is considered an interdisciplinary topic and requires establishing a blended knowledge base from numerous research fields including structural engineering, materials science, mechatronics, software engineering, artificial intelligence and architectural engineering. This review article summarizes key topics of relevance to new research trends on large-scale 3D printing, particularly pertaining (1) technological solutions of additive construction (i.e. the 3D printers themselves), (2) materials science challenges, and (3) new design opportunities.

Do-It-Yourself: 3D Models of Hydrogenic Orbitals through 3D Printing

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Griffith, Kaitlyn M.; de Cataldo, Riccardo; Fogarty, Keir H.

2016-01-01

Introductory chemistry students often have difficulty visualizing the 3-dimensional shapes of the hydrogenic electron orbitals without the aid of physical 3D models. Unfortunately, commercially available models can be quite expensive. 3D printing offers a solution for producing models of hydrogenic orbitals. 3D printing technology is widely…

Photochemical Copper Coating on 3D Printed Thermoplastics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yung, Winco K. C.; Sun, Bo; Huang, Junfeng; Jin, Yingdi; Meng, Zhengong; Choy, Hang Shan; Cai, Zhixiang; Li, Guijun; Ho, Cheuk Lam; Yang, Jinlong; Wong, Wai Yeung

2016-08-01

3D printing using thermoplastics has become very popular in recent years, however, it is challenging to provide a metal coating on 3D objects without using specialized and expensive tools. Herein, a novel acrylic paint containing malachite for coating on 3D printed objects is introduced, which can be transformed to copper via one-step laser treatment. The malachite containing pigment can be used as a commercial acrylic paint, which can be brushed onto 3D printed objects. The material properties and photochemical transformation processes have been comprehensively studied. The underlying physics of the photochemical synthesis of copper was characterized using density functional theory calculations. After laser treatment, the surface coating of the 3D printed objects was transformed to copper, which was experimentally characterized by XRD. 3D printed prototypes, including model of the Statue of Liberty covered with a copper surface coating and a robotic hand with copper interconnections, are demonstrated using this painting method. This composite material can provide a novel solution for coating metals on 3D printed objects. The photochemical reduction analysis indicates that the copper rust in malachite form can be remotely and photo-chemically reduced to pure copper with sufficient photon energy.

Photochemical Copper Coating on 3D Printed Thermoplastics

PubMed Central

Yung, Winco K. C.; Sun, Bo; Huang, Junfeng; Jin, Yingdi; Meng, Zhengong; Choy, Hang Shan; Cai, Zhixiang; Li, Guijun; Ho, Cheuk Lam; Yang, Jinlong; Wong, Wai Yeung

2016-01-01

3D printing using thermoplastics has become very popular in recent years, however, it is challenging to provide a metal coating on 3D objects without using specialized and expensive tools. Herein, a novel acrylic paint containing malachite for coating on 3D printed objects is introduced, which can be transformed to copper via one-step laser treatment. The malachite containing pigment can be used as a commercial acrylic paint, which can be brushed onto 3D printed objects. The material properties and photochemical transformation processes have been comprehensively studied. The underlying physics of the photochemical synthesis of copper was characterized using density functional theory calculations. After laser treatment, the surface coating of the 3D printed objects was transformed to copper, which was experimentally characterized by XRD. 3D printed prototypes, including model of the Statue of Liberty covered with a copper surface coating and a robotic hand with copper interconnections, are demonstrated using this painting method. This composite material can provide a novel solution for coating metals on 3D printed objects. The photochemical reduction analysis indicates that the copper rust in malachite form can be remotely and photo-chemically reduced to pure copper with sufficient photon energy. PMID:27501761

Photochemical Copper Coating on 3D Printed Thermoplastics.

PubMed

Yung, Winco K C; Sun, Bo; Huang, Junfeng; Jin, Yingdi; Meng, Zhengong; Choy, Hang Shan; Cai, Zhixiang; Li, Guijun; Ho, Cheuk Lam; Yang, Jinlong; Wong, Wai Yeung

2016-08-09

3D printing using thermoplastics has become very popular in recent years, however, it is challenging to provide a metal coating on 3D objects without using specialized and expensive tools. Herein, a novel acrylic paint containing malachite for coating on 3D printed objects is introduced, which can be transformed to copper via one-step laser treatment. The malachite containing pigment can be used as a commercial acrylic paint, which can be brushed onto 3D printed objects. The material properties and photochemical transformation processes have been comprehensively studied. The underlying physics of the photochemical synthesis of copper was characterized using density functional theory calculations. After laser treatment, the surface coating of the 3D printed objects was transformed to copper, which was experimentally characterized by XRD. 3D printed prototypes, including model of the Statue of Liberty covered with a copper surface coating and a robotic hand with copper interconnections, are demonstrated using this painting method. This composite material can provide a novel solution for coating metals on 3D printed objects. The photochemical reduction analysis indicates that the copper rust in malachite form can be remotely and photo-chemically reduced to pure copper with sufficient photon energy.

Novel Biomaterials Used in Medical 3D Printing Techniques

PubMed Central

Tappa, Karthik; Jammalamadaka, Udayabhanu

2018-01-01

The success of an implant depends on the type of biomaterial used for its fabrication. An ideal implant material should be biocompatible, inert, mechanically durable, and easily moldable. The ability to build patient specific implants incorporated with bioactive drugs, cells, and proteins has made 3D printing technology revolutionary in medical and pharmaceutical fields. A vast variety of biomaterials are currently being used in medical 3D printing, including metals, ceramics, polymers, and composites. With continuous research and progress in biomaterials used in 3D printing, there has been a rapid growth in applications of 3D printing in manufacturing customized implants, prostheses, drug delivery devices, and 3D scaffolds for tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. The current review focuses on the novel biomaterials used in variety of 3D printing technologies for clinical applications. Most common types of medical 3D printing technologies, including fused deposition modeling, extrusion based bioprinting, inkjet, and polyjet printing techniques, their clinical applications, different types of biomaterials currently used by researchers, and key limitations are discussed in detail. PMID:29414913

Novel Biomaterials Used in Medical 3D Printing Techniques.

PubMed

Tappa, Karthik; Jammalamadaka, Udayabhanu

2018-02-07

The success of an implant depends on the type of biomaterial used for its fabrication. An ideal implant material should be biocompatible, inert, mechanically durable, and easily moldable. The ability to build patient specific implants incorporated with bioactive drugs, cells, and proteins has made 3D printing technology revolutionary in medical and pharmaceutical fields. A vast variety of biomaterials are currently being used in medical 3D printing, including metals, ceramics, polymers, and composites. With continuous research and progress in biomaterials used in 3D printing, there has been a rapid growth in applications of 3D printing in manufacturing customized implants, prostheses, drug delivery devices, and 3D scaffolds for tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. The current review focuses on the novel biomaterials used in variety of 3D printing technologies for clinical applications. Most common types of medical 3D printing technologies, including fused deposition modeling, extrusion based bioprinting, inkjet, and polyjet printing techniques, their clinical applications, different types of biomaterials currently used by researchers, and key limitations are discussed in detail.

Embedding objects during 3D printing to add new functionalities.

PubMed

Yuen, Po Ki

2016-07-01

A novel method for integrating and embedding objects to add new functionalities during 3D printing based on fused deposition modeling (FDM) (also known as fused filament fabrication or molten polymer deposition) is presented. Unlike typical 3D printing, FDM-based 3D printing could allow objects to be integrated and embedded during 3D printing and the FDM-based 3D printed devices do not typically require any post-processing and finishing. Thus, various fluidic devices with integrated glass cover slips or polystyrene films with and without an embedded porous membrane, and optical devices with embedded Corning(®) Fibrance™ Light-Diffusing Fiber were 3D printed to demonstrate the versatility of the FDM-based 3D printing and embedding method. Fluid perfusion flow experiments with a blue colored food dye solution were used to visually confirm fluid flow and/or fluid perfusion through the embedded porous membrane in the 3D printed fluidic devices. Similar to typical 3D printed devices, FDM-based 3D printed devices are translucent at best unless post-polishing is performed and optical transparency is highly desirable in any fluidic devices; integrated glass cover slips or polystyrene films would provide a perfect optical transparent window for observation and visualization. In addition, they also provide a compatible flat smooth surface for biological or biomolecular applications. The 3D printed fluidic devices with an embedded porous membrane are applicable to biological or chemical applications such as continuous perfusion cell culture or biocatalytic synthesis but without the need for any post-device assembly and finishing. The 3D printed devices with embedded Corning(®) Fibrance™ Light-Diffusing Fiber would have applications in display, illumination, or optical applications. Furthermore, the FDM-based 3D printing and embedding method could also be utilized to print casting molds with an integrated glass bottom for polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) device replication

Embedding objects during 3D printing to add new functionalities

PubMed Central

2016-01-01

A novel method for integrating and embedding objects to add new functionalities during 3D printing based on fused deposition modeling (FDM) (also known as fused filament fabrication or molten polymer deposition) is presented. Unlike typical 3D printing, FDM-based 3D printing could allow objects to be integrated and embedded during 3D printing and the FDM-based 3D printed devices do not typically require any post-processing and finishing. Thus, various fluidic devices with integrated glass cover slips or polystyrene films with and without an embedded porous membrane, and optical devices with embedded Corning® Fibrance™ Light-Diffusing Fiber were 3D printed to demonstrate the versatility of the FDM-based 3D printing and embedding method. Fluid perfusion flow experiments with a blue colored food dye solution were used to visually confirm fluid flow and/or fluid perfusion through the embedded porous membrane in the 3D printed fluidic devices. Similar to typical 3D printed devices, FDM-based 3D printed devices are translucent at best unless post-polishing is performed and optical transparency is highly desirable in any fluidic devices; integrated glass cover slips or polystyrene films would provide a perfect optical transparent window for observation and visualization. In addition, they also provide a compatible flat smooth surface for biological or biomolecular applications. The 3D printed fluidic devices with an embedded porous membrane are applicable to biological or chemical applications such as continuous perfusion cell culture or biocatalytic synthesis but without the need for any post-device assembly and finishing. The 3D printed devices with embedded Corning® Fibrance™ Light-Diffusing Fiber would have applications in display, illumination, or optical applications. Furthermore, the FDM-based 3D printing and embedding method could also be utilized to print casting molds with an integrated glass bottom for polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) device replication. These

3D printing: making things at the library.

PubMed

Hoy, Matthew B

2013-01-01

3D printers are a new technology that creates physical objects from digital files. Uses for these printers include printing models, parts, and toys. 3D printers are also being developed for medical applications, including printed bone, skin, and even complete organs. Although medical printing lags behind other uses for 3D printing, it has the potential to radically change the practice of medicine over the next decade. Falling costs for hardware have made 3D printers an inexpensive technology that libraries can offer their patrons. Medical librarians will want to be familiar with this technology, as it is sure to have wide-reaching effects on the practice of medicine.

Three-dimensional (3D) printing of mouse primary hepatocytes to generate 3D hepatic structure.

PubMed

Kim, Yohan; Kang, Kyojin; Jeong, Jaemin; Paik, Seung Sam; Kim, Ji Sook; Park, Su A; Kim, Wan Doo; Park, Jisun; Choi, Dongho

2017-02-01

The major problem in producing artificial livers is that primary hepatocytes cannot be cultured for many days. Recently, 3-dimensional (3D) printing technology draws attention and this technology regarded as a useful tool for current cell biology. By using the 3D bio-printing, these problems can be resolved. To generate 3D bio-printed structures (25 mm × 25 mm), cells-alginate constructs were fabricated by 3D bio-printing system. Mouse primary hepatocytes were isolated from the livers of 6-8 weeks old mice by a 2-step collagenase method. Samples of 4 × 10 7 hepatocytes with 80%-90% viability were printed with 3% alginate solution, and cultured with well-defined culture medium for primary hepatocytes. To confirm functional ability of hepatocytes cultured on 3D alginate scaffold, we conducted quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction and immunofluorescence with hepatic marker genes. Isolated primary hepatocytes were printed with alginate. The 3D printed hepatocytes remained alive for 14 days. Gene expression levels of Albumin , HNF-4α and Foxa3 were gradually increased in the 3D structures. Immunofluorescence analysis showed that the primary hepatocytes produced hepatic-specific proteins over the same period of time. Our research indicates that 3D bio-printing technique can be used for long-term culture of primary hepatocytes. It can therefore be used for drug screening and as a potential method of producing artificial livers.

3D Printed Stretchable Tactile Sensors.

PubMed

Guo, Shuang-Zhuang; Qiu, Kaiyan; Meng, Fanben; Park, Sung Hyun; McAlpine, Michael C

2017-07-01

The development of methods for the 3D printing of multifunctional devices could impact areas ranging from wearable electronics and energy harvesting devices to smart prosthetics and human-machine interfaces. Recently, the development of stretchable electronic devices has accelerated, concomitant with advances in functional materials and fabrication processes. In particular, novel strategies have been developed to enable the intimate biointegration of wearable electronic devices with human skin in ways that bypass the mechanical and thermal restrictions of traditional microfabrication technologies. Here, a multimaterial, multiscale, and multifunctional 3D printing approach is employed to fabricate 3D tactile sensors under ambient conditions conformally onto freeform surfaces. The customized sensor is demonstrated with the capabilities of detecting and differentiating human movements, including pulse monitoring and finger motions. The custom 3D printing of functional materials and devices opens new routes for the biointegration of various sensors in wearable electronics systems, and toward advanced bionic skin applications. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

3D printed magnetic polymer composite transformers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bollig, Lindsey M.; Hilpisch, Peter J.; Mowry, Greg S.; Nelson-Cheeseman, Brittany B.

2017-11-01

The possibility of 3D printing a transformer core using fused deposition modeling methods is explored. With the use of additive manufacturing, ideal transformer core geometries can be achieved in order to produce a more efficient transformer. In this work, different 3D printed settings and toroidal geometries are tested using a custom integrated magnetic circuit capable of measuring the hysteresis loop of a transformer. These different properties are then characterized, and it was determined the most effective 3D printed transformer core requires a high fill factor along with a high concentration of magnetic particulate.

Recent advances in 3D printing of biomaterials.

PubMed

Chia, Helena N; Wu, Benjamin M

2015-01-01

3D Printing promises to produce complex biomedical devices according to computer design using patient-specific anatomical data. Since its initial use as pre-surgical visualization models and tooling molds, 3D Printing has slowly evolved to create one-of-a-kind devices, implants, scaffolds for tissue engineering, diagnostic platforms, and drug delivery systems. Fueled by the recent explosion in public interest and access to affordable printers, there is renewed interest to combine stem cells with custom 3D scaffolds for personalized regenerative medicine. Before 3D Printing can be used routinely for the regeneration of complex tissues (e.g. bone, cartilage, muscles, vessels, nerves in the craniomaxillofacial complex), and complex organs with intricate 3D microarchitecture (e.g. liver, lymphoid organs), several technological limitations must be addressed. In this review, the major materials and technology advances within the last five years for each of the common 3D Printing technologies (Three Dimensional Printing, Fused Deposition Modeling, Selective Laser Sintering, Stereolithography, and 3D Plotting/Direct-Write/Bioprinting) are described. Examples are highlighted to illustrate progress of each technology in tissue engineering, and key limitations are identified to motivate future research and advance this fascinating field of advanced manufacturing.

Bringing 3D Printing to Geophysical Science Education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boghosian, A.; Turrin, M.; Porter, D. F.

2014-12-01

3D printing technology has been embraced by many technical fields, and is rapidly making its way into peoples' homes and schools. While there is a growing educational and hobbyist community engaged in the STEM focused technical and intellectual challenges associated with 3D printing, there is unrealized potential for the earth science community to use 3D printing to communicate scientific research to the public. Moreover, 3D printing offers scientists the opportunity to connect students and the public with novel visualizations of real data. As opposed to introducing terrestrial measurements through the use of colormaps and gradients, scientists can represent 3D concepts with 3D models, offering a more intuitive education tool. Furthermore, the tactile aspect of models make geophysical concepts accessible to a wide range of learning styles like kinesthetic or tactile, and learners including both visually impaired and color-blind students.We present a workflow whereby scientists, students, and the general public will be able to 3D print their own versions of geophysical datasets, even adding time through layering to include a 4th dimension, for a "4D" print. This will enable scientists with unique and expert insights into the data to easily create the tools they need to communicate their research. It will allow educators to quickly produce teaching aids for their students. Most importantly, it will enable the students themselves to translate the 2D representation of geophysical data into a 3D representation of that same data, reinforcing spatial reasoning.

DNA biosensing with 3D printing technology.

PubMed

Loo, Adeline Huiling; Chua, Chun Kiang; Pumera, Martin

2017-01-16

3D printing, an upcoming technology, has vast potential to transform conventional fabrication processes due to the numerous improvements it can offer to the current methods. To date, the employment of 3D printing technology has been examined for applications in the fields of engineering, manufacturing and biological sciences. In this study, we examined the potential of adopting 3D printing technology for a novel application, electrochemical DNA biosensing. Metal 3D printing was utilized to construct helical-shaped stainless steel electrodes which functioned as a transducing platform for the detection of DNA hybridization. The ability of electroactive methylene blue to intercalate into the double helix structure of double-stranded DNA was then exploited to monitor the DNA hybridization process, with its inherent reduction peak serving as an analytical signal. The designed biosensing approach was found to demonstrate superior selectivity against a non-complementary DNA target, with a detection range of 1-1000 nM.

3D printing strategies for peripheral nerve regeneration.

PubMed

Petcu, Eugen B; Midha, Rajiv; McColl, Erin; Popa-Wagner, Aurel; Chirila, Traian V; Dalton, Paul D

2018-03-23

After many decades of biomaterials research for peripheral nerve regeneration, a clinical product (the nerve guide), is emerging as a proven alternative for relatively short injury gaps. This review identifies aspects where 3D printing can assist in improving long-distance nerve guide regeneration strategies. These include (1) 3D printing of the customizable nerve guides, (2) fabrication of scaffolds that fill nerve guides, (3) 3D bioprinting of cells within a matrix/bioink into the nerve guide lumen and the (4) establishment of growth factor gradients along the length a nerve guide. The improving resolution of 3D printing technologies will be an important factor for peripheral nerve regeneration, as fascicular-like guiding structures provide one path to improved nerve guidance. The capability of 3D printing to manufacture complex structures from patient data based on existing medical imaging technologies is an exciting aspect that could eventually be applied to treating peripheral nerve injury. Ultimately, the goal of 3D printing in peripheral nerve regeneration is the automated fabrication, potentially customized for the patient, of structures within the nerve guide that significantly outperform the nerve autograft over large gap injuries.

3D Printing in Zero-G ISS Technology Demonstration

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Werkheiser, Niki; Cooper, Kenneth C.; Edmunson, Jennifer E.; Dunn, Jason; Snyder, Michael

2013-01-01

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has a long term strategy to fabricate components and equipment on-demand for manned missions to the Moon, Mars, and beyond. To support this strategy, NASA's Marshall Space Fligth Center (MSFC) and Made in Space, Inc. are developing the 3D Printing In Zero-G payload as a Technology Demonstration for the International Space Station (ISS). The 3D Printing In Zero-G experiment ('3D Print') will be the frst machine to perform 3D printing in space.

Raman Spectroscopy of 3-D Printed Polymers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Espinoza, Vanessa; Wood, Erin; Hight Walker, Angela; Seppala, Jonathan; Kotula, Anthony

Additive manufacturing (AM) techniques, such as 3-D printing are becoming an innovative and efficient way to produce highly customized parts for applications ranging from automotive to biomedical. Polymer-based AM parts can be produced from a myriad of materials and processing conditions to enable application-specific products. However, bringing 3-D printing from prototype to production relies on understanding the effect of processing conditions on the final product. Raman spectroscopy is a powerful and non-destructive characterization technique that can assist in determining the chemical homogeneity and physical alignment of polymer chains in 3-D printed materials. Two polymers commonly used in 3-D printing, acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) and polycarbonate (PC), were investigated using 1- and 2-D hyperspectral Raman imaging. In the case of ABS, a complex thermoplastic, the homogeneity of the material through the weld zone was investigated by comparing Raman peaks from each of the three components. In order to investigate the effect of processing conditions on polymer chain alignment, polarized Raman spectroscopy was used. In particular, the print speed or shear rate and effect of strain on PC filaments was investigated with perpendicular and parallel polarizations. National Institute of Standards and Technology Gaithersburg, MD ; Society of Physics Students.

How useful is 3D printing in maxillofacial surgery?

PubMed

Louvrier, A; Marty, P; Barrabé, A; Euvrard, E; Chatelain, B; Weber, E; Meyer, C

2017-09-01

3D printing seems to have more and more applications in maxillofacial surgery (MFS), particularly since the release on the market of general use 3D printers several years ago. The aim of our study was to answer 4 questions: 1. Who uses 3D printing in MFS and is it routine or not? 2. What are the main clinical indications for 3D printing in MFS and what are the kinds of objects that are used? 3. Are these objects printed by an official medical device (MD) manufacturer or made directly within the department or the lab? 4. What are the advantages and drawbacks? Two bibliographic researches were conducted on January the 1st, 2017 in PubMed, without time limitation, using "maxillofacial surgery" AND "3D printing" for the first and for the second "maxillofacial surgery" AND "computer-aided design" AND "computer-aided manufacturing" as keywords. Articles in English or French dealing with human clinical use of 3D printing were selected. Publication date, nationality of the authors, number of patients treated, clinical indication(s), type of printed object(s), type of printing (lab/hospital-made or professional/industry) and advantages/drawbacks were recorded. Two hundred and ninety-seven articles from 35 countries met the criteria. The most represented country was the People's Republic of China (16% of the articles). A total of 2889 patients (10 per article on average) benefited from 3D printed objects. The most frequent clinical indications were dental implant surgery and mandibular reconstruction. The most frequently printed objects were surgical guides and anatomic models. Forty-five percent of the prints were professional. The main advantages were improvement in precision and reduction of surgical time. The main disadvantages were the cost of the objects and the manufacturing period when printed by the industry. The arrival on the market of low-cost printers has increased the use of 3D printing in MFS. Anatomic models are not considered to be MDs and do not have

3D Printing of Organs-On-Chips.

PubMed

Yi, Hee-Gyeong; Lee, Hyungseok; Cho, Dong-Woo

2017-01-25

Organ-on-a-chip engineering aims to create artificial living organs that mimic the complex and physiological responses of real organs, in order to test drugs by precisely manipulating the cells and their microenvironments. To achieve this, the artificial organs should to be microfabricated with an extracellular matrix (ECM) and various types of cells, and should recapitulate morphogenesis, cell differentiation, and functions according to the native organ. A promising strategy is 3D printing, which precisely controls the spatial distribution and layer-by-layer assembly of cells, ECMs, and other biomaterials. Owing to this unique advantage, integration of 3D printing into organ-on-a-chip engineering can facilitate the creation of micro-organs with heterogeneity, a desired 3D cellular arrangement, tissue-specific functions, or even cyclic movement within a microfluidic device. Moreover, fully 3D-printed organs-on-chips more easily incorporate other mechanical and electrical components with the chips, and can be commercialized via automated massive production. Herein, we discuss the recent advances and the potential of 3D cell-printing technology in engineering organs-on-chips, and provides the future perspectives of this technology to establish the highly reliable and useful drug-screening platforms.

3D Modeling Techniques for Print and Digital Media

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stephens, Megan Ashley

In developing my thesis, I looked to gain skills using ZBrush to create 3D models, 3D scanning, and 3D printing. The models created compared the hearts of several vertebrates and were intended for students attending Comparative Vertebrate Anatomy. I used several resources to create a model of the human heart and was able to work from life while creating heart models from other vertebrates. I successfully learned ZBrush and 3D scanning, and successfully printed 3D heart models. ZBrush allowed me to create several intricate models for use in both animation and print media. The 3D scanning technique did not fit my needs for the project, but may be of use for later projects. I was able to 3D print using two different techniques as well.

Streamlined, Inexpensive 3D Printing of the Brain and Skull.

PubMed

Naftulin, Jason S; Kimchi, Eyal Y; Cash, Sydney S

2015-01-01

Neuroimaging technologies such as Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) and Computed Tomography (CT) collect three-dimensional data (3D) that is typically viewed on two-dimensional (2D) screens. Actual 3D models, however, allow interaction with real objects such as implantable electrode grids, potentially improving patient specific neurosurgical planning and personalized clinical education. Desktop 3D printers can now produce relatively inexpensive, good quality prints. We describe our process for reliably generating life-sized 3D brain prints from MRIs and 3D skull prints from CTs. We have integrated a standardized, primarily open-source process for 3D printing brains and skulls. We describe how to convert clinical neuroimaging Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine (DICOM) images to stereolithography (STL) files, a common 3D object file format that can be sent to 3D printing services. We additionally share how to convert these STL files to machine instruction gcode files, for reliable in-house printing on desktop, open-source 3D printers. We have successfully printed over 19 patient brain hemispheres from 7 patients on two different open-source desktop 3D printers. Each brain hemisphere costs approximately $3-4 in consumable plastic filament as described, and the total process takes 14-17 hours, almost all of which is unsupervised (preprocessing = 4-6 hr; printing = 9-11 hr, post-processing = <30 min). Printing a matching portion of a skull costs $1-5 in consumable plastic filament and takes less than 14 hr, in total. We have developed a streamlined, cost-effective process for 3D printing brain and skull models. We surveyed healthcare providers and patients who confirmed that rapid-prototype patient specific 3D models may help interdisciplinary surgical planning and patient education. The methods we describe can be applied for other clinical, research, and educational purposes.

Streamlined, Inexpensive 3D Printing of the Brain and Skull

PubMed Central

Cash, Sydney S.

2015-01-01

Neuroimaging technologies such as Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) and Computed Tomography (CT) collect three-dimensional data (3D) that is typically viewed on two-dimensional (2D) screens. Actual 3D models, however, allow interaction with real objects such as implantable electrode grids, potentially improving patient specific neurosurgical planning and personalized clinical education. Desktop 3D printers can now produce relatively inexpensive, good quality prints. We describe our process for reliably generating life-sized 3D brain prints from MRIs and 3D skull prints from CTs. We have integrated a standardized, primarily open-source process for 3D printing brains and skulls. We describe how to convert clinical neuroimaging Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine (DICOM) images to stereolithography (STL) files, a common 3D object file format that can be sent to 3D printing services. We additionally share how to convert these STL files to machine instruction gcode files, for reliable in-house printing on desktop, open-source 3D printers. We have successfully printed over 19 patient brain hemispheres from 7 patients on two different open-source desktop 3D printers. Each brain hemisphere costs approximately $3–4 in consumable plastic filament as described, and the total process takes 14–17 hours, almost all of which is unsupervised (preprocessing = 4–6 hr; printing = 9–11 hr, post-processing = <30 min). Printing a matching portion of a skull costs $1–5 in consumable plastic filament and takes less than 14 hr, in total. We have developed a streamlined, cost-effective process for 3D printing brain and skull models. We surveyed healthcare providers and patients who confirmed that rapid-prototype patient specific 3D models may help interdisciplinary surgical planning and patient education. The methods we describe can be applied for other clinical, research, and educational purposes. PMID:26295459

Dielectric properties of 3D-printed materials for anatomy specific 3D-printed MRI coils

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Behzadnezhad, Bahareh; Collick, Bruce D.; Behdad, Nader; McMillan, Alan B.

2018-04-01

Additive manufacturing provides a low-cost and rapid means to translate 3D designs into the construction of a prototype. For MRI, this type of manufacturing can be used to construct various components including the structure of RF coils. In this paper, we characterize the material properties (dielectric constant and loss tangent) of several common 3D-printed polymers in the MRI frequency range of 63-300 MHz (for MRI magnetic field strengths of 1.5-7 T), and utilize these material properties in full-wave electromagnetic simulations to design and construct a very low-cost subject/anatomy-specific 3D-printed receive-only RF coil that fits close to the body. We show that the anatomy-specific coil exhibits higher signal-to-noise ratio compared to a conventional flat surface coil.

3D Printed Graphene Based Energy Storage Devices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Foster, Christopher W.; Down, Michael P.; Zhang, Yan; Ji, Xiaobo; Rowley-Neale, Samuel J.; Smith, Graham C.; Kelly, Peter J.; Banks, Craig E.

2017-03-01

3D printing technology provides a unique platform for rapid prototyping of numerous applications due to its ability to produce low cost 3D printed platforms. Herein, a graphene-based polylactic acid filament (graphene/PLA) has been 3D printed to fabricate a range of 3D disc electrode (3DE) configurations using a conventional RepRap fused deposition moulding (FDM) 3D printer, which requires no further modification/ex-situ curing step. To provide proof-of-concept, these 3D printed electrode architectures are characterised both electrochemically and physicochemically and are advantageously applied as freestanding anodes within Li-ion batteries and as solid-state supercapacitors. These freestanding anodes neglect the requirement for a current collector, thus offering a simplistic and cheaper alternative to traditional Li-ion based setups. Additionally, the ability of these devices’ to electrochemically produce hydrogen via the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) as an alternative to currently utilised platinum based electrodes (with in electrolysers) is also performed. The 3DE demonstrates an unexpectedly high catalytic activity towards the HER (-0.46 V vs. SCE) upon the 1000th cycle, such potential is the closest observed to the desired value of platinum at (-0.25 V vs. SCE). We subsequently suggest that 3D printing of graphene-based conductive filaments allows for the simple fabrication of energy storage devices with bespoke and conceptual designs to be realised.

A combined system for 3D printing cybersecurity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Straub, Jeremy

2017-06-01

Previous work has discussed the impact of cybersecurity breaches on 3D printed objects. Multiple attack types that could weaken objects, make them unsuitable for certain applications and even create safety hazards have been presented. This paper considers a visible light sensing-based verification system's efficacy as a means of thwarting cybersecurity threats to 3D printing. This system detects discrepancies between expected and actual printed objects (based on an independent pristine CAD model). Whether reliance on an independent CAD model is appropriate is also considered. The future of 3D printing is projected and the importance of cybersecurity in this future is discussed.

3D printing for soft robotics – a review

PubMed Central

Gul, Jahan Zeb; Sajid, Memoon; Rehman, Muhammad Muqeet; Siddiqui, Ghayas Uddin; Shah, Imran; Kim, Kyung-Hwan; Lee, Jae-Wook; Choi, Kyung Hyun

2018-01-01

Abstract Soft robots have received an increasing attention due to their advantages of high flexibility and safety for human operators but the fabrication is a challenge. Recently, 3D printing has been used as a key technology to fabricate soft robots because of high quality and printing multiple materials at the same time. Functional soft materials are particularly well suited for soft robotics due to a wide range of stimulants and sensitive demonstration of large deformations, high motion complexities and varied multi-functionalities. This review comprises a detailed survey of 3D printing in soft robotics. The development of key 3D printing technologies and new materials along with composites for soft robotic applications is investigated. A brief summary of 3D-printed soft devices suitable for medical to industrial applications is also included. The growing research on both 3D printing and soft robotics needs a summary of the major reported studies and the authors believe that this review article serves the purpose. PMID:29707065

3D Printing by Multiphase Silicone/Water Capillary Inks.

PubMed

Roh, Sangchul; Parekh, Dishit P; Bharti, Bhuvnesh; Stoyanov, Simeon D; Velev, Orlin D

2017-08-01

3D printing of polymers is accomplished easily with thermoplastics as the extruded hot melt solidifies rapidly during the printing process. Printing with liquid polymer precursors is more challenging due to their longer curing times. One curable liquid polymer of specific interest is polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS). This study demonstrates a new efficient technique for 3D printing with PDMS by using a capillary suspension ink containing PDMS in the form of both precured microbeads and uncured liquid precursor, dispersed in water as continuous medium. The PDMS microbeads are held together in thixotropic granular paste by capillary attraction induced by the liquid precursor. These capillary suspensions possess high storage moduli and yield stresses that are needed for direct ink writing. They could be 3D printed and cured both in air and under water. The resulting PDMS structures are remarkably elastic, flexible, and extensible. As the ink is made of porous, biocompatible silicone that can be printed directly inside aqueous medium, it can be used in 3D printed biomedical products, or in applications such as direct printing of bioscaffolds on live tissue. This study demonstrates a number of examples using the high softness, elasticity, and resilience of these 3D printed structures. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

3D printed microfluidics for biological applications.

PubMed

Ho, Chee Meng Benjamin; Ng, Sum Huan; Li, King Ho Holden; Yoon, Yong-Jin

2015-01-01

The term "Lab-on-a-Chip," is synonymous with describing microfluidic devices with biomedical applications. Even though microfluidics have been developing rapidly over the past decade, the uptake rate in biological research has been slow. This could be due to the tedious process of fabricating a chip and the absence of a "killer application" that would outperform existing traditional methods. In recent years, three dimensional (3D) printing has been drawing much interest from the research community. It has the ability to make complex structures with high resolution. Moreover, the fast building time and ease of learning has simplified the fabrication process of microfluidic devices to a single step. This could possibly aid the field of microfluidics in finding its "killer application" that will lead to its acceptance by researchers, especially in the biomedical field. In this paper, a review is carried out of how 3D printing helps to improve the fabrication of microfluidic devices, the 3D printing technologies currently used for fabrication and the future of 3D printing in the field of microfluidics.

Anatomic modeling using 3D printing: quality assurance and optimization.

PubMed

Leng, Shuai; McGee, Kiaran; Morris, Jonathan; Alexander, Amy; Kuhlmann, Joel; Vrieze, Thomas; McCollough, Cynthia H; Matsumoto, Jane

2017-01-01

The purpose of this study is to provide a framework for the development of a quality assurance (QA) program for use in medical 3D printing applications. An interdisciplinary QA team was built with expertise from all aspects of 3D printing. A systematic QA approach was established to assess the accuracy and precision of each step during the 3D printing process, including: image data acquisition, segmentation and processing, and 3D printing and cleaning. Validation of printed models was performed by qualitative inspection and quantitative measurement. The latter was achieved by scanning the printed model with a high resolution CT scanner to obtain images of the printed model, which were registered to the original patient images and the distance between them was calculated on a point-by-point basis. A phantom-based QA process, with two QA phantoms, was also developed. The phantoms went through the same 3D printing process as that of the patient models to generate printed QA models. Physical measurement, fit tests, and image based measurements were performed to compare the printed 3D model to the original QA phantom, with its known size and shape, providing an end-to-end assessment of errors involved in the complete 3D printing process. Measured differences between the printed model and the original QA phantom ranged from -0.32 mm to 0.13 mm for the line pair pattern. For a radial-ulna patient model, the mean distance between the original data set and the scanned printed model was -0.12 mm (ranging from -0.57 to 0.34 mm), with a standard deviation of 0.17 mm. A comprehensive QA process from image acquisition to completed model has been developed. Such a program is essential to ensure the required accuracy of 3D printed models for medical applications.

Special Issue: 3D Printing for Biomedical Engineering.

PubMed

Chua, Chee Kai; Yeong, Wai Yee; An, Jia

2017-02-28

Three-dimensional (3D) printing has a long history of applications in biomedical engineering. The development and expansion of traditional biomedical applications are being advanced and enriched by new printing technologies. New biomedical applications such as bioprinting are highly attractive and trendy. This Special Issue aims to provide readers with a glimpse of the recent profile of 3D printing in biomedical research.

The upcoming 3D-printing revolution in microfluidics

PubMed Central

Bhattacharjee, Nirveek; Urrios, Arturo; Kang, Shawn; Folch, Albert

2016-01-01

In the last two decades, the vast majority of microfluidic systems have been built in poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) by soft lithography, a technique based on PDMS micromolding. A long list of key PDMS properties have contributed to the success of soft lithography: PDMS is biocompatible, elastomeric, transparent, gas-permeable, water-impermeable, fairly inexpensive, copyright-free, and rapidly prototyped with high precision using simple procedures. However, the fabrication process typically involves substantial human labor, which tends to make PDMS devices difficult to disseminate outside of research labs, and the layered molding limits the 3D complexity of the devices that can be produced. 3D-printing has recently attracted attention as a way to fabricate microfluidic systems due to its automated, assembly-free 3D fabrication, rapidly decreasing costs, and fast-improving resolution and throughput. Resins with properties approaching those of PDMS are being developed. Here we review past and recent efforts in 3D-printing of microfluidic systems. We compare the salient features of PDMS molding with those of 3D-printing and we give an overview of the critical barriers that have prevented the adoption of 3D-printing by microfluidic developers, namely resolution, throughput, and resin biocompatibility. We also evaluate the various forces that are persuading researchers to abandon PDMS molding in favor of 3D-printing in growing numbers. PMID:27101171

The upcoming 3D-printing revolution in microfluidics.

PubMed

Bhattacharjee, Nirveek; Urrios, Arturo; Kang, Shawn; Folch, Albert

2016-05-21

In the last two decades, the vast majority of microfluidic systems have been built in poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) by soft lithography, a technique based on PDMS micromolding. A long list of key PDMS properties have contributed to the success of soft lithography: PDMS is biocompatible, elastomeric, transparent, gas-permeable, water-impermeable, fairly inexpensive, copyright-free, and rapidly prototyped with high precision using simple procedures. However, the fabrication process typically involves substantial human labor, which tends to make PDMS devices difficult to disseminate outside of research labs, and the layered molding limits the 3D complexity of the devices that can be produced. 3D-printing has recently attracted attention as a way to fabricate microfluidic systems due to its automated, assembly-free 3D fabrication, rapidly decreasing costs, and fast-improving resolution and throughput. Resins with properties approaching those of PDMS are being developed. Here we review past and recent efforts in 3D-printing of microfluidic systems. We compare the salient features of PDMS molding with those of 3D-printing and we give an overview of the critical barriers that have prevented the adoption of 3D-printing by microfluidic developers, namely resolution, throughput, and resin biocompatibility. We also evaluate the various forces that are persuading researchers to abandon PDMS molding in favor of 3D-printing in growing numbers.

Fabrication of Capacitive Acoustic Resonators Combining 3D Printing and 2D Inkjet Printing Techniques

PubMed Central

Haque, Rubaiyet Iftekharul; Ogam, Erick; Loussert, Christophe; Benaben, Patrick; Boddaert, Xavier

2015-01-01

A capacitive acoustic resonator developed by combining three-dimensional (3D) printing and two-dimensional (2D) printed electronics technique is described. During this work, a patterned bottom structure with rigid backplate and cavity is fabricated directly by a 3D printing method, and then a direct write inkjet printing technique has been employed to print a silver conductive layer. A novel approach has been used to fabricate a diaphragm for the acoustic sensor as well, where the conductive layer is inkjet-printed on a pre-stressed thin organic film. After assembly, the resulting structure contains an electrically conductive diaphragm positioned at a distance from a fixed bottom electrode separated by a spacer. Measurements confirm that the transducer acts as capacitor. The deflection of the diaphragm in response to the incident acoustic single was observed by a laser Doppler vibrometer and the corresponding change of capacitance has been calculated, which is then compared with the numerical result. Observation confirms that the device performs as a resonator and provides adequate sensitivity and selectivity at its resonance frequency. PMID:26473878

Recent trends in bioinks for 3D printing.

PubMed

Gopinathan, Janarthanan; Noh, Insup

2018-01-01

The worldwide demand for the organ replacement or tissue regeneration is increasing steadily. The advancements in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine have made it possible to regenerate such damaged organs or tissues into functional organ or tissue with the help of 3D bioprinting. The main component of the 3D bioprinting is the bioink, which is crucial for the development of functional organs or tissue structures. The bioinks used in 3D printing technology require so many properties which are vital and need to be considered during the selection. Combination of different methods and enhancements in properties are required to develop more successful bioinks for the 3D printing of organs or tissue structures. This review consists of the recent state-of-art of polymer-based bioinks used in 3D printing for applications in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. The subsection projects the basic requirements for the selection of successful bioinks for 3D printing and developing 3D tissues or organ structures using combinations of bioinks such as cells, biomedical polymers and biosignals. Different bioink materials and their properties related to the biocompatibility, printability, mechanical properties, which are recently reported for 3D printing are discussed in detail. Many bioinks formulations have been reported from cell-biomaterials based bioinks to cell-based bioinks such as cell aggregates and tissue spheroids for tissue engineering and regenerative medicine applications. Interestingly, more tunable bioinks, which are biocompatible for live cells, printable and mechanically stable after printing are emerging with the help of functional polymeric biomaterials, their modifications and blending of cells and hydrogels. These approaches show the immense potential of these bioinks to produce more complex tissue/organ structures using 3D bioprinting in the future.

3D-Printed Transparent Glass

DOE PAGES

Nguyen, Du T.; Meyers, Cameron; Yee, Timothy D.; ...

2017-04-28

In this study, silica inks are developed, which may be 3D printed and thermally processed to produce optically transparent glass structures with sub-millimeter features in forms ranging from scaffolds to monoliths. The inks are composed of silica powder suspended in a liquid and are printed using direct ink writing. The printed structures are then dried and sintered at temperatures well below the silica melting point to form amorphous, solid, transparent glass structures. This technique enables the mold-free formation of transparent glass structures previously inaccessible using conventional glass fabrication processes.

3D-Printed Transparent Glass

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Nguyen, Du T.; Meyers, Cameron; Yee, Timothy D.

In this study, silica inks are developed, which may be 3D printed and thermally processed to produce optically transparent glass structures with sub-millimeter features in forms ranging from scaffolds to monoliths. The inks are composed of silica powder suspended in a liquid and are printed using direct ink writing. The printed structures are then dried and sintered at temperatures well below the silica melting point to form amorphous, solid, transparent glass structures. This technique enables the mold-free formation of transparent glass structures previously inaccessible using conventional glass fabrication processes.

Personalized development of human organs using 3D printing technology.

PubMed

Radenkovic, Dina; Solouk, Atefeh; Seifalian, Alexander

2016-02-01

3D printing is a technique of fabricating physical models from a 3D volumetric digital image. The image is sliced and printed using a specific material into thin layers, and successive layering of the material produces a 3D model. It has already been used for printing surgical models for preoperative planning and in constructing personalized prostheses for patients. The ultimate goal is to achieve the development of functional human organs and tissues, to overcome limitations of organ transplantation created by the lack of organ donors and life-long immunosuppression. We hypothesized a precision medicine approach to human organ fabrication using 3D printed technology, in which the digital volumetric data would be collected by imaging of a patient, i.e. CT or MRI images followed by mathematical modeling to create a digital 3D image. Then a suitable biocompatible material, with an optimal resolution for cells seeding and maintenance of cell viability during the printing process, would be printed with a compatible printer type and finally implanted into the patient. Life-saving operations with 3D printed implants were already performed in patients. However, several issues need to be addressed before translational application of 3D printing into clinical medicine. These are vascularization, innervation, and financial cost of 3D printing and safety of biomaterials used for the construct. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Laser printing of 3D metallic interconnects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Beniam, Iyoel; Mathews, Scott A.; Charipar, Nicholas A.; Auyeung, Raymond C. Y.; Piqué, Alberto

2016-04-01

The use of laser-induced forward transfer (LIFT) techniques for the printing of functional materials has been demonstrated for numerous applications. The printing gives rise to patterns, which can be used to fabricate planar interconnects. More recently, various groups have demonstrated electrical interconnects from laser-printed 3D structures. The laser printing of these interconnects takes place through aggregation of voxels of either molten metal or of pastes containing dispersed metallic particles. However, the generated 3D structures do not posses the same metallic conductivity as a bulk metal interconnect of the same cross-section and length as those formed by wire bonding or tab welding. An alternative is to laser transfer entire 3D structures using a technique known as lase-and-place. Lase-and-place is a LIFT process whereby whole components and parts can be transferred from a donor substrate onto a desired location with one single laser pulse. This paper will describe the use of LIFT to laser print freestanding, solid metal foils or beams precisely over the contact pads of discrete devices to interconnect them into fully functional circuits. Furthermore, this paper will also show how the same laser can be used to bend or fold the bulk metal foils prior to transfer, thus forming compliant 3D structures able to provide strain relief for the circuits under flexing or during motion from thermal mismatch. These interconnect "ridges" can span wide gaps (on the order of a millimeter) and accommodate height differences of tens of microns between adjacent devices. Examples of these laser printed 3D metallic bridges and their role in the development of next generation electronics by additive manufacturing will be presented.

Optical fabrication of lightweighted 3D printed mirrors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Herzog, Harrison; Segal, Jacob; Smith, Jeremy; Bates, Richard; Calis, Jacob; De La Torre, Alyssa; Kim, Dae Wook; Mici, Joni; Mireles, Jorge; Stubbs, David M.; Wicker, Ryan

2015-09-01

Direct Metal Laser Sintering (DMLS) and Electron Beam Melting (EBM) 3D printing technologies were utilized to create lightweight, optical grade mirrors out of AlSi10Mg aluminum and Ti6Al4V titanium alloys at the University of Arizona in Tucson. The mirror prototypes were polished to meet the λ/20 RMS and λ/4 P-V surface figure requirements. The intent of this project was to design topologically optimized mirrors that had a high specific stiffness and low surface displacement. Two models were designed using Altair Inspire software, and the mirrors had to endure the polishing process with the necessary stiffness to eliminate print-through. Mitigating porosity of the 3D printed mirror blanks was a challenge in the face of reconciling new printing technologies with traditional optical polishing methods. The prototypes underwent Hot Isostatic Press (HIP) and heat treatment to improve density, eliminate porosity, and relieve internal stresses. Metal 3D printing allows for nearly unlimited topological constraints on design and virtually eliminates the need for a machine shop when creating an optical quality mirror. This research can lead to an increase in mirror mounting support complexity in the manufacturing of lightweight mirrors and improve overall process efficiency. The project aspired to have many future applications of light weighted 3D printed mirrors, such as spaceflight. This paper covers the design/fab/polish/test of 3D printed mirrors, thermal/structural finite element analysis, and results.

3D Printing of Living Responsive Materials and Devices.

PubMed

Liu, Xinyue; Yuk, Hyunwoo; Lin, Shaoting; Parada, German Alberto; Tang, Tzu-Chieh; Tham, Eléonore; de la Fuente-Nunez, Cesar; Lu, Timothy K; Zhao, Xuanhe

2018-01-01

3D printing has been intensively explored to fabricate customized structures of responsive materials including hydrogels, liquid-crystal elastomers, shape-memory polymers, and aqueous droplets. Herein, a new method and material system capable of 3D-printing hydrogel inks with programed bacterial cells as responsive components into large-scale (3 cm), high-resolution (30 μm) living materials, where the cells can communicate and process signals in a programmable manner, are reported. The design of 3D-printed living materials is guided by quantitative models that account for the responses of programed cells in printed microstructures of hydrogels. Novel living devices are further demonstrated, enabled by 3D printing of programed cells, including logic gates, spatiotemporally responsive patterning, and wearable devices. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Improved Surgery Planning Using 3-D Printing: a Case Study.

PubMed

Singhal, A J; Shetty, V; Bhagavan, K R; Ragothaman, Ananthan; Shetty, V; Koneru, Ganesh; Agarwala, M

2016-04-01

The role of 3-D printing is presented for improved patient-specific surgery planning. Key benefits are time saved and surgery outcome. Two hard-tissue surgery models were 3-D printed, for orthopedic, pelvic surgery, and craniofacial surgery. We discuss software data conversion in computed tomography (CT)/magnetic resonance (MR) medical image for 3-D printing. 3-D printed models save time in surgery planning and help visualize complex pre-operative anatomy. Time saved in surgery planning can be as much as two thirds. In addition to improved surgery accuracy, 3-D printing presents opportunity in materials research. Other hard-tissue and soft-tissue cases in maxillofacial, abdominal, thoracic, cardiac, orthodontics, and neurosurgery are considered. We recommend using 3-D printing as standard protocol for surgery planning and for teaching surgery practices. A quick turnaround time of a 3-D printed surgery model, in improved accuracy in surgery planning, is helpful for the surgery team. It is recommended that these costs be within 20 % of the total surgery budget.

The Various Applications of 3D Printing in Cardiovascular Diseases.

PubMed

El Sabbagh, Abdallah; Eleid, Mackram F; Al-Hijji, Mohammed; Anavekar, Nandan S; Holmes, David R; Nkomo, Vuyisile T; Oderich, Gustavo S; Cassivi, Stephen D; Said, Sameh M; Rihal, Charanjit S; Matsumoto, Jane M; Foley, Thomas A

2018-05-10

To highlight the various applications of 3D printing in cardiovascular disease and discuss its limitations and future direction. Use of handheld 3D printed models of cardiovascular structures has emerged as a facile modality in procedural and surgical planning as well as education and communication. Three-dimensional (3D) printing is a novel imaging modality which involves creating patient-specific models of cardiovascular structures. As percutaneous and surgical therapies evolve, spatial recognition of complex cardiovascular anatomic relationships by cardiologists and cardiovascular surgeons is imperative. Handheld 3D printed models of cardiovascular structures provide a facile and intuitive road map for procedural and surgical planning, complementing conventional imaging modalities. Moreover, 3D printed models are efficacious educational and communication tools. This review highlights the various applications of 3D printing in cardiovascular diseases and discusses its limitations and future directions.

3D scanning and 3D printing as innovative technologies for fabricating personalized topical drug delivery systems.

PubMed

Goyanes, Alvaro; Det-Amornrat, Usanee; Wang, Jie; Basit, Abdul W; Gaisford, Simon

2016-07-28

Acne is a multifactorial inflammatory skin disease with high prevalence. In this work, the potential of 3D printing to produce flexible personalised-shape anti-acne drug (salicylic acid) loaded devices was demonstrated by two different 3D printing (3DP) technologies: Fused Deposition Modelling (FDM) and stereolithography (SLA). 3D scanning technology was used to obtain a 3D model of a nose adapted to the morphology of an individual. In FDM 3DP, commercially produced Flex EcoPLA™ (FPLA) and polycaprolactone (PCL) filaments were loaded with salicylic acid by hot melt extrusion (HME) (theoretical drug loading - 2% w/w) and used as feedstock material for 3D printing. Drug loading in the FPLA-salicylic acid and PCL-salicylic acid 3D printed patches was 0.4% w/w and 1.2% w/w respectively, indicating significant thermal degradation of drug during HME and 3D printing. Diffusion testing in Franz cells using a synthetic membrane revealed that the drug loaded printed samples released <187μg/cm(2) within 3h. FPLA-salicylic acid filament was successfully printed as a nose-shape mask by FDM 3DP, but the PCL-salicylic acid filament was not. In the SLA printing process, the drug was dissolved in different mixtures of poly(ethylene glycol) diacrylate (PEGDA) and poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) that were solidified by the action of a laser beam. SLA printing led to 3D printed devices (nose-shape) with higher resolution and higher drug loading (1.9% w/w) than FDM, with no drug degradation. The results of drug diffusion tests revealed that drug diffusion was faster than with the FDM devices, 229 and 291μg/cm(2) within 3h for the two formulations evaluated. In this study, SLA printing was the more appropriate 3D printing technology to manufacture anti-acne devices with salicylic acid. The combination of 3D scanning and 3D printing has the potential to offer solutions to produce personalised drug loaded devices, adapted in shape and size to individual patients. Copyright © 2016

The Boom in 3D-Printed Sensor Technology

PubMed Central

Xu, Yuanyuan; Wu, Xiaoyue; Guo, Xiao; Kong, Bin; Zhang, Min; Qian, Xiang; Mi, Shengli; Sun, Wei

2017-01-01

Future sensing applications will include high-performance features, such as toxin detection, real-time monitoring of physiological events, advanced diagnostics, and connected feedback. However, such multi-functional sensors require advancements in sensitivity, specificity, and throughput with the simultaneous delivery of multiple detection in a short time. Recent advances in 3D printing and electronics have brought us closer to sensors with multiplex advantages, and additive manufacturing approaches offer a new scope for sensor fabrication. To this end, we review the recent advances in 3D-printed cutting-edge sensors. These achievements demonstrate the successful application of 3D-printing technology in sensor fabrication, and the selected studies deeply explore the potential for creating sensors with higher performance. Further development of multi-process 3D printing is expected to expand future sensor utility and availability. PMID:28534832

3D Printing of Organs-On-Chips

PubMed Central

Yi, Hee-Gyeong; Lee, Hyungseok; Cho, Dong-Woo

2017-01-01

Organ-on-a-chip engineering aims to create artificial living organs that mimic the complex and physiological responses of real organs, in order to test drugs by precisely manipulating the cells and their microenvironments. To achieve this, the artificial organs should to be microfabricated with an extracellular matrix (ECM) and various types of cells, and should recapitulate morphogenesis, cell differentiation, and functions according to the native organ. A promising strategy is 3D printing, which precisely controls the spatial distribution and layer-by-layer assembly of cells, ECMs, and other biomaterials. Owing to this unique advantage, integration of 3D printing into organ-on-a-chip engineering can facilitate the creation of micro-organs with heterogeneity, a desired 3D cellular arrangement, tissue-specific functions, or even cyclic movement within a microfluidic device. Moreover, fully 3D-printed organs-on-chips more easily incorporate other mechanical and electrical components with the chips, and can be commercialized via automated massive production. Herein, we discuss the recent advances and the potential of 3D cell-printing technology in engineering organs-on-chips, and provides the future perspectives of this technology to establish the highly reliable and useful drug-screening platforms. PMID:28952489

3D freeform printing of silk fibroin.

PubMed

Rodriguez, Maria J; Dixon, Thomas A; Cohen, Eliad; Huang, Wenwen; Omenetto, Fiorenzo G; Kaplan, David L

2018-04-15

Freeform fabrication has emerged as a key direction in printing biologically-relevant materials and structures. With this emerging technology, complex structures with microscale resolution can be created in arbitrary geometries and without the limitations found in traditional bottom-up or top-down additive manufacturing methods. Recent advances in freeform printing have used the physical properties of microparticle-based granular gels as a medium for the submerged extrusion of bioinks. However, most of these techniques require post-processing or crosslinking for the removal of the printed structures (Miller et al., 2015; Jin et al., 2016) [1,2]. In this communication, we introduce a novel method for the one-step gelation of silk fibroin within a suspension of synthetic nanoclay (Laponite) and polyethylene glycol (PEG). Silk fibroin has been used as a biopolymer for bioprinting in several contexts, but chemical or enzymatic additives or bulking agents are needed to stabilize 3D structures. Our method requires no post-processing of printed structures and allows for in situ physical crosslinking of pure aqueous silk fibroin into arbitrary geometries produced through freeform 3D printing. 3D bioprinting has emerged as a technology that can produce biologically relevant structures in defined geometries with microscale resolution. Techniques for fabrication of free-standing structures by printing into granular gel media has been demonstrated previously, however, these methods require crosslinking agents and post-processing steps on printed structures. Our method utilizes one-step gelation of silk fibroin within a suspension of synthetic nanoclay (Laponite), with no need for additional crosslinking compounds or post processing of the material. This new method allows for in situ physical crosslinking of pure aqueous silk fibroin into defined geometries produced through freeform 3D printing. Copyright © 2018 Acta Materialia Inc. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights

3D Printed Graphene Based Energy Storage Devices

PubMed Central

Foster, Christopher W.; Down, Michael P.; Zhang, Yan; Ji, Xiaobo; Rowley-Neale, Samuel J.; Smith, Graham C.; Kelly, Peter J.; Banks, Craig E.

2017-01-01

3D printing technology provides a unique platform for rapid prototyping of numerous applications due to its ability to produce low cost 3D printed platforms. Herein, a graphene-based polylactic acid filament (graphene/PLA) has been 3D printed to fabricate a range of 3D disc electrode (3DE) configurations using a conventional RepRap fused deposition moulding (FDM) 3D printer, which requires no further modification/ex-situ curing step. To provide proof-of-concept, these 3D printed electrode architectures are characterised both electrochemically and physicochemically and are advantageously applied as freestanding anodes within Li-ion batteries and as solid-state supercapacitors. These freestanding anodes neglect the requirement for a current collector, thus offering a simplistic and cheaper alternative to traditional Li-ion based setups. Additionally, the ability of these devices’ to electrochemically produce hydrogen via the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) as an alternative to currently utilised platinum based electrodes (with in electrolysers) is also performed. The 3DE demonstrates an unexpectedly high catalytic activity towards the HER (−0.46 V vs. SCE) upon the 1000th cycle, such potential is the closest observed to the desired value of platinum at (−0.25 V vs. SCE). We subsequently suggest that 3D printing of graphene-based conductive filaments allows for the simple fabrication of energy storage devices with bespoke and conceptual designs to be realised. PMID:28256602

Flexible Piezoresistive Sensors Embedded in 3D Printed Tires

PubMed Central

Emon, Md Omar Faruk; Choi, Jae-Won

2017-01-01

In this article, we report the development of a flexible, 3D printable piezoresistive pressure sensor capable of measuring force and detecting the location of the force. The multilayer sensor comprises of an ionic liquid-based piezoresistive intermediate layer in between carbon nanotube (CNT)-based stretchable electrodes. A sensor containing an array of different sensing units was embedded on the inner liner surface of a 3D printed tire to provide with force information at different points of contact between the tire and road. Four scaled tires, as well as wheels, were 3D printed using a flexible and a rigid material, respectively, which were later assembled with a 3D-printed chassis. Only one tire was equipped with a sensor and the chassis was driven through a motorized linear stage at different speeds and load conditions to evaluate the sensor performance. The sensor was fabricated via molding and screen printing processes using a commercially available 3D-printable photopolymer as 3D printing is our target manufacturing technique to fabricate the entire tire assembly with the sensor. Results show that the proposed sensors, inserted in the 3D printed tire assembly, could detect forces, as well as their locations, properly. PMID:28327533

Flexible Piezoresistive Sensors Embedded in 3D Printed Tires.

PubMed

Emon, Md Omar Faruk; Choi, Jae-Won

2017-03-22

In this article, we report the development of a flexible, 3D printable piezoresistive pressure sensor capable of measuring force and detecting the location of the force. The multilayer sensor comprises of an ionic liquid-based piezoresistive intermediate layer in between carbon nanotube (CNT)-based stretchable electrodes. A sensor containing an array of different sensing units was embedded on the inner liner surface of a 3D printed tire to provide with force information at different points of contact between the tire and road. Four scaled tires, as well as wheels, were 3D printed using a flexible and a rigid material, respectively, which were later assembled with a 3D-printed chassis. Only one tire was equipped with a sensor and the chassis was driven through a motorized linear stage at different speeds and load conditions to evaluate the sensor performance. The sensor was fabricated via molding and screen printing processes using a commercially available 3D-printable photopolymer as 3D printing is our target manufacturing technique to fabricate the entire tire assembly with the sensor. Results show that the proposed sensors, inserted in the 3D printed tire assembly, could detect forces, as well as their locations, properly.

MO-B-BRD-00: Clinical Applications of 3D Printing

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

NONE

This session is designed so that the learning objectives are practical. The intent is that the attendee may take home an understanding of not just the technology, but also the logistical steps necessary to execute these 3D printing techniques in the clinic. Four practical 3D printing topics will be discussed: (i) Creating bolus and compensators for photon machines; (ii) tools for proton therapy; (iii) clinical applications in imaging; (iv) custom phantom design for clinic and research use. The use of 3D printers within the radiation oncology setting is proving to be a useful tool for creating patient specific bolus andmore » compensators with the added benefit of cost savings. Creating the proper protocol is essential to ensuring that the desired effect is achieved and modeled in the treatment planning system. The critical choice of printer material (since it determines the interaction with the radiation) will be discussed. Selection of 3D printer type, design methods, verification of dose calculation, and the printing process will be detailed to give the basis for establishing your own protocol for electron and photon fields. A practical discussion of likely obstacles that may be encountered will be included. The diversity of systems and techniques in proton facilities leads to different facilities having very different requirements for beam modifying hardware and quality assurance devices. Many departments find the need to design and fabricate facility-specific equipment, making 3D printing an attractive technology. 3D printer applications in proton therapy will be discussed, including beam filters and compensators, and the design of proton therapy specific quality assurance tools. Quality control specific to 3D printing in proton therapy will be addressed. Advantages and disadvantages of different printing technology for these applications will also be discussed. 3D printing applications using high-resolution radiology-based imaging data will be presented

MO-B-BRD-02: 3D Printing in the Clinic

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Remmes, N.

This session is designed so that the learning objectives are practical. The intent is that the attendee may take home an understanding of not just the technology, but also the logistical steps necessary to execute these 3D printing techniques in the clinic. Four practical 3D printing topics will be discussed: (i) Creating bolus and compensators for photon machines; (ii) tools for proton therapy; (iii) clinical applications in imaging; (iv) custom phantom design for clinic and research use. The use of 3D printers within the radiation oncology setting is proving to be a useful tool for creating patient specific bolus andmore » compensators with the added benefit of cost savings. Creating the proper protocol is essential to ensuring that the desired effect is achieved and modeled in the treatment planning system. The critical choice of printer material (since it determines the interaction with the radiation) will be discussed. Selection of 3D printer type, design methods, verification of dose calculation, and the printing process will be detailed to give the basis for establishing your own protocol for electron and photon fields. A practical discussion of likely obstacles that may be encountered will be included. The diversity of systems and techniques in proton facilities leads to different facilities having very different requirements for beam modifying hardware and quality assurance devices. Many departments find the need to design and fabricate facility-specific equipment, making 3D printing an attractive technology. 3D printer applications in proton therapy will be discussed, including beam filters and compensators, and the design of proton therapy specific quality assurance tools. Quality control specific to 3D printing in proton therapy will be addressed. Advantages and disadvantages of different printing technology for these applications will also be discussed. 3D printing applications using high-resolution radiology-based imaging data will be presented

3D printing in orthognathic surgery - A literature review.

PubMed

Lin, Hsiu-Hsia; Lonic, Daniel; Lo, Lun-Jou

2018-07-01

With the recent advances in three-dimensional (3D) imaging, computer-assisted surgical planning and simulation are now regularly used for analysis of craniofacial structures and improved prediction of surgical outcomes in orthognathic surgery. A variety of patient-specific surgical guides and devices have been designed and manufactured using 3D printing technology, which rapidly gained widespread popularity to improve the outcomes. The article presents an overview of 3D printing technology for state-of-the-art application in orthognathic surgery and discusses the impacts on treatment feasibility and patient outcome. The current available literature regarding the use of 3D printing methods in orthognathic surgery including 3D computer-aided design/computer-aided manufacturing, rapid prototyping, additive manufacturing, 3D printing, 3D printed models, surgical occlusal splints, custom-made guides, templates and fixation plates is reviewed. A Medline, PubMed, ProQuest and ScienceDirect search was performed to find relevant articles over the past 10 years. A total of 318 articles were found, out of which 69 were publications addressing the topic of this study. An additional 9 hand-searched articles were added. From the review, we can conclude that the use of 3D printing methods in orthognathic surgery provide the benefit of optimal functional and aesthetic results, patient satisfaction, and precise translation of the treatment plan. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Review: Polymeric-Based 3D Printing for Tissue Engineering.

PubMed

Wu, Geng-Hsi; Hsu, Shan-Hui

Three-dimensional (3D) printing, also referred to as additive manufacturing, is a technology that allows for customized fabrication through computer-aided design. 3D printing has many advantages in the fabrication of tissue engineering scaffolds, including fast fabrication, high precision, and customized production. Suitable scaffolds can be designed and custom-made based on medical images such as those obtained from computed tomography. Many 3D printing methods have been employed for tissue engineering. There are advantages and limitations for each method. Future areas of interest and progress are the development of new 3D printing platforms, scaffold design software, and materials for tissue engineering applications.

Special Issue: 3D Printing for Biomedical Engineering

PubMed Central

Chua, Chee Kai; Yeong, Wai Yee; An, Jia

2017-01-01

Three-dimensional (3D) printing has a long history of applications in biomedical engineering. The development and expansion of traditional biomedical applications are being advanced and enriched by new printing technologies. New biomedical applications such as bioprinting are highly attractive and trendy. This Special Issue aims to provide readers with a glimpse of the recent profile of 3D printing in biomedical research. PMID:28772604

SU-G-BRB-01: A Novel 3D Printed Patient-Specific Phantom for Spine SBRT Quality Assurance: Comparison of 3D Printing Techniques

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lee, S; Kim, M; Lee, M

Purpose: The novel 3 dimensional (3D)-printed spine quality assurance (QA) phantoms generated by two different 3D-printing technologies, digital light processing (DLP) and Polyjet, were developed and evaluated for spine stereotactic body radiation treatment (SBRT). Methods: The developed 3D-printed spine QA phantom consisted of an acrylic body and a 3D-printed spine phantom. DLP and Polyjet 3D printers using the high-density acrylic polymer were employed to produce spine-shaped phantoms based on CT images. To verify dosimetric effects, the novel phantom was made it enable to insert films between each slabs of acrylic body phantom. Also, for measuring internal dose of spine, 3D-printedmore » spine phantom was designed as divided laterally exactly in half. Image fusion was performed to evaluate the reproducibility of our phantom, and the Hounsfield unit (HU) was measured based on each CT image. Intensity-modulated radiotherapy plans to deliver a fraction of a 16 Gy dose to a planning target volume (PTV) based on the two 3D-printing techniques were compared for target coverage and normal organ-sparing. Results: Image fusion demonstrated good reproducibility of the fabricated spine QA phantom. The HU values of the DLP- and Polyjet-printed spine vertebrae differed by 54.3 on average. The PTV Dmax dose for the DLP-generated phantom was about 1.488 Gy higher than for the Polyjet-generated phantom. The organs at risk received a lower dose when the DLP technique was used than when the Polyjet technique was used. Conclusion: This study confirmed that a novel 3D-printed phantom mimicking a high-density organ can be created based on CT images, and that a developed 3D-printed spine phantom could be utilized in patient-specific QA for SBRT. Despite using the same main material, DLP and Polyjet yielded different HU values. Therefore, the printing technique and materials must be carefully chosen in order to accurately produce a patient-specific QA phantom.« less

3D Printing Multi-Functionality: Embedded RF Antennas and Components

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shemelya, C. M.; Zemba, M.; Liang, M.; Espalin, D.; Kief, C.; Xin, H.; Wicker, R. B.; MacDonald, E. W.

2015-01-01

Significant research and press has recently focused on the fabrication freedom of Additive Manufacturing (AM) to create both conceptual models and final end-use products. This flexibility allows design modifications to be immediately reflected in 3D printed structures, creating new paradigms within the manufacturing process. 3D printed products will inevitably be fabricated locally, with unit-level customization, optimized to unique mission requirements. However, for the technology to be universally adopted, the processes must be enhanced to incorporate additional technologies; such as electronics, actuation, and electromagnetics. Recently, a novel 3D printing platform, Multi3D manufacturing, was funded by the presidential initiative for revitalizing manufacturing in the USA using 3D printing (America Makes - also known as the National Additive Manufacturing Innovation Institute). The Multi3D system specifically targets 3D printed electronics in arbitrary form; and building upon the potential of this system, this paper describes RF antennas and components fabricated through the integration of material extrusion 3D printing with embedded wire, mesh, and RF elements.

3 d printing of 2 d N=(0,2) gauge theories

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Franco, Sebastián; Hasan, Azeem

2018-05-01

We introduce 3 d printing, a new algorithm for generating 2 d N=(0,2) gauge theories on D1-branes probing singular toric Calabi-Yau 4-folds using 4 d N=1 gauge theories on D3-branes probing toric Calabi-Yau 3-folds as starting points. Equivalently, this method produces brane brick models starting from brane tilings. 3 d printing represents a significant improvement with respect to previously available tools, allowing a straightforward determination of gauge theories for geometries that until now could only be tackled using partial resolution. We investigate the interplay between triality, an IR equivalence between different 2 d N=(0,2) gauge theories, and the freedom in 3 d printing given an underlying Calabi-Yau 4-fold. Finally, we present the first discussion of the consistency and reduction of brane brick models.

3-D printed composites with ultrasonically arranged complex microstructure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Llewellyn-Jones, Thomas M.; Drinkwater, Bruce W.; Trask, Richard S.

2016-04-01

This paper demonstrates the efficacy of implementing ultrasonic manipulation within a modified form of stereolithographic 3D printing to form complex microstructures in printed components. Currently 3D printed components are limited both in terms of structural performance and specialised functionality. This study aims to demonstrate a novel method for 3D printing composite materials, by arranging microparticles suspended within a photocurable resin. The resin is selectively cured by a 3-axis gantry-mounted 405nm laser. Ultrasonic forces are used to arrange the microfibres into predetermined patterns within the resin, with unidirectional microfibre alignment and a hexagonal lattice structure demonstrated. An example of dynamic microstructure variation within a single print layer is also presented.

Surgeon-Based 3D Printing for Microvascular Bone Flaps.

PubMed

Taylor, Erin M; Iorio, Matthew L

2017-07-01

Background  Three-dimensional (3D) printing has developed as a revolutionary technology with the capacity to design accurate physical models in preoperative planning. We present our experience in surgeon-based design of 3D models, using home 3D software and printing technology for use as an adjunct in vascularized bone transfer. Methods  Home 3D printing techniques were used in the design and execution of vascularized bone flap transfers to the upper extremity. Open source imaging software was used to convert preoperative computed tomography scans and create 3D models. These were printed in the surgeon's office as 3D models for the planned reconstruction. Vascularized bone flaps were designed intraoperatively based on the 3D printed models. Results  Three-dimensional models were created for intraoperative use in vascularized bone flaps, including (1) medial femoral trochlea (MFT) flap for scaphoid avascular necrosis and nonunion, (2) MFT flap for lunate avascular necrosis and nonunion, (3) medial femoral condyle (MFC) flap for wrist arthrodesis, and (4) free fibula osteocutaneous flap for distal radius septic nonunion. Templates based on the 3D models allowed for the precise and rapid contouring of well-vascularized bone flaps in situ, prior to ligating the donor pedicle. Conclusions  Surgeon-based 3D printing is a feasible, innovative technology that allows for the precise and rapid contouring of models that can be created in various configurations for pre- and intraoperative planning. The technology is easy to use, convenient, and highly economical as compared with traditional send-out manufacturing. Surgeon-based 3D printing is a useful adjunct in vascularized bone transfer. Level of Evidence  Level IV. Thieme Medical Publishers 333 Seventh Avenue, New York, NY 10001, USA.

A Straightforward Approach for 3D Bacterial Printing

PubMed Central

2017-01-01

Sustainable and personally tailored materials production is an emerging challenge to society. Living organisms can produce and pattern an extraordinarily wide range of different molecules in a sustainable way. These natural systems offer an abundant source of inspiration for the development of new environmentally friendly materials production techniques. In this paper, we describe the first steps toward the 3-dimensional printing of bacterial cultures for materials production and patterning. This methodology combines the capability of bacteria to form new materials with the reproducibility and tailored approach of 3D printing systems. For this purpose, a commercial 3D printer was modified for bacterial systems, and new alginate-based bioink chemistry was developed. Printing temperature, printhead speed, and bioink extrusion rate were all adapted and customized to maximize bacterial health and spatial resolution of printed structures. Our combination of 3D printing technology with biological systems enables a sustainable approach for the production of numerous new materials. PMID:28225616

A Straightforward Approach for 3D Bacterial Printing.

PubMed

Lehner, Benjamin A E; Schmieden, Dominik T; Meyer, Anne S

2017-07-21

Sustainable and personally tailored materials production is an emerging challenge to society. Living organisms can produce and pattern an extraordinarily wide range of different molecules in a sustainable way. These natural systems offer an abundant source of inspiration for the development of new environmentally friendly materials production techniques. In this paper, we describe the first steps toward the 3-dimensional printing of bacterial cultures for materials production and patterning. This methodology combines the capability of bacteria to form new materials with the reproducibility and tailored approach of 3D printing systems. For this purpose, a commercial 3D printer was modified for bacterial systems, and new alginate-based bioink chemistry was developed. Printing temperature, printhead speed, and bioink extrusion rate were all adapted and customized to maximize bacterial health and spatial resolution of printed structures. Our combination of 3D printing technology with biological systems enables a sustainable approach for the production of numerous new materials.

Fatigue Characteristics of 3D Printed Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Padzi, M. M.; Bazin, M. M.; Muhamad, W. M. W.

2017-11-01

Recently, the use of 3D printer technology has become significant to industries, especially when involving the new product development. 3D printing is a technology, which produces the 3D product or prototype using a layer-by-layer technique. However, there becomes less research on the mechanical performance of the 3D printed component. In the present work, fatigue characteristics of 3D printed specimen have been studied. Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) has been chosen as a material research due to its wide applications. Two types of specimen used, which is the 3D printing and moulding specimens. Fused deposition modelling (FDM) technique was used to produce the specimens. The dog bone shape part was produced based on ASTM D638 standard and the tensile test has been carried out to get the mechanical properties. Fatigue test was carried out at 40%, 60% and 80% of the tensile strength. The moulded part shows higher fatigue cycles compared to 3D printed part for all loading percentages. Fatigue lives for 40%, 60% and 80%, were 911, 2645 and 26948 cycles, respectively. The results indicated that 3D printed part has a lower fatigue life, which may not suitable for industrial applications. However, the 3D printed part could be improved by using various parameters and may be introduced in low strength application.

3D printing of photocurable poly(glycerol sebacate) elastomers.

PubMed

Yeh, Yi-Cheun; Highley, Christopher B; Ouyang, Liliang; Burdick, Jason A

2016-10-07

Three-dimensional (3D) printed scaffolds have great potential in biomedicine; however, it is important that we are able to design such scaffolds with a range of diverse properties towards specific applications. Here, we report the extrusion-based 3D printing of biodegradable and photocurable acrylated polyglycerol sebacate (Acr-PGS) to fabricate scaffolds with elastic properties. Two Acr-PGS macromers were synthesized with varied molecular weights and viscosity, which were then blended to obtain photocurable macromer inks with a range of viscosities. The quality of extruded and photocured scaffolds was dependent on the initial ink viscosity, with flow of printed material resulting in a loss of structural resolution or sample breaking observed with too low or too high viscosity inks, respectively. However, scaffolds with high print resolution and up to ten layers were fabricated with an optimal ink viscosity. The mechanical properties of printed scaffolds were dependent on printing density, where the scaffolds with lower printing density possessed lower moduli and failure properties than higher density scaffolds. The 3D printed scaffolds supported the culture of 3T3 fibroblasts and both spreading and proliferation were observed, indicating that 3D printed Acr-PGS scaffolds are cytocompatible. These results demonstrate that Acr-PGS is a promising material for the fabrication of elastomeric scaffolds for biomedical applications.

Hybrid 3D printing: a game-changer in personalized cardiac medicine?

PubMed

Kurup, Harikrishnan K N; Samuel, Bennett P; Vettukattil, Joseph J

2015-12-01

Three-dimensional (3D) printing in congenital heart disease has the potential to increase procedural efficiency and patient safety by improving interventional and surgical planning and reducing radiation exposure. Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging and computed tomography are usually the source datasets to derive 3D printing. More recently, 3D echocardiography has been demonstrated to derive 3D-printed models. The integration of multiple imaging modalities for hybrid 3D printing has also been shown to create accurate printed heart models, which may prove to be beneficial for interventional cardiologists, cardiothoracic surgeons, and as an educational tool. Further advancements in the integration of different imaging modalities into a single platform for hybrid 3D printing and virtual 3D models will drive the future of personalized cardiac medicine.

3D printing technology used in severe hip deformity.

PubMed

Wang, Shanshan; Wang, Li; Liu, Yan; Ren, Yongfang; Jiang, Li; Li, Yan; Zhou, Hao; Chen, Jie; Jia, Wenxiao; Li, Hui

2017-09-01

This study was designed to assess the use of a 3D printing technique in total hip arthroplasty (THA) for severe hip deformities, where new and improved approaches are needed. THAs were performed from January 2015 to December 2016. Bioprosthesis artificial hip joints were used in both conventional and 3D printing hip arthroplasties. A total of 74 patients (57 cases undergoing conventional hip replacements and 17 undergoing 3D printing hip replacements) were followed-up for an average of 24 months. The average age of the patients was 62.7 years. Clinical data between the patients treated with different approaches were compared. Results showed that the time to postoperative weight bearing and the Harris scores of the patients in the 3D printing group were better than those for patients in the conventional hip replacement group. Unfortunately, the postoperative infection and loosening rates were higher in the 3D printing group. However, there were no significant differences in femoral neck anteversion, neck shaft, acetabular or sharp angles between ipsilateral and contralateral sides in the 3D printing group (P>0.05). The femoral neck anteversion angle was significantly different between the two sides in the conventional hip replacement group (P<0.05). Based on these results, we suggest that the 3D printing approach provides a better short-term curative effect that is more consistent with the physiological structure and anatomical characteristics of the patient, and we anticipate that its use will help improve the lives of many patients.

Inkjet 3D printed check microvalve

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Walczak, Rafał; Adamski, Krzysztof; Lizanets, Danylo

2017-04-01

3D printing enables fast and relatively easy fabrication of various microfluidic structures including microvalves. A check microvalve is the simplest valve enabling control of the fluid flow in microchannels. Proper operation of the check valve is ensured by a movable element that tightens the valve seat during backward flow and enables free flow for forward pressure. Thus, knowledge of the mechanical properties of the movable element is crucial for optimal design and operation of the valve. In this paper, we present for the first time the results of investigations on basic mechanical properties of the building material used in multijet 3D printing. Specified mechanical properties were used in the design and fabrication of two types of check microvalve—with deflecting or hinge-fixed microflap—with 200 µm and 300 µm thickness. Results of numerical simulation and experimental data of the microflap deflection were obtained and compared. The valves were successfully 3D printed and characterised. Opening/closing characteristics of the microvalve for forward and backward pressures were determined. Thus, proper operation of the check microvalve so developed was confirmed.

Advancing the field of 3D biomaterial printing.

PubMed

Jakus, Adam E; Rutz, Alexandra L; Shah, Ramille N

2016-01-11

3D biomaterial printing has emerged as a potentially revolutionary technology, promising to transform both research and medical therapeutics. Although there has been recent progress in the field, on-demand fabrication of functional and transplantable tissues and organs is still a distant reality. To advance to this point, there are two major technical challenges that must be overcome. The first is expanding upon the limited variety of available 3D printable biomaterials (biomaterial inks), which currently do not adequately represent the physical, chemical, and biological complexity and diversity of tissues and organs within the human body. Newly developed biomaterial inks and the resulting 3D printed constructs must meet numerous interdependent requirements, including those that lead to optimal printing, structural, and biological outcomes. The second challenge is developing and implementing comprehensive biomaterial ink and printed structure characterization combined with in vitro and in vivo tissue- and organ-specific evaluation. This perspective outlines considerations for addressing these technical hurdles that, once overcome, will facilitate rapid advancement of 3D biomaterial printing as an indispensable tool for both investigating complex tissue and organ morphogenesis and for developing functional devices for a variety of diagnostic and regenerative medicine applications.

3D Printed Bionic Ears

PubMed Central

Mannoor, Manu S.; Jiang, Ziwen; James, Teena; Kong, Yong Lin; Malatesta, Karen A.; Soboyejo, Winston O.; Verma, Naveen; Gracias, David H.; McAlpine, Michael C.

2013-01-01

The ability to three-dimensionally interweave biological tissue with functional electronics could enable the creation of bionic organs possessing enhanced functionalities over their human counterparts. Conventional electronic devices are inherently two-dimensional, preventing seamless multidimensional integration with synthetic biology, as the processes and materials are very different. Here, we present a novel strategy for overcoming these difficulties via additive manufacturing of biological cells with structural and nanoparticle derived electronic elements. As a proof of concept, we generated a bionic ear via 3D printing of a cell-seeded hydrogel matrix in the precise anatomic geometry of a human ear, along with an intertwined conducting polymer consisting of infused silver nanoparticles. This allowed for in vitro culturing of cartilage tissue around an inductive coil antenna in the ear, which subsequently enables readout of inductively-coupled signals from cochlea-shaped electrodes. The printed ear exhibits enhanced auditory sensing for radio frequency reception, and complementary left and right ears can listen to stereo audio music. Overall, our approach suggests a means to intricately merge biologic and nanoelectronic functionalities via 3D printing. PMID:23635097

3D printed bionic ears.

PubMed

Mannoor, Manu S; Jiang, Ziwen; James, Teena; Kong, Yong Lin; Malatesta, Karen A; Soboyejo, Winston O; Verma, Naveen; Gracias, David H; McAlpine, Michael C

2013-06-12

The ability to three-dimensionally interweave biological tissue with functional electronics could enable the creation of bionic organs possessing enhanced functionalities over their human counterparts. Conventional electronic devices are inherently two-dimensional, preventing seamless multidimensional integration with synthetic biology, as the processes and materials are very different. Here, we present a novel strategy for overcoming these difficulties via additive manufacturing of biological cells with structural and nanoparticle derived electronic elements. As a proof of concept, we generated a bionic ear via 3D printing of a cell-seeded hydrogel matrix in the anatomic geometry of a human ear, along with an intertwined conducting polymer consisting of infused silver nanoparticles. This allowed for in vitro culturing of cartilage tissue around an inductive coil antenna in the ear, which subsequently enables readout of inductively-coupled signals from cochlea-shaped electrodes. The printed ear exhibits enhanced auditory sensing for radio frequency reception, and complementary left and right ears can listen to stereo audio music. Overall, our approach suggests a means to intricately merge biologic and nanoelectronic functionalities via 3D printing.

Three-dimensional (3D) printed endovascular simulation models: a feasibility study.

PubMed

Mafeld, Sebastian; Nesbitt, Craig; McCaslin, James; Bagnall, Alan; Davey, Philip; Bose, Pentop; Williams, Rob

2017-02-01

Three-dimensional (3D) printing is a manufacturing process in which an object is created by specialist printers designed to print in additive layers to create a 3D object. Whilst there are initial promising medical applications of 3D printing, a lack of evidence to support its use remains a barrier for larger scale adoption into clinical practice. Endovascular virtual reality (VR) simulation plays an important role in the safe training of future endovascular practitioners, but existing VR models have disadvantages including cost and accessibility which could be addressed with 3D printing. This study sought to evaluate the feasibility of 3D printing an anatomically accurate human aorta for the purposes of endovascular training. A 3D printed model was successfully designed and printed and used for endovascular simulation. The stages of development and practical applications are described. Feedback from 96 physicians who answered a series of questions using a 5 point Likert scale is presented. Initial data supports the value of 3D printed endovascular models although further educational validation is required.

Emergence of 3D Printed Dosage Forms: Opportunities and Challenges.

PubMed

Alhnan, Mohamed A; Okwuosa, Tochukwu C; Sadia, Muzna; Wan, Ka-Wai; Ahmed, Waqar; Arafat, Basel

2016-08-01

The recent introduction of the first FDA approved 3D-printed drug has fuelled interest in 3D printing technology, which is set to revolutionize healthcare. Since its initial use, this rapid prototyping (RP) technology has evolved to such an extent that it is currently being used in a wide range of applications including in tissue engineering, dentistry, construction, automotive and aerospace. However, in the pharmaceutical industry this technology is still in its infancy and its potential yet to be fully explored. This paper presents various 3D printing technologies such as stereolithographic, powder based, selective laser sintering, fused deposition modelling and semi-solid extrusion 3D printing. It also provides a comprehensive review of previous attempts at using 3D printing technologies on the manufacturing dosage forms with a particular focus on oral tablets. Their advantages particularly with adaptability in the pharmaceutical field have been highlighted, which enables the preparation of dosage forms with complex designs and geometries, multiple actives and tailored release profiles. An insight into the technical challenges facing the different 3D printing technologies such as the formulation and processing parameters is provided. Light is also shed on the different regulatory challenges that need to be overcome for 3D printing to fulfil its real potential in the pharmaceutical industry.

DNA Assembly in 3D Printed Fluidics

PubMed Central

Patrick, William G.; Nielsen, Alec A. K.; Keating, Steven J.; Levy, Taylor J.; Wang, Che-Wei; Rivera, Jaime J.; Mondragón-Palomino, Octavio; Carr, Peter A.; Voigt, Christopher A.; Oxman, Neri; Kong, David S.

2015-01-01

The process of connecting genetic parts—DNA assembly—is a foundational technology for synthetic biology. Microfluidics present an attractive solution for minimizing use of costly reagents, enabling multiplexed reactions, and automating protocols by integrating multiple protocol steps. However, microfluidics fabrication and operation can be expensive and requires expertise, limiting access to the technology. With advances in commodity digital fabrication tools, it is now possible to directly print fluidic devices and supporting hardware. 3D printed micro- and millifluidic devices are inexpensive, easy to make and quick to produce. We demonstrate Golden Gate DNA assembly in 3D-printed fluidics with reaction volumes as small as 490 nL, channel widths as fine as 220 microns, and per unit part costs ranging from $0.61 to $5.71. A 3D-printed syringe pump with an accompanying programmable software interface was designed and fabricated to operate the devices. Quick turnaround and inexpensive materials allowed for rapid exploration of device parameters, demonstrating a manufacturing paradigm for designing and fabricating hardware for synthetic biology. PMID:26716448

A new chapter in pharmaceutical manufacturing: 3D-printed drug products.

PubMed

Norman, James; Madurawe, Rapti D; Moore, Christine M V; Khan, Mansoor A; Khairuzzaman, Akm

2017-01-01

FDA recently approved a 3D-printed drug product in August 2015, which is indicative of a new chapter for pharmaceutical manufacturing. This review article summarizes progress with 3D printed drug products and discusses process development for solid oral dosage forms. 3D printing is a layer-by-layer process capable of producing 3D drug products from digital designs. Traditional pharmaceutical processes, such as tablet compression, have been used for decades with established regulatory pathways. These processes are well understood, but antiquated in terms of process capability and manufacturing flexibility. 3D printing, as a platform technology, has competitive advantages for complex products, personalized products, and products made on-demand. These advantages create opportunities for improving the safety, efficacy, and accessibility of medicines. Although 3D printing differs from traditional manufacturing processes for solid oral dosage forms, risk-based process development is feasible. This review highlights how product and process understanding can facilitate the development of a control strategy for different 3D printing methods. Overall, the authors believe that the recent approval of a 3D printed drug product will stimulate continual innovation in pharmaceutical manufacturing technology. FDA encourages the development of advanced manufacturing technologies, including 3D-printing, using science- and risk-based approaches. Published by Elsevier B.V.

3D Printing and Digital Rock Physics for Geomaterials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Martinez, M. J.; Yoon, H.; Dewers, T. A.

2015-12-01

Imaging techniques for the analysis of porous structures have revolutionized our ability to quantitatively characterize geomaterials. Digital representations of rock from CT images and physics modeling based on these pore structures provide the opportunity to further advance our quantitative understanding of fluid flow, geomechanics, and geochemistry, and the emergence of coupled behaviors. Additive manufacturing, commonly known as 3D printing, has revolutionized production of custom parts with complex internal geometries. For the geosciences, recent advances in 3D printing technology may be co-opted to print reproducible porous structures derived from CT-imaging of actual rocks for experimental testing. The use of 3D printed microstructure allows us to surmount typical problems associated with sample-to-sample heterogeneity that plague rock physics testing and to test material response independent from pore-structure variability. Together, imaging, digital rocks and 3D printing potentially enables a new workflow for understanding coupled geophysical processes in a real, but well-defined setting circumventing typical issues associated with reproducibility, enabling full characterization and thus connection of physical phenomena to structure. In this talk we will discuss the possibilities that these technologies can bring to geosciences and present early experiences with coupled multiscale experimental and numerical analysis using 3D printed fractured rock specimens. In particular, we discuss the processes of selection and printing of transparent fractured specimens based on 3D reconstruction of micro-fractured rock to study fluid flow characterization and manipulation. Micro-particle image velocimetry is used to directly visualize 3D single and multiphase flow velocity in 3D fracture networks. Sandia National Laboratories is a multi-program laboratory managed and operated by Sandia Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of Lockheed Martin Corporation, for the U

Effect of Processing Parameters on 3D Printing of Cement - based Materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lin, Jia Chao; Wang, Jun; Wu, Xiong; Yang, Wen; Zhao, Ri Xu; Bao, Ming

2018-06-01

3D printing is a new study direction of building method in recent years. The applicability of 3D printing equipment and cement based materials is analyzed, and the influence of 3D printing operation parameters on the printing effect is explored in this paper. Results showed that the appropriate range of 3D printing operation parameters: print height/nozzle diameter is between 0.4 to 0.6, the printing speed 4-8 cm/s with pumpage 9 * 10-2 m 3/ h.

Current and emerging applications of 3D printing in medicine.

PubMed

Liaw, Chya-Yan; Guvendiren, Murat

2017-06-07

Three-dimensional (3D) printing enables the production of anatomically matched and patient-specific devices and constructs with high tunability and complexity. It also allows on-demand fabrication with high productivity in a cost-effective manner. As a result, 3D printing has become a leading manufacturing technique in healthcare and medicine for a wide range of applications including dentistry, tissue engineering and regenerative medicine, engineered tissue models, medical devices, anatomical models and drug formulation. Today, 3D printing is widely adopted by the healthcare industry and academia. It provides commercially available medical products and a platform for emerging research areas including tissue and organ printing. In this review, our goal is to discuss the current and emerging applications of 3D printing in medicine. A brief summary on additive manufacturing technologies and available printable materials is also given. The technological and regulatory barriers that are slowing down the full implementation of 3D printing in the medical field are also discussed.

3D Printed Models of Cleft Palate Pathology for Surgical Education

PubMed Central

Lioufas, Peter A.; Quayle, Michelle R.; Leong, James C.

2016-01-01

Objective: To explore the potential viability and limitations of 3D printed models of children with cleft palate deformity. Background: The advantages of 3D printed replicas of normal anatomical specimens have previously been described. The creation of 3D prints displaying patient-specific anatomical pathology for surgical planning and interventions is an emerging field. Here we explored the possibility of taking rare pediatric radiographic data sets to create 3D prints for surgical education. Methods: Magnetic resonance imaging data of 2 children (8 and 14 months) were segmented, colored, and anonymized, and stereolothographic files were prepared for 3D printing on either multicolor plastic or powder 3D printers and multimaterial 3D printers. Results: Two models were deemed of sufficient quality and anatomical accuracy to print unamended. One data set was further manipulated digitally to artificially extend the length of the cleft. Thus, 3 models were printed: 1 incomplete soft-palate deformity, 1 incomplete anterior palate deformity, and 1 complete cleft palate. All had cleft lip deformity. The single-material 3D prints are of sufficient quality to accurately identify the nature and extent of the deformities. Multimaterial prints were subsequently created, which could be valuable in surgical training. Conclusion: Improvements in the quality and resolution of radiographic imaging combined with the advent of multicolor multiproperty printer technology will make it feasible in the near future to print 3D replicas in materials that mimic the mechanical properties and color of live human tissue making them potentially suitable for surgical training. PMID:27757345

3D Printed Models of Cleft Palate Pathology for Surgical Education.

PubMed

Lioufas, Peter A; Quayle, Michelle R; Leong, James C; McMenamin, Paul G

2016-09-01

To explore the potential viability and limitations of 3D printed models of children with cleft palate deformity. The advantages of 3D printed replicas of normal anatomical specimens have previously been described. The creation of 3D prints displaying patient-specific anatomical pathology for surgical planning and interventions is an emerging field. Here we explored the possibility of taking rare pediatric radiographic data sets to create 3D prints for surgical education. Magnetic resonance imaging data of 2 children (8 and 14 months) were segmented, colored, and anonymized, and stereolothographic files were prepared for 3D printing on either multicolor plastic or powder 3D printers and multimaterial 3D printers. Two models were deemed of sufficient quality and anatomical accuracy to print unamended. One data set was further manipulated digitally to artificially extend the length of the cleft. Thus, 3 models were printed: 1 incomplete soft-palate deformity, 1 incomplete anterior palate deformity, and 1 complete cleft palate. All had cleft lip deformity. The single-material 3D prints are of sufficient quality to accurately identify the nature and extent of the deformities. Multimaterial prints were subsequently created, which could be valuable in surgical training. Improvements in the quality and resolution of radiographic imaging combined with the advent of multicolor multiproperty printer technology will make it feasible in the near future to print 3D replicas in materials that mimic the mechanical properties and color of live human tissue making them potentially suitable for surgical training.

[Tissue printing; the potential application of 3D printing in medicine].

PubMed

Visser, Jetze; Melchels, Ferry P W; Dhert, Wouter J A; Malda, Jos

2013-01-01

Complex structures based on a digital blueprint can be created using a 3D printer. As this blueprint can be created using patient imaging data, there are many potential patient-specific applications of 3D printing in medicine. Individually printed metal implants and synthetic devices are currently being used on a limited scale in clinical practice. Researchers in the field of regenerative medicine are now going a step further by printing a combination of cells, growth factors and biomaterials. This process is known as 'bioprinting'. It can be used to copy the complex organization of natural tissue required to repair or replace damaged tissues or organs. The technique needs to be optimized, however, and more knowledge is required regarding the development of printed living constructs into functional tissues before 'tissue from the printer' can be clinically applied.

Technical Note: Characterization of custom 3D printed multimodality imaging phantoms

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bieniosek, Matthew F.; Lee, Brian J.; Levin, Craig S., E-mail: cslevin@stanford.edu

Purpose: Imaging phantoms are important tools for researchers and technicians, but they can be costly and difficult to customize. Three dimensional (3D) printing is a widely available rapid prototyping technique that enables the fabrication of objects with 3D computer generated geometries. It is ideal for quickly producing customized, low cost, multimodal, reusable imaging phantoms. This work validates the use of 3D printed phantoms by comparing CT and PET scans of a 3D printed phantom and a commercial “Micro Deluxe” phantom. This report also presents results from a customized 3D printed PET/MRI phantom, and a customized high resolution imaging phantom withmore » sub-mm features. Methods: CT and PET scans of a 3D printed phantom and a commercial Micro Deluxe (Data Spectrum Corporation, USA) phantom with 1.2, 1.6, 2.4, 3.2, 4.0, and 4.8 mm diameter hot rods were acquired. The measured PET and CT rod sizes, activities, and attenuation coefficients were compared. A PET/MRI scan of a custom 3D printed phantom with hot and cold rods was performed, with photon attenuation and normalization measurements performed with a separate 3D printed normalization phantom. X-ray transmission scans of a customized two level high resolution 3D printed phantom with sub-mm features were also performed. Results: Results show very good agreement between commercial and 3D printed micro deluxe phantoms with less than 3% difference in CT measured rod diameter, less than 5% difference in PET measured rod diameter, and a maximum of 6.2% difference in average rod activity from a 10 min, 333 kBq/ml (9 μCi/ml) Siemens Inveon (Siemens Healthcare, Germany) PET scan. In all cases, these differences were within the measurement uncertainties of our setups. PET/MRI scans successfully identified 3D printed hot and cold rods on PET and MRI modalities. X-ray projection images of a 3D printed high resolution phantom identified features as small as 350 μm wide. Conclusions: This work shows that 3D

Technical Note: Characterization of custom 3D printed multimodality imaging phantoms.

PubMed

Bieniosek, Matthew F; Lee, Brian J; Levin, Craig S

2015-10-01

Imaging phantoms are important tools for researchers and technicians, but they can be costly and difficult to customize. Three dimensional (3D) printing is a widely available rapid prototyping technique that enables the fabrication of objects with 3D computer generated geometries. It is ideal for quickly producing customized, low cost, multimodal, reusable imaging phantoms. This work validates the use of 3D printed phantoms by comparing CT and PET scans of a 3D printed phantom and a commercial "Micro Deluxe" phantom. This report also presents results from a customized 3D printed PET/MRI phantom, and a customized high resolution imaging phantom with sub-mm features. CT and PET scans of a 3D printed phantom and a commercial Micro Deluxe (Data Spectrum Corporation, USA) phantom with 1.2, 1.6, 2.4, 3.2, 4.0, and 4.8 mm diameter hot rods were acquired. The measured PET and CT rod sizes, activities, and attenuation coefficients were compared. A PET/MRI scan of a custom 3D printed phantom with hot and cold rods was performed, with photon attenuation and normalization measurements performed with a separate 3D printed normalization phantom. X-ray transmission scans of a customized two level high resolution 3D printed phantom with sub-mm features were also performed. Results show very good agreement between commercial and 3D printed micro deluxe phantoms with less than 3% difference in CT measured rod diameter, less than 5% difference in PET measured rod diameter, and a maximum of 6.2% difference in average rod activity from a 10 min, 333 kBq/ml (9 μCi/ml) Siemens Inveon (Siemens Healthcare, Germany) PET scan. In all cases, these differences were within the measurement uncertainties of our setups. PET/MRI scans successfully identified 3D printed hot and cold rods on PET and MRI modalities. X-ray projection images of a 3D printed high resolution phantom identified features as small as 350 μm wide. This work shows that 3D printed phantoms can be functionally equivalent to

The application of digital medical 3D printing technology on tumor operation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Jimin; Jiang, Yijian; Li, Yangsheng

2016-04-01

Digital medical 3D printing technology is a new hi-tech which combines traditional medical and digital design, computer science, bio technology and 3D print technology. At the present time there are four levels application: The printed 3D model is the first and simple application. The surgery makes use of the model to plan the processing before operation. The second is customized operation tools such as implant guide. It helps doctor to operate with special tools rather than the normal medical tools. The third level application of 3D printing in medical area is to print artificial bones or teeth to implant into human body. The big challenge is the fourth level which is to print organs with 3D printing technology. In this paper we introduced an application of 3D printing technology in tumor operation. We use 3D printing to print guide for invasion operation. Puncture needles were guided by printed guide in face tumors operation. It is concluded that this new type guide is dominantly advantageous.

Cost viability of 3D printed house in UK

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tobi, A. L. Mohd; Omar, S. A.; Yehia, Z.; Al-Ojaili, S.; Hashim, A.; Orhan, O.

2018-03-01

UK has been facing housing crisis due to the rising price of the property on sale. This paper will look into the viability of 3D printing technology as an alternative way for house construction on UK. The analysis will be carried out based on the data until the year of 2014 due to limited resources availability. Details cost breakdown on average size house construction cost in UK were analysed and relate to the cost viability of 3D printing technology in reducing the house price in UK. It is found that the 3D printing generates saving of up to around 35% out of total house price in UK. This cost saving comes from the 3D printed construction of walls and foundations for material and labour cost.

Composites of 3D-Printed Polymers and Textile Fabrics*

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Martens, Yasmin; Ehrmann, Andrea

2017-08-01

3D printing belongs to the rapidly emerging technologies of our time. Due to its recent drawback - the technology is relatively slow compared with other primary shaping methods, such as injection molding -, 3D printing is often not used for creating complete large components but to add specific features to existing larger objects. One of the possibilities to create such composites with an additional value consists in combining 3D printed polymers with textile fabrics. Several attempts have been made to enhance the adhesion between both materials, a task which is still challenging for diverse material combinations. Our paper reports about new experiments combining 3D printed embossed designs, snap fasteners and zip fasteners with different textile base materials, showing the possibilities and technical limits of these novel composites.

Electromagnetic shielding effectiveness of 3D printed polymer composites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Viskadourakis, Z.; Vasilopoulos, K. C.; Economou, E. N.; Soukoulis, C. M.; Kenanakis, G.

2017-12-01

We report on preliminary results regarding the electromagnetic shielding effectiveness of various 3D printed polymeric composite structures. All studied samples were fabricated using 3D printing technology, following the fused deposition modeling approach, using commercially available filaments as starting materials. The electromagnetic shielding performance of the fabricated 3D samples was investigated in the so called C-band of the electromagnetic spectrum (3.5-7.0 GHz), which is typically used for long-distance radio telecommunications. We provide evidence that 3D printing technology can be effectively utilized to prepare operational shields, making them promising candidates for electromagnetic shielding applications for electronic devices.

A colour image reproduction framework for 3D colour printing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xiao, Kaida; Sohiab, Ali; Sun, Pei-li; Yates, Julian M.; Li, Changjun; Wuerger, Sophie

2016-10-01

In this paper, the current technologies in full colour 3D printing technology were introduced. A framework of colour image reproduction process for 3D colour printing is proposed. A special focus was put on colour management for 3D printed objects. Two approaches, colorimetric colour reproduction and spectral based colour reproduction are proposed in order to faithfully reproduce colours in 3D objects. Two key studies, colour reproduction for soft tissue prostheses and colour uniformity correction across different orientations are described subsequently. Results are clear shown that applying proposed colour image reproduction framework, performance of colour reproduction can be significantly enhanced. With post colour corrections, a further improvement in colour process are achieved for 3D printed objects.

Forensic print extraction using 3D technology and its processing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rajeev, Srijith; Shreyas, Kamath K. M.; Panetta, Karen; Agaian, Sos S.

2017-05-01

Biometric evidence plays a crucial role in criminal scene analysis. Forensic prints can be extracted from any solid surface such as firearms, doorknobs, carpets and mugs. Prints such as fingerprints, palm prints, footprints and lip-prints can be classified into patent, latent, and three-dimensional plastic prints. Traditionally, law enforcement officers capture these forensic traits using an electronic device or extract them manually, and save the data electronically using special scanners. The reliability and accuracy of the method depends on the ability of the officer or the electronic device to extract and analyze the data. Furthermore, the 2-D acquisition and processing system is laborious and cumbersome. This can lead to the increase in false positive and true negative rates in print matching. In this paper, a method and system to extract forensic prints from any surface, irrespective of its shape, is presented. First, a suitable 3-D camera is used to capture images of the forensic print, and then the 3-D image is processed and unwrapped to obtain 2-D equivalent biometric prints. Computer simulations demonstrate the effectiveness of using 3-D technology for biometric matching of fingerprints, palm prints, and lip-prints. This system can be further extended to other biometric and non-biometric modalities.

3D printed versus conventionally cured provisional crown and bridge dental materials.

PubMed

Tahayeri, Anthony; Morgan, MaryCatherine; Fugolin, Ana P; Bompolaki, Despoina; Athirasala, Avathamsa; Pfeifer, Carmem S; Ferracane, Jack L; Bertassoni, Luiz E

2018-02-01

To optimize the 3D printing of a dental material for provisional crown and bridge restorations using a low-cost stereolithography 3D printer; and compare its mechanical properties against conventionally cured provisional dental materials. Samples were 3D printed (25×2×2mm) using a commercial printable resin (NextDent C&B Vertex Dental) in a FormLabs1+ stereolithography 3D printer. The printing accuracy of printed bars was determined by comparing the width, length and thickness of samples for different printer settings (printing orientation and resin color) versus the set dimensions of CAD designs. The degree of conversion of the resin was measured with FTIR, and both the elastic modulus and peak stress of 3D printed bars was determined using a 3-point being test for different printing layer thicknesses. The results were compared to those for two conventionally cured provisional materials (Integrity ® , Dentsply; and Jet ® , Lang Dental Inc.). Samples printed at 90° orientation and in a white resin color setting was chosen as the most optimal combination of printing parameters, due to the comparatively higher printing accuracy (up to 22% error), reproducibility and material usage. There was no direct correlation between printing layer thickness and elastic modulus or peak stress. 3D printed samples had comparable modulus to Jet ® , but significantly lower than Integrity ® . Peak stress for 3D printed samples was comparable to Integrity ® , and significantly higher than Jet ® . The degree of conversion of 3D printed samples also appeared higher than that of Integrity ® or Jet ® . Our results suggest that a 3D printable provisional restorative material allows for sufficient mechanical properties for intraoral use, despite the limited 3D printing accuracy of the printing system of choice. Copyright © 2017 The Academy of Dental Materials. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

3D printing from MRI Data: Harnessing strengths and minimizing weaknesses.

PubMed

Ripley, Beth; Levin, Dmitry; Kelil, Tatiana; Hermsen, Joshua L; Kim, Sooah; Maki, Jeffrey H; Wilson, Gregory J

2017-03-01

3D printing facilitates the creation of accurate physical models of patient-specific anatomy from medical imaging datasets. While the majority of models to date are created from computed tomography (CT) data, there is increasing interest in creating models from other datasets, such as ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). MRI, in particular, holds great potential for 3D printing, given its excellent tissue characterization and lack of ionizing radiation. There are, however, challenges to 3D printing from MRI data as well. Here we review the basics of 3D printing, explore the current strengths and weaknesses of printing from MRI data as they pertain to model accuracy, and discuss considerations in the design of MRI sequences for 3D printing. Finally, we explore the future of 3D printing and MRI, including creative applications and new materials. 5 J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2017;45:635-645. © 2016 International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine.

Recent Advances in Biomaterials for 3D Printing and Tissue Engineering.

PubMed

Jammalamadaka, Udayabhanu; Tappa, Karthik

2018-03-01

Three-dimensional printing has significant potential as a fabrication method in creating scaffolds for tissue engineering. The applications of 3D printing in the field of regenerative medicine and tissue engineering are limited by the variety of biomaterials that can be used in this technology. Many researchers have developed novel biomaterials and compositions to enable their use in 3D printing methods. The advantages of fabricating scaffolds using 3D printing are numerous, including the ability to create complex geometries, porosities, co-culture of multiple cells, and incorporate growth factors. In this review, recently-developed biomaterials for different tissues are discussed. Biomaterials used in 3D printing are categorized into ceramics, polymers, and composites. Due to the nature of 3D printing methods, most of the ceramics are combined with polymers to enhance their printability. Polymer-based biomaterials are 3D printed mostly using extrusion-based printing and have a broader range of applications in regenerative medicine. The goal of tissue engineering is to fabricate functional and viable organs and, to achieve this, multiple biomaterials and fabrication methods need to be researched.

Three-dimensional (3D) printing and its applications for aortic diseases.

PubMed

Hangge, Patrick; Pershad, Yash; Witting, Avery A; Albadawi, Hassan; Oklu, Rahmi

2018-04-01

Three-dimensional (3D) printing is a process which generates prototypes from virtual objects in computer-aided design (CAD) software. Since 3D printing enables the creation of customized objects, it is a rapidly expanding field in an age of personalized medicine. We discuss the use of 3D printing in surgical planning, training, and creation of devices for the treatment of aortic diseases. 3D printing can provide operators with a hands-on model to interact with complex anatomy, enable prototyping of devices for implantation based upon anatomy, or even provide pre-procedural simulation. Potential exists to expand upon current uses of 3D printing to create personalized implantable devices such as grafts. Future studies should aim to demonstrate the impact of 3D printing on outcomes to make this technology more accessible to patients with complex aortic diseases.

Three-dimensional (3D) printing and its applications for aortic diseases

PubMed Central

Hangge, Patrick; Pershad, Yash; Witting, Avery A.; Albadawi, Hassan

2018-01-01

Three-dimensional (3D) printing is a process which generates prototypes from virtual objects in computer-aided design (CAD) software. Since 3D printing enables the creation of customized objects, it is a rapidly expanding field in an age of personalized medicine. We discuss the use of 3D printing in surgical planning, training, and creation of devices for the treatment of aortic diseases. 3D printing can provide operators with a hands-on model to interact with complex anatomy, enable prototyping of devices for implantation based upon anatomy, or even provide pre-procedural simulation. Potential exists to expand upon current uses of 3D printing to create personalized implantable devices such as grafts. Future studies should aim to demonstrate the impact of 3D printing on outcomes to make this technology more accessible to patients with complex aortic diseases. PMID:29850416

Basics of Compounding: 3D Printing--Pharmacy Applications, Part 1.

PubMed

Allen, Loyd V

2017-01-01

Three-dimensional printing quickly became a standard tool in the automotive, aerospace, and consumer goods industries and, recently, has begun gaining traction in pharmaceutical manufacturing. 3D printing has steadily grown, introducing a new element into dosage form development, and has received a boost with U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval of the 3D-printed orodispersible tablet, Spritam (levetiracetam). This part 1 of a 3-part article introduces 3D printing and its application to pharmacy. Copyright© by International Journal of Pharmaceutical Compounding, Inc.

[The application progress of 3D printing technology in ophthalmology].

PubMed

Ji, Z K; Zhao, Y; Yu, S S; Zhao, H

2018-01-11

3D printing is a kind of technology that makes 3D models from computer-aided designs through additive manufacturing, in which successive layers of the material are deposited onto underlying layers to construct 3D objects. In recent years, 3D printing is gradually applied in the field of ophthalmology, such as the cornea, retina, orbital operation, ocular tumor radiotherapy, ocular implants and ophthalmology teaching. This article reviews the application status of 3D printing technology in the basic research and clinical treatment in ophthalmology. (Chin J Ophthalmol, 2018, 54: 72-76) .

MO-B-BRD-04: Sterilization for 3D Printed Brachytherapy Applicators

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Cunha, J.

This session is designed so that the learning objectives are practical. The intent is that the attendee may take home an understanding of not just the technology, but also the logistical steps necessary to execute these 3D printing techniques in the clinic. Four practical 3D printing topics will be discussed: (i) Creating bolus and compensators for photon machines; (ii) tools for proton therapy; (iii) clinical applications in imaging; (iv) custom phantom design for clinic and research use. The use of 3D printers within the radiation oncology setting is proving to be a useful tool for creating patient specific bolus andmore » compensators with the added benefit of cost savings. Creating the proper protocol is essential to ensuring that the desired effect is achieved and modeled in the treatment planning system. The critical choice of printer material (since it determines the interaction with the radiation) will be discussed. Selection of 3D printer type, design methods, verification of dose calculation, and the printing process will be detailed to give the basis for establishing your own protocol for electron and photon fields. A practical discussion of likely obstacles that may be encountered will be included. The diversity of systems and techniques in proton facilities leads to different facilities having very different requirements for beam modifying hardware and quality assurance devices. Many departments find the need to design and fabricate facility-specific equipment, making 3D printing an attractive technology. 3D printer applications in proton therapy will be discussed, including beam filters and compensators, and the design of proton therapy specific quality assurance tools. Quality control specific to 3D printing in proton therapy will be addressed. Advantages and disadvantages of different printing technology for these applications will also be discussed. 3D printing applications using high-resolution radiology-based imaging data will be presented

3D printing facilitated scaffold-free tissue unit fabrication.

PubMed

Tan, Yu; Richards, Dylan J; Trusk, Thomas C; Visconti, Richard P; Yost, Michael J; Kindy, Mark S; Drake, Christopher J; Argraves, William Scott; Markwald, Roger R; Mei, Ying

2014-06-01

Tissue spheroids hold great potential in tissue engineering as building blocks to assemble into functional tissues. To date, agarose molds have been extensively used to facilitate fusion process of tissue spheroids. As a molding material, agarose typically requires low temperature plates for gelation and/or heated dispenser units. Here, we proposed and developed an alginate-based, direct 3D mold-printing technology: 3D printing microdroplets of alginate solution into biocompatible, bio-inert alginate hydrogel molds for the fabrication of scaffold-free tissue engineering constructs. Specifically, we developed a 3D printing technology to deposit microdroplets of alginate solution on calcium containing substrates in a layer-by-layer fashion to prepare ring-shaped 3D hydrogel molds. Tissue spheroids composed of 50% endothelial cells and 50% smooth muscle cells were robotically placed into the 3D printed alginate molds using a 3D printer, and were found to rapidly fuse into toroid-shaped tissue units. Histological and immunofluorescence analysis indicated that the cells secreted collagen type I playing a critical role in promoting cell-cell adhesion, tissue formation and maturation.

3D printing of versatile reactionware for chemical synthesis.

PubMed

Kitson, Philip J; Glatzel, Stefan; Chen, Wei; Lin, Chang-Gen; Song, Yu-Fei; Cronin, Leroy

2016-05-01

In recent decades, 3D printing (also known as additive manufacturing) techniques have moved beyond their traditional applications in the fields of industrial manufacturing and prototyping to increasingly find roles in scientific research contexts, such as synthetic chemistry. We present a general approach for the production of bespoke chemical reactors, termed reactionware, using two different approaches to extrusion-based 3D printing. This protocol describes the printing of an inert polypropylene (PP) architecture with the concurrent printing of soft material catalyst composites, using two different 3D printer setups. The steps of the PROCEDURE describe the design and preparation of a 3D digital model of the desired reactionware device and the preparation of this model for use with fused deposition modeling (FDM) type 3D printers. The protocol then further describes the preparation of composite catalyst-silicone materials for incorporation into the 3D-printed device and the steps required to fabricate a reactionware device. This combined approach allows versatility in the design and use of reactionware based on the specific needs of the experimental user. To illustrate this, we present a detailed procedure for the production of one such reactionware device that will result in the production of a sealed reactor capable of effecting a multistep organic synthesis. Depending on the design time of the 3D model, and including time for curing and drying of materials, this procedure can be completed in ∼3 d.

3D-printed microfluidic chips with patterned, cell-laden hydrogel constructs.

PubMed

Knowlton, Stephanie; Yu, Chu Hsiang; Ersoy, Fulya; Emadi, Sharareh; Khademhosseini, Ali; Tasoglu, Savas

2016-06-20

Three-dimensional (3D) printing offers potential to fabricate high-throughput and low-cost fabrication of microfluidic devices as a promising alternative to traditional techniques which enables efficient design iterations in the development stage. In this study, we demonstrate a single-step fabrication of a 3D transparent microfluidic chip using two alternative techniques: a stereolithography-based desktop 3D printer and a two-step fabrication using an industrial 3D printer based on polyjet technology. This method, compared to conventional fabrication using relatively expensive materials and labor-intensive processes, presents a low-cost, rapid prototyping technique to print functional 3D microfluidic chips. We enhance the capabilities of 3D-printed microfluidic devices by coupling 3D cell encapsulation and spatial patterning within photocrosslinkable gelatin methacryloyl (GelMA). The platform presented here serves as a 3D culture environment for long-term cell culture and growth. Furthermore, we have demonstrated the ability to print complex 3D microfluidic channels to create predictable and controllable fluid flow regimes. Here, we demonstrate the novel use of 3D-printed microfluidic chips as controllable 3D cell culture environments, advancing the applicability of 3D printing to engineering physiological systems for future applications in bioengineering.

Development of the Improving Process for the 3D Printed Structure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Takagishi, Kensuke; Umezu, Shinjiro

2017-01-01

The authors focus on the Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) 3D printer because the FDM 3D printer can print the utility resin material. It can print with low cost and therefore it is the most suitable for home 3D printer. The FDM 3D printer has the problem that it produces layer grooves on the surface of the 3D printed structure. Therefore the authors developed the 3D-Chemical Melting Finishing (3D-CMF) for removing layer grooves. In this method, a pen-style device is filled with a chemical able to dissolve the materials used for building 3D printed structures. By controlling the behavior of this pen-style device, the convex parts of layer grooves on the surface of the 3D printed structure are dissolved, which, in turn, fills the concave parts. In this study it proves the superiority of the 3D-CMF than conventional processing for the 3D printed structure. It proves utilizing the evaluation of the safety, selectively and stability. It confirms the improving of the 3D-CMF and it is confirmed utilizing the data of the surface roughness precision and the observation of the internal state and the evaluation of the mechanical characteristics.

Development of the Improving Process for the 3D Printed Structure

PubMed Central

Takagishi, Kensuke; Umezu, Shinjiro

2017-01-01

The authors focus on the Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) 3D printer because the FDM 3D printer can print the utility resin material. It can print with low cost and therefore it is the most suitable for home 3D printer. The FDM 3D printer has the problem that it produces layer grooves on the surface of the 3D printed structure. Therefore the authors developed the 3D-Chemical Melting Finishing (3D-CMF) for removing layer grooves. In this method, a pen-style device is filled with a chemical able to dissolve the materials used for building 3D printed structures. By controlling the behavior of this pen-style device, the convex parts of layer grooves on the surface of the 3D printed structure are dissolved, which, in turn, fills the concave parts. In this study it proves the superiority of the 3D-CMF than conventional processing for the 3D printed structure. It proves utilizing the evaluation of the safety, selectively and stability. It confirms the improving of the 3D-CMF and it is confirmed utilizing the data of the surface roughness precision and the observation of the internal state and the evaluation of the mechanical characteristics. PMID:28054558

Development of the Improving Process for the 3D Printed Structure.

PubMed

Takagishi, Kensuke; Umezu, Shinjiro

2017-01-05

The authors focus on the Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) 3D printer because the FDM 3D printer can print the utility resin material. It can print with low cost and therefore it is the most suitable for home 3D printer. The FDM 3D printer has the problem that it produces layer grooves on the surface of the 3D printed structure. Therefore the authors developed the 3D-Chemical Melting Finishing (3D-CMF) for removing layer grooves. In this method, a pen-style device is filled with a chemical able to dissolve the materials used for building 3D printed structures. By controlling the behavior of this pen-style device, the convex parts of layer grooves on the surface of the 3D printed structure are dissolved, which, in turn, fills the concave parts. In this study it proves the superiority of the 3D-CMF than conventional processing for the 3D printed structure. It proves utilizing the evaluation of the safety, selectively and stability. It confirms the improving of the 3D-CMF and it is confirmed utilizing the data of the surface roughness precision and the observation of the internal state and the evaluation of the mechanical characteristics.

Possible Applications of 3D Printing Technology on Textile Substrates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Korger, M.; Bergschneider, J.; Lutz, M.; Mahltig, B.; Finsterbusch, K.; Rabe, M.

2016-07-01

3D printing is a rapidly emerging additive manufacturing technology which can offer cost efficiency and flexibility in product development and production. In textile production 3D printing can also serve as an add-on process to apply 3D structures on textiles. In this study the low-cost fused deposition modeling (FDM) technique was applied using different thermoplastic printing materials available on the market with focus on flexible filaments such as thermoplastic elastomers (TPE) or Soft PLA. Since a good adhesion and stability of the 3D printed structures on textiles are essential, separation force and abrasion resistance tests were conducted with different kinds of printed woven fabrics demonstrating that a sufficient adhesion can be achieved. The main influencing factor can be attributed to the topography of the textile surface affected by the weave, roughness and hairiness offering formlocking connections followed by the wettability of the textile surface by the molten polymer, which depends on the textile surface energy and can be specifically controlled by washing (desizing), finishing or plasma treatment of the textile before the print. These basic adhesion mechanisms can also be considered crucial for 3D printing on knitwear.

3D printed porous ceramic scaffolds for bone tissue engineering: a review.

PubMed

Wen, Yu; Xun, Sun; Haoye, Meng; Baichuan, Sun; Peng, Chen; Xuejian, Liu; Kaihong, Zhang; Xuan, Yang; Jiang, Peng; Shibi, Lu

2017-08-22

This study summarizes the recent research status and development of three-dimensional (3D)-printed porous ceramic scaffolds in bone tissue engineering. Recent literature on 3D-printed porous ceramic scaffolds was reviewed. Compared with traditional processing and manufacturing technologies, 3D-printed porous ceramic scaffolds have obvious advantages, such as enhancement of the controllability of the structure or improvement of the production efficiency. More sophisticated scaffolds were fabricated by 3D printing technology. 3D printed bioceramics have broad application prospects in bone tissue engineering. Through understanding the advantages and limitations of different 3D-printing approaches, new classes of bone graft substitutes can be developed.

Basics of Compounding: 3D Printing--Pharmacy Applications, Part 2.

PubMed

Allen, Loyd V

2017-01-01

3D printing is a standard tool in the automotive, aerospace, and consumer goods in industry and is gaining traction in pharmaceutical manufacturing, which has introduced a new element into dosage-form development. This article, which represents part 2 of a 3-part article on the topic of 3D printing, discusses the different technologies available for 3D printing. Copyright© by International Journal of Pharmaceutical Compounding, Inc.

3D printing of nano- and micro-structures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ramasamy, Mouli; Varadan, Vijay K.

2016-04-01

Additive manufacturing or 3D printing techniques are being vigorously investigated as a replacement to the traditional and conventional methods in fabrication to bring forth cost and time effective approaches. Introduction of 3D printing has led to printing micro and nanoscale structures including tissues and organelles, bioelectric sensors and devices, artificial bones and transplants, microfluidic devices, batteries and various other biomaterials. Various microfabrication processes have been developed to fabricate micro components and assemblies at lab scale. 3D Fabrication processes that can accommodate the functional and geometrical requirements to realize complicated structures are becoming feasible through advances in additive manufacturing. This advancement could lead to simpler development mechanisms of novel components and devices exhibiting complex features. For instance, development of microstructure electrodes that can penetrate the epidermis of the skin to collect the bio potential signal may prove very effective than the electrodes that measure signal from the skin's surface. The micro and nanostructures will have to possess extraordinary material and mechanical properties for its dexterity in the applications. A substantial amount of research being pursued on stretchable and flexible devices based on PDMA, textiles, and organic electronics. Despite the numerous advantages these substrates and techniques could solely offer, 3D printing enables a multi-dimensional approach towards finer and complex applications. This review emphasizes the use of 3D printing to fabricate micro and nanostructures for that can be applied for human healthcare.

"Handling" seismic hazard: 3D printing of California Faults

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kyriakopoulos, C.; Potter, M.; Richards-Dinger, K. B.

2017-12-01

As earth scientists, we face the challenge of how to explain and represent our work and achievements to the general public. Nowadays, this problem is partially alleviated by the use of modern visualization tools such as advanced scientific software (Paraview.org), high resolution monitors, elaborate video simulations, and even 3D Virtual Reality goggles. However, the ability to manipulate and examine a physical object in 3D is still an important tool to connect better with the public. For that reason, we are presenting a scaled 3D printed version of the complex network of earthquake faults active in California based on that used by the Uniform California Earthquake Rupture Forecast 3 (UCERF3) (Field et al., 2013). We start from the fault geometry in the UCERF3.1 deformation model files. These files contain information such as the coordinates of the surface traces of the faults, dip angle, and depth extent. The fault specified in the above files are triangulated at 1km resolution and exported as a facet (.fac) file. The facet file is later imported into the Trelis 15.1 mesh generator (csimsoft.com). We use Trelis to perform the following three operations: First, we scale down the model so that 100 mm corresponds to 100km. Second, we "thicken" the walls of the faults; wall thickness of at least 1mm is necessary in 3D printing. We thicken fault geometry by 1mm on each side of the faults for a total of 2mm thickness. Third, we break down the model into parts that will fit the printing bed size ( 25 x 20mm). Finally, each part is exported in stereolithography format (.stl). For our project, we are using the 3D printing facility within the Creat'R Lab in the UC Riverside Orbach Science Library. The 3D printer is a MakerBot Replicator Desktop, 5th Generation. The resolution of print is 0.2mm (Standard quality). The printing material is the MakerBot PLA Filament, 1.75 mm diameter, large Spool, green. The most complex part of the display model requires approximately 17

Metallurgy: No more tears for metal 3D printing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Todd, Iain

2017-09-01

3D printing could revolutionize manufacturing processes involving metals, but few industrially useful alloys are compatible with the technique. A method has been developed that might open up the 3D printing of all metals. See Letter p.365

3D Printed Programmable Release Capsules.

PubMed

Gupta, Maneesh K; Meng, Fanben; Johnson, Blake N; Kong, Yong Lin; Tian, Limei; Yeh, Yao-Wen; Masters, Nina; Singamaneni, Srikanth; McAlpine, Michael C

2015-08-12

The development of methods for achieving precise spatiotemporal control over chemical and biomolecular gradients could enable significant advances in areas such as synthetic tissue engineering, biotic-abiotic interfaces, and bionanotechnology. Living organisms guide tissue development through highly orchestrated gradients of biomolecules that direct cell growth, migration, and differentiation. While numerous methods have been developed to manipulate and implement biomolecular gradients, integrating gradients into multiplexed, three-dimensional (3D) matrices remains a critical challenge. Here we present a method to 3D print stimuli-responsive core/shell capsules for programmable release of multiplexed gradients within hydrogel matrices. These capsules are composed of an aqueous core, which can be formulated to maintain the activity of payload biomolecules, and a poly(lactic-co-glycolic) acid (PLGA, an FDA approved polymer) shell. Importantly, the shell can be loaded with plasmonic gold nanorods (AuNRs), which permits selective rupturing of the capsule when irradiated with a laser wavelength specifically determined by the lengths of the nanorods. This precise control over space, time, and selectivity allows for the ability to pattern 2D and 3D multiplexed arrays of enzyme-loaded capsules along with tunable laser-triggered rupture and release of active enzymes into a hydrogel ambient. The advantages of this 3D printing-based method include (1) highly monodisperse capsules, (2) efficient encapsulation of biomolecular payloads, (3) precise spatial patterning of capsule arrays, (4) "on the fly" programmable reconfiguration of gradients, and (5) versatility for incorporation in hierarchical architectures. Indeed, 3D printing of programmable release capsules may represent a powerful new tool to enable spatiotemporal control over biomolecular gradients.

Emerging Applications of Bedside 3D Printing in Plastic Surgery

PubMed Central

Chae, Michael P.; Rozen, Warren M.; McMenamin, Paul G.; Findlay, Michael W.; Spychal, Robert T.; Hunter-Smith, David J.

2015-01-01

Modern imaging techniques are an essential component of preoperative planning in plastic and reconstructive surgery. However, conventional modalities, including three-dimensional (3D) reconstructions, are limited by their representation on 2D workstations. 3D printing, also known as rapid prototyping or additive manufacturing, was once the province of industry to fabricate models from a computer-aided design (CAD) in a layer-by-layer manner. The early adopters in clinical practice have embraced the medical imaging-guided 3D-printed biomodels for their ability to provide tactile feedback and a superior appreciation of visuospatial relationship between anatomical structures. With increasing accessibility, investigators are able to convert standard imaging data into a CAD file using various 3D reconstruction softwares and ultimately fabricate 3D models using 3D printing techniques, such as stereolithography, multijet modeling, selective laser sintering, binder jet technique, and fused deposition modeling. However, many clinicians have questioned whether the cost-to-benefit ratio justifies its ongoing use. The cost and size of 3D printers have rapidly decreased over the past decade in parallel with the expiration of key 3D printing patents. Significant improvements in clinical imaging and user-friendly 3D software have permitted computer-aided 3D modeling of anatomical structures and implants without outsourcing in many cases. These developments offer immense potential for the application of 3D printing at the bedside for a variety of clinical applications. In this review, existing uses of 3D printing in plastic surgery practice spanning the spectrum from templates for facial transplantation surgery through to the formation of bespoke craniofacial implants to optimize post-operative esthetics are described. Furthermore, we discuss the potential of 3D printing to become an essential office-based tool in plastic surgery to assist in preoperative planning, developing

Emerging Applications of Bedside 3D Printing in Plastic Surgery.

PubMed

Chae, Michael P; Rozen, Warren M; McMenamin, Paul G; Findlay, Michael W; Spychal, Robert T; Hunter-Smith, David J

2015-01-01

Modern imaging techniques are an essential component of preoperative planning in plastic and reconstructive surgery. However, conventional modalities, including three-dimensional (3D) reconstructions, are limited by their representation on 2D workstations. 3D printing, also known as rapid prototyping or additive manufacturing, was once the province of industry to fabricate models from a computer-aided design (CAD) in a layer-by-layer manner. The early adopters in clinical practice have embraced the medical imaging-guided 3D-printed biomodels for their ability to provide tactile feedback and a superior appreciation of visuospatial relationship between anatomical structures. With increasing accessibility, investigators are able to convert standard imaging data into a CAD file using various 3D reconstruction softwares and ultimately fabricate 3D models using 3D printing techniques, such as stereolithography, multijet modeling, selective laser sintering, binder jet technique, and fused deposition modeling. However, many clinicians have questioned whether the cost-to-benefit ratio justifies its ongoing use. The cost and size of 3D printers have rapidly decreased over the past decade in parallel with the expiration of key 3D printing patents. Significant improvements in clinical imaging and user-friendly 3D software have permitted computer-aided 3D modeling of anatomical structures and implants without outsourcing in many cases. These developments offer immense potential for the application of 3D printing at the bedside for a variety of clinical applications. In this review, existing uses of 3D printing in plastic surgery practice spanning the spectrum from templates for facial transplantation surgery through to the formation of bespoke craniofacial implants to optimize post-operative esthetics are described. Furthermore, we discuss the potential of 3D printing to become an essential office-based tool in plastic surgery to assist in preoperative planning, developing

3D Printing: How Much Will It Improve the DoD Supply Chain of the Future

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-06-01

Defense AT&L: May–June 2014 6 3D Printing How Much Will It Improve the DoD Supply Chain of the Future? Robin Brown Jim Davis Mark Dobson...so? DoD Enters the 3D Printing Arena First let’s set the stage by defining 3D printing . To put it sim- ply, 3D printing is a manufacturing process in...where the object is built up from scratch, which is why 3D printing is also referred to as “additive manufacturing.” This process is the opposite of the

3D Printing: current use in facial plastic and reconstructive surgery.

PubMed

Hsieh, Tsung-Yen; Dedhia, Raj; Cervenka, Brian; Tollefson, Travis T

2017-08-01

To review the use of three-dimensional (3D) printing in facial plastic and reconstructive surgery, with a focus on current uses in surgical training, surgical planning, clinical outcomes, and biomedical research. To evaluate the limitations and future implications of 3D printing in facial plastic and reconstructive surgery. Studies reviewed demonstrated 3D printing applications in surgical planning including accurate anatomic biomodels, surgical cutting guides in reconstruction, and patient-specific implants fabrication. 3D printing technology also offers access to well tolerated, reproducible, and high-fidelity/patient-specific models for surgical training. Emerging research in 3D biomaterial printing have led to the development of biocompatible scaffolds with potential for tissue regeneration in reconstruction cases involving significant tissue absence or loss. Major limitations of utilizing 3D printing technology include time and cost, which may be offset by decreased operating times and collaboration between departments to diffuse in-house printing costs SUMMARY: The current state of the literature shows promising results, but has not yet been validated by large studies or randomized controlled trials. Ultimately, further research and advancements in 3D printing technology should be supported as there is potential to improve resident training, patient care, and surgical outcomes.

Recent Advances in Biomaterials for 3D Printing and Tissue Engineering

PubMed Central

Jammalamadaka, Udayabhanu

2018-01-01

Three-dimensional printing has significant potential as a fabrication method in creating scaffolds for tissue engineering. The applications of 3D printing in the field of regenerative medicine and tissue engineering are limited by the variety of biomaterials that can be used in this technology. Many researchers have developed novel biomaterials and compositions to enable their use in 3D printing methods. The advantages of fabricating scaffolds using 3D printing are numerous, including the ability to create complex geometries, porosities, co-culture of multiple cells, and incorporate growth factors. In this review, recently-developed biomaterials for different tissues are discussed. Biomaterials used in 3D printing are categorized into ceramics, polymers, and composites. Due to the nature of 3D printing methods, most of the ceramics are combined with polymers to enhance their printability. Polymer-based biomaterials are 3D printed mostly using extrusion-based printing and have a broader range of applications in regenerative medicine. The goal of tissue engineering is to fabricate functional and viable organs and, to achieve this, multiple biomaterials and fabrication methods need to be researched. PMID:29494503

3D printing of surgical instruments for long-duration space missions.

PubMed

Wong, Julielynn Y; Pfahnl, Andreas C

2014-07-01

The first off-Earth fused deposition modeling (FDM) 3D printer will explore thermoplastic manufacturing capabilities in microgravity. This study evaluated the feasibility of FDM 3D printing 10 acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) thermoplastic surgical instruments on Earth. Three-point bending tests compared stiffness and yield strength between FDM 3D printed and conventionally manufactured ABS thermoplastic. To evaluate the relative speed of using four printed instruments compared to conventional instruments, 13 surgeons completed simulated prepping, draping, incising, and suturing tasks. Each surgeon ranked the performance of six printed instruments using a 5-point Likert scale. At a thickness of 5.75 mm or more, the FDM printing process had a less than 10% detrimental effect on the tested yield strength and stiffness of horizontally printed ABS thermoplastic relative to conventional ABS thermoplastic. Significant weakness was observed when a bending load was applied transversely to a 3D printed layer. All timed tasks were successfully performed using a printed sponge stick, towel clamp, scalpel handle, and toothed forceps. There was no substantial difference in time to completion of simulated surgical tasks with control vs. 3D printed instruments. Of the surgeons, 100%, 92%, 85%, 77%, 77%, and 69% agreed that the printed smooth and tissue forceps, curved and straight hemostats, tissue and right angle clamps, respectively, would perform adequately. It is feasible to 3D print ABS thermoplastic surgical instruments on Earth. Loadbearing structures were designed to be thicker, when possible. Printing orientations were selected so that the printing layering direction of critical structures would not be transverse to bending loads.

Powder-based 3D printing application for geomechanical testing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Williams, M.; Yoon, H.; Choens, R. C., II; Martinez, M. J.; Dewers, T. A.; Lee, M.

2017-12-01

3D printing of fractured and porous analog geomaterials has the potential to enhance hydrogeological and mechanical interpretations by generating engineered samples in testable configurations with reproducible microstructures and tunable surface and mechanical properties. For geoscience applications, 3D printing technology can be co-opted to print reproducible structures derived from CT-imaging of actual rocks and theoretical algorithms. In particular, the use of 3D printed samples allows us to overcome sample-to-sample heterogeneity that plague rock physics testing and to test material response independent from material variability. In this work, gypsum powder-based 3D printing was used to print cylindrical core samples and block samples with a pre-existing flaw geometry. All samples are printed in three different directions to evaluate the impact of printing direction on mechanical properties. For the cylindrical samples, unconfined compression testing has been performed. For compressive strength, the samples printed perpendicular to the loading direction show stronger than those printed parallel to the loading and at 45 degree. Micro-CT images of the printed samples reveal the uneven spreading of binder, resulting in soft inner core surrounded by stronger outer shell. In particular, the layered feature with binder causes the strong anisotropic properties. This was also confirmed by the wave velocity. For the small block samples ( 6.1cm wide, 10cm high, and 1.25cm thick) with an inclined flaw, uniaxial tests coupled with an array of acoustic emission sensors and digital image correlation revealed that cracks were developed at/near the tip of flaw as expected. Although acoustic events were detected, localization was not detectable mainly due to strong attenuation. Advantage and disadvantage of power-based 3D printing for mechanical testing will be discussed and a few attempts will be presented to improve the applicability of powder-based printing technique. Sandia

3D printed components with ultrasonically arranged microscale structure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Llewellyn-Jones, Thomas M.; Drinkwater, Bruce W.; Trask, Richard S.

2016-02-01

This paper shows the first application of in situ manipulation of discontinuous fibrous structure mid-print, within a 3D printed polymeric composite architecture. Currently, rapid prototyping methods (fused filament fabrication, stereolithography) are gaining increasing popularity within the engineering commnity to build structural components. Unfortunately, the full potential of these components is limited by the mechanical properties of the materials used. The aim of this study is to create and demonstrate a novel method to instantaneously orient micro-scale glass fibres within a selectively cured photocurable resin system, using ultrasonic forces to align the fibres in the desired 3D architecture. To achieve this we have mounted a switchable, focused laser module on the carriage of a three-axis 3D printing stage, above an in-house ultrasonic alignment rig containing a mixture of photocurable resin and discontinuous 14 μm diameter glass fibre reinforcement(50 μm length). In our study, a suitable print speed of 20 mm s-1 was used, which is comparable to conventional additive layer techniques. We show the ability to construct in-plane orthogonally aligned sections printed side by side, where the precise orientation of the configurations is controlled by switching the ultrasonic standing wave profile mid-print. This approach permits the realisation of complex fibrous architectures within a 3D printed landscape. The versatile nature of the ultrasonic manipulation technique also permits a wide range of particle types (diameters, aspect ratios and functions) and architectures (in-plane, and out-plane) to be patterned, leading to the creation of a new generation of fibrous reinforced composites for 3D printing.

3D-Printing in Congenital Cardiology: From Flatland to Spaceland.

PubMed

Deferm, Sébastien; Meyns, Bart; Vlasselaers, Dirk; Budts, Werner

2016-01-01

Medical imaging has changed to a great extent over the past few decades. It has been revolutionized by three-dimensional (3D) imaging techniques. Despite much of modern medicine relying on 3D imaging, which can be obtained accurately, we keep on being limited by visualization of the 3D content on two-dimensional flat screens. 3D-printing of graspable models could become a feasible technique to overcome this gap. Therefore, we printed pre- and postoperative 3D-models of a complex congenital heart defect. With this example, we intend to illustrate that these models hold value in preoperative planning, postoperative evaluation of a complex procedure, communication with the patient, and education of trainees. At this moment, 3D printing only leaves a small footprint, but makes already a big impression in the domain of cardiology and cardiovascular surgery. Further studies including more patients and more validated applications are needed to streamline 3D printing in the clinical setting of daily practice.

Novel Materials for 3D Printing by Photopolymerization.

PubMed

Layani, Michael; Wang, Xiaofeng; Magdassi, Shlomo

2018-05-13

The field of 3D printing, also known as additive manufacturing (AM), is developing rapidly in both academic and industrial research environments. New materials and printing technologies, which enable rapid and multimaterial printing, have given rise to new applications and utilizations. However, the main bottleneck for achieving many more applications is the lack of materials with new physical properties. Here, some of the recent reports on novel materials in this field, such as ceramics, glass, shape-memory polymers, and electronics, are reviewed. Although new materials have been reported for all three main printing approaches-fused deposition modeling, binder jetting or laser sintering/melting, and photopolymerization-based approaches, apparently, most of the novel physicochemical properties are associated with materials printed by photopolymerization approaches. Furthermore, the high resolution that can be achieved using this type of 3D printing, together with the new properties, has resulted in new implementations such as microfluidic, biomedical devices, and soft robotics. Therefore, the focus here is on photopolymerization-based additive manufacturing including the recent development of new methods, novel monomers, and photoinitiators, which result in previously inaccessible applications such as complex ceramic structures, embedded electronics, and responsive 3D objects. © 2018 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Cardiac 3D Printing and Its Future Directions

PubMed Central

Vukicevic, Marija; Mosadegh, Bobak; Min, James K.; Little, Stephen H.

2017-01-01

3D printing is at the crossroads of printer and materials engineering; non-invasive diagnostic imaging; computer aided design (CAD); and structural heart intervention. Cardiovascular applications of this technology development include the use of patient-specific 3D models for medical teaching, exploration of valve and vessel function, surgical and catheter-based procedural planning, and early work in designing and refining the latest innovations in percutaneous structural devices. In this review we discuss the methods and materials being used for 3D printing today. We discuss the basic principles of clinical image segmentation including co-registration of multiple imaging datasets to create an anatomic model of interest. With applications in congenital heart disease, coronary artery disease, and in surgical and catheter-based structural disease – 3D printing is a new tool that is challenging how we image, plan, and carry out cardiovascular interventions. PMID:28183437

3D printed rapid disaster response

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lacaze, Alberto; Murphy, Karl; Mottern, Edward; Corley, Katrina; Chu, Kai-Dee

2014-05-01

Under the Department of Homeland Security-sponsored Sensor-smart Affordable Autonomous Robotic Platforms (SAARP) project, Robotic Research, LLC is developing an affordable and adaptable method to provide disaster response robots developed with 3D printer technology. The SAARP Store contains a library of robots, a developer storefront, and a user storefront. The SAARP Store allows the user to select, print, assemble, and operate the robot. In addition to the SAARP Store, two platforms are currently being developed. They use a set of common non-printed components that will allow the later design of other platforms that share non-printed components. During disasters, new challenges are faced that require customized tools or platforms. Instead of prebuilt and prepositioned supplies, a library of validated robots will be catalogued to satisfy various challenges at the scene. 3D printing components will allow these customized tools to be deployed in a fraction of the time that would normally be required. While the current system is focused on supporting disaster response personnel, this system will be expandable to a range of customers, including domestic law enforcement, the armed services, universities, and research facilities.

Polymer Disentanglement during 3D Printing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McIlroy, Claire; Olmsted, Peter D.

Although 3D printing has the potential to transform manufacturing processes, improving the strength of printed parts to rival that of traditionally-manufactured parts remains an underlying issue. The most common method, fused filament fabrication (FFF), involves melting a thermoplastic, followed by layer-by-layer filament extrusion to fabricate a 3D object. The key to ensuring strength at the weld between layers is successful inter-diffusion and re-entanglement of the melt across the interface. Under typical printing conditions the melt experiences high strain rates within the nozzle, which can significantly stretch and orient the polymers. Consequently, inter-diffusion does not occur from an equilibrium state. The printed layer also cools towards the glass transition, which limits inter-diffusion time. We employ a continuum polymer model (Rolie-Poly) that incorporates flow-induced changes in the entanglement density to predict how an amorphous polymer melt is deformed during FFF. The deformation is dominated by the deposition process, which involves a 90 degree turn and transformation from circular to elliptical geometry. Polymers become highly stretched and aligned with the flow direction, which significantly disentangles the melt via convective constraint release.

Centralised 3D printing in the NHS: a radiological review.

PubMed

Eley, K A

2017-04-01

In recent years, three-dimensional (3D) printing has seen an explosion of interest fuelled by improvements in technology and associated reduction in costs. The literature is replete with novel medical applications of custom anatomical models, prostheses, and surgical guides. Although the fundamental core of 3D printing lies in image manipulation, the driving force in many National Health Service (NHS) trusts has come from individual surgical specialties with 3D printers independently run and confined to respective departments. In this review of 3D printing, experience of establishing a new centralised 3D-printing service within an NHS hospital trust is reported, focusing on the requirements and challenges of such an endeavour. Copyright © 2017 The Royal College of Radiologists. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

3D-Printed Microfluidic Automation

PubMed Central

Au, Anthony K.; Bhattacharjee, Nirveek; Horowitz, Lisa F.; Chang, Tim C.; Folch, Albert

2015-01-01

Microfluidic automation – the automated routing, dispensing, mixing, and/or separation of fluids through microchannels – generally remains a slowly-spreading technology because device fabrication requires sophisticated facilities and the technology’s use demands expert operators. Integrating microfluidic automation in devices has involved specialized multi-layering and bonding approaches. Stereolithography is an assembly-free, 3D-printing technique that is emerging as an efficient alternative for rapid prototyping of biomedical devices. Here we describe fluidic valves and pumps that can be stereolithographically printed in optically-clear, biocompatible plastic and integrated within microfluidic devices at low cost. User-friendly fluid automation devices can be printed and used by non-engineers as replacement for costly robotic pipettors or tedious manual pipetting. Engineers can manipulate the designs as digital modules into new devices of expanded functionality. Printing these devices only requires the digital file and electronic access to a printer. PMID:25738695

3D-printed microfluidic automation.

PubMed

Au, Anthony K; Bhattacharjee, Nirveek; Horowitz, Lisa F; Chang, Tim C; Folch, Albert

2015-04-21

Microfluidic automation - the automated routing, dispensing, mixing, and/or separation of fluids through microchannels - generally remains a slowly-spreading technology because device fabrication requires sophisticated facilities and the technology's use demands expert operators. Integrating microfluidic automation in devices has involved specialized multi-layering and bonding approaches. Stereolithography is an assembly-free, 3D-printing technique that is emerging as an efficient alternative for rapid prototyping of biomedical devices. Here we describe fluidic valves and pumps that can be stereolithographically printed in optically-clear, biocompatible plastic and integrated within microfluidic devices at low cost. User-friendly fluid automation devices can be printed and used by non-engineers as replacement for costly robotic pipettors or tedious manual pipetting. Engineers can manipulate the designs as digital modules into new devices of expanded functionality. Printing these devices only requires the digital file and electronic access to a printer.

The influence of printing parameters on selected mechanical properties of FDM/FFF 3D-printed parts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ćwikła, G.; Grabowik, C.; Kalinowski, K.; Paprocka, I.; Ociepka, P.

2017-08-01

Rapid Prototyping technologies, especially 3D printing are becoming increasingly popular due to their usability and the constant decrease in price of printing equipment and materials. The article focuses on the study of selected mechanical strength properties of 3D-printed elements, which are not very important if the element is only a model for further manufacturing techniques, but which are important when 3D-printed elements will be a part of a functioning device, e.g. a part of unique scientific equipment. The research was carried out on a set of standardised samples, printed with low-cost standard materials (ABS), using a cheap 3D printer. The influence of parameters (such as the type of infill pattern, infill density, shell thickness, printing temperature, the type of material) on selected mechanical properties of the samples, were tested. The obtained results allows making conscious decisions on the printing of elements to be durable enough, either on a non-professional printer, or when to ordered by a professional manufacturer.

3D printing of bacteria into functional complex materials.

PubMed

Schaffner, Manuel; Rühs, Patrick A; Coulter, Fergal; Kilcher, Samuel; Studart, André R

2017-12-01

Despite recent advances to control the spatial composition and dynamic functionalities of bacteria embedded in materials, bacterial localization into complex three-dimensional (3D) geometries remains a major challenge. We demonstrate a 3D printing approach to create bacteria-derived functional materials by combining the natural diverse metabolism of bacteria with the shape design freedom of additive manufacturing. To achieve this, we embedded bacteria in a biocompatible and functionalized 3D printing ink and printed two types of "living materials" capable of degrading pollutants and of producing medically relevant bacterial cellulose. With this versatile bacteria-printing platform, complex materials displaying spatially specific compositions, geometry, and properties not accessed by standard technologies can be assembled from bottom up for new biotechnological and biomedical applications.

3D printing of bacteria into functional complex materials

PubMed Central

Schaffner, Manuel; Rühs, Patrick A.; Coulter, Fergal; Kilcher, Samuel; Studart, André R.

2017-01-01

Despite recent advances to control the spatial composition and dynamic functionalities of bacteria embedded in materials, bacterial localization into complex three-dimensional (3D) geometries remains a major challenge. We demonstrate a 3D printing approach to create bacteria-derived functional materials by combining the natural diverse metabolism of bacteria with the shape design freedom of additive manufacturing. To achieve this, we embedded bacteria in a biocompatible and functionalized 3D printing ink and printed two types of “living materials” capable of degrading pollutants and of producing medically relevant bacterial cellulose. With this versatile bacteria-printing platform, complex materials displaying spatially specific compositions, geometry, and properties not accessed by standard technologies can be assembled from bottom up for new biotechnological and biomedical applications. PMID:29214219

3D Printing. What's the Harm?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Love, Tyler S.; Roy, Ken

2016-01-01

Health concerns from 3D printing were first documented by Stephens, Azimi, Orch, and Ramos (2013), who found that commercially available 3D printers were producing hazardous levels of ultrafine particles (UFPs) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) when plastic materials were melted through the extruder. UFPs are particles less than 100 nanometers…

3D-Printing: an emerging and a revolutionary technology in pharmaceuticals.

PubMed

Singhvi, Gautam; Patil, Shalini; Girdhar, Vishal; Chellappan, Dinesh K; Gupta, Gaurav; Dua, Kamal

2018-06-01

One of the novel and progressive technology employed in pharmaceutical manufacturing, design of medical device and tissue engineering is threedimensional (3D) printing. 3D printing technologies provide great advantages in 3D scaffolds fabrication over traditional methods in the control of pore size, porosity, and interconnectivity. Various techniques of 3Dprinting include powder bed fusion, fused deposition modeling, binder deposition, inkjet printing, photopolymerization and many others which are still evolving. 3Dprinting technique been employed in developing immediate release products, various systems to deliver multiple release modalities etc. 3D printing has opened the door for new generation of customized drug delivery with builtin flexibility for safer and effective therapy. Our minireview provides a quick snapshot on an overview of 3D printing, various techniques employed, applications and its advancements in pharmaceutical sciences.

3D printing PLGA: a quantitative examination of the effects of polymer composition and printing parameters on print resolution

PubMed Central

Guo, Ting; Holzberg, Timothy R; Lim, Casey G; Gao, Feng; Gargava, Ankit; Trachtenberg, Jordan E; Mikos, Antonios G; Fisher, John P

2018-01-01

In the past few decades, 3D printing has played a significant role in fabricating scaffolds with consistent, complex structure that meet patient-specific needs in future clinical applications. Although many studies have contributed to this emerging field of additive manufacturing, which includes material development and computer-aided scaffold design, current quantitative analyses do not correlate material properties, printing parameters, and printing outcomes to a great extent. A model that correlates these properties has tremendous potential to standardize 3D printing for tissue engineering and biomaterial science. In this study, we printed poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) utilizing a direct melt extrusion technique without additional ingredients. We investigated PLGA with various lactic acid: glycolic acid (LA:GA) molecular weight ratios and end caps to demonstrate the dependence of the extrusion process on the polymer composition. Micro-computed tomography was then used to evaluate printed scaffolds containing different LA:GA ratios, composed of different fiber patterns, and processed under different printing conditions. We built a statistical model to reveal the correlation and predominant factors that determine printing precision. Our model showed a strong linear relationship between the actual and predicted precision under different combinations of printing conditions and material compositions. This quantitative examination establishes a significant foreground to 3D print biomaterials following a systematic fabrication procedure. Additionally, our proposed statistical models can be applied to couple specific biomaterials and 3D printing applications for patient implants with particular requirements. PMID:28244880

3D printing PLGA: a quantitative examination of the effects of polymer composition and printing parameters on print resolution.

PubMed

Guo, Ting; Holzberg, Timothy R; Lim, Casey G; Gao, Feng; Gargava, Ankit; Trachtenberg, Jordan E; Mikos, Antonios G; Fisher, John P

2017-04-12

In the past few decades, 3D printing has played a significant role in fabricating scaffolds with consistent, complex structure that meet patient-specific needs in future clinical applications. Although many studies have contributed to this emerging field of additive manufacturing, which includes material development and computer-aided scaffold design, current quantitative analyses do not correlate material properties, printing parameters, and printing outcomes to a great extent. A model that correlates these properties has tremendous potential to standardize 3D printing for tissue engineering and biomaterial science. In this study, we printed poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) utilizing a direct melt extrusion technique without additional ingredients. We investigated PLGA with various lactic acid:glycolic acid (LA:GA) molecular weight ratios and end caps to demonstrate the dependence of the extrusion process on the polymer composition. Micro-computed tomography was then used to evaluate printed scaffolds containing different LA:GA ratios, composed of different fiber patterns, and processed under different printing conditions. We built a statistical model to reveal the correlation and predominant factors that determine printing precision. Our model showed a strong linear relationship between the actual and predicted precision under different combinations of printing conditions and material compositions. This quantitative examination establishes a significant foreground to 3D print biomaterials following a systematic fabrication procedure. Additionally, our proposed statistical models can be applied to couple specific biomaterials and 3D printing applications for patient implants with particular requirements.

A 3D printed superconducting aluminium microwave cavity

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Creedon, Daniel L.; Goryachev, Maxim; Kostylev, Nikita

3D printing of plastics, ceramics, and metals has existed for several decades and has revolutionized many areas of manufacturing and science. Printing of metals, in particular, has found a number of applications in fields as diverse as customized medical implants, jet engine bearings, and rapid prototyping in the automotive industry. Although many techniques are used for 3D printing metals, they commonly rely on computer controlled melting or sintering of a metal alloy powder using a laser or electron beam. The mechanical properties of parts produced in such a way have been well studied, but little attention has been paid tomore » their electrical properties. Here we show that a microwave cavity (resonant frequencies 9.9 and 11.2 GHz) 3D printed using an Al-12Si alloy exhibits superconductivity when cooled below the critical temperature of aluminium (1.2 K), with a performance comparable with the common 6061 alloy of aluminium. Superconducting cavities find application in numerous areas of physics, from particle accelerators to cavity quantum electrodynamics experiments. The result is achieved even with a very large concentration of non-superconducting silicon in the alloy of 12.18%, compared with Al-6061, which has between 0.4% and 0.8%. Our results may pave the way for the possibility of 3D printing superconducting cavity configurations that are otherwise impossible to machine.« less

A 3D printed superconducting aluminium microwave cavity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Creedon, Daniel L.; Goryachev, Maxim; Kostylev, Nikita; Sercombe, Timothy B.; Tobar, Michael E.

2016-07-01

3D printing of plastics, ceramics, and metals has existed for several decades and has revolutionized many areas of manufacturing and science. Printing of metals, in particular, has found a number of applications in fields as diverse as customized medical implants, jet engine bearings, and rapid prototyping in the automotive industry. Although many techniques are used for 3D printing metals, they commonly rely on computer controlled melting or sintering of a metal alloy powder using a laser or electron beam. The mechanical properties of parts produced in such a way have been well studied, but little attention has been paid to their electrical properties. Here we show that a microwave cavity (resonant frequencies 9.9 and 11.2 GHz) 3D printed using an Al-12Si alloy exhibits superconductivity when cooled below the critical temperature of aluminium (1.2 K), with a performance comparable with the common 6061 alloy of aluminium. Superconducting cavities find application in numerous areas of physics, from particle accelerators to cavity quantum electrodynamics experiments. The result is achieved even with a very large concentration of non-superconducting silicon in the alloy of 12.18%, compared with Al-6061, which has between 0.4% and 0.8%. Our results may pave the way for the possibility of 3D printing superconducting cavity configurations that are otherwise impossible to machine.

3D printed replicas for endodontic education.

PubMed

Reymus, M; Fotiadou, C; Kessler, A; Heck, K; Hickel, R; Diegritz, C

2018-06-14

To assess the feasibility of producing artificial teeth for endodontic training using 3D printing technology, to analyse the accuracy of the printing process, and to evaluate the teeth by students when used during training. Sound extracted human teeth were selected, digitalized by cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) and appropriate software and finally reproduced by a stereolithographic printer. The printed teeth were scanned and compared with the original ones (trueness) and to one another (precision). Undergraduate dental students in the third and fourth years performed root canal treatment on printed molars and were subsequently asked to evaluate their experience with these compared to real teeth. The workflow was feasible for manufacturing 3D printed tooth replicas. The absolute deviation after printing (trueness) ranged from 50.9μm to 104.3μm. The values for precision ranged from 43.5μm to 68.2μm. Students reported great benefits in the use of the replicated teeth for training purposes. The presented workflow is feasible for any dental educational institution who has access to a CBCT unit and a stereolithographic printer. The accuracy of the printing process is suitable for the production of tooth replicas for endodontic training. Undergraduate students favoured the availability of these replicas and the fairness they ensured in training due to standardization. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Sculplexity: Sculptures of Complexity using 3D printing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reiss, D. S.; Price, J. J.; Evans, T. S.

2013-11-01

We show how to convert models of complex systems such as 2D cellular automata into a 3D printed object. Our method takes into account the limitations inherent to 3D printing processes and materials. Our approach automates the greater part of this task, bypassing the use of CAD software and the need for manual design. As a proof of concept, a physical object representing a modified forest fire model was successfully printed. Automated conversion methods similar to the ones developed here can be used to create objects for research, for demonstration and teaching, for outreach, or simply for aesthetic pleasure. As our outputs can be touched, they may be particularly useful for those with visual disabilities.

3D printing functional materials and devices (Conference Presentation)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McAlpine, Michael C.

2017-05-01

The development of methods for interfacing high performance functional devices with biology could impact regenerative medicine, smart prosthetics, and human-machine interfaces. Indeed, the ability to three-dimensionally interweave biological and functional materials could enable the creation of devices possessing unique geometries, properties, and functionalities. Yet, most high quality functional materials are two dimensional, hard and brittle, and require high crystallization temperatures for maximal performance. These properties render the corresponding devices incompatible with biology, which is three-dimensional, soft, stretchable, and temperature sensitive. We overcome these dichotomies by: 1) using 3D printing and scanning for customized, interwoven, anatomically accurate device architectures; 2) employing nanotechnology as an enabling route for overcoming mechanical discrepancies while retaining high performance; and 3) 3D printing a range of soft and nanoscale materials to enable the integration of a diverse palette of high quality functional nanomaterials with biology. 3D printing is a multi-scale platform, allowing for the incorporation of functional nanoscale inks, the printing of microscale features, and ultimately the creation of macroscale devices. This three-dimensional blending of functional materials and `living' platforms may enable next-generation 3D printed devices.

3-D printing of liquid metals for stretchable and flexible conductors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Trlica, Chris; Parekh, Dishit Paresh; Panich, Lazar; Ladd, Collin; Dickey, Michael D.

2014-06-01

3-D printing is an emerging technology that has been used primarily on small scales for rapid prototyping, but which could also herald a wider movement towards decentralized, highly customizable manufacturing. Polymers are the most common materials to be 3-D printed today, but there is great demand for a way to easily print metals. Existing techniques for 3-D printing metals tend to be expensive and energy-intensive, and usually require high temperatures or pressures, making them incompatible with polymers, organics, soft materials, and biological materials. Here, we describe room temperature liquid metals as complements to polymers for 3-D printing applications. These metals enable the fabrication of soft, flexible, and stretchable devices. We survey potential room temperature liquid metal candidates and describe the benefits of gallium and its alloys for these purposes. We demonstrate the direct printing of a liquid gallium alloy in both 2-D and 3-D and highlight the structures and shapes that can be fabricated using these processes.

Special Issue: NextGen Materials for 3D Printing.

PubMed

Chua, Chee Kai; Yeong, Wai Yee; An, Jia

2018-04-04

Only a handful of materials are well-established in three-dimensional (3D) printing and well-accepted in industrial manufacturing applications. However, recent advances in 3D printable materials have shown potential for enabling numerous novel applications in the future. This special issue, consisting of 2 reviews and 10 research articles, intends to explore the possible materials that could define next-generation 3D printing.

Special Issue: NextGen Materials for 3D Printing

PubMed Central

Yeong, Wai Yee

2018-01-01

Only a handful of materials are well-established in three-dimensional (3D) printing and well-accepted in industrial manufacturing applications. However, recent advances in 3D printable materials have shown potential for enabling numerous novel applications in the future. This special issue, consisting of 2 reviews and 10 research articles, intends to explore the possible materials that could define next-generation 3D printing. PMID:29617311

3D-Printing Technologies for Craniofacial Rehabilitation, Reconstruction, and Regeneration

PubMed Central

Nyberg, Ethan L.; Farris, Ashley L.; Hung, Ben P.; Dias, Miguel; Garcia, Juan R.; Dorafshar, Amir H.; Grayson, Warren L.

2016-01-01

The treatment of craniofacial defects can present many challenges due to the variety of tissue-specific requirements and the complexity of anatomical structures in that region. 3D-printing technologies provide clinicians, engineers and scientists with the ability to create patient-specific solutions for craniofacial defects. Currently, there are 3 key strategies that utilize these technologies to restore both appearance and function to patients: rehabilitation, reconstruction and regeneration. In rehabilitation, 3D-printing can be used to create prostheses to replace or cover damaged tissues. Reconstruction, through plastic surgery, can also leverage 3D-printing technologies to create custom cutting guides, fixation devices, practice models and implanted medical devices to improve patient outcomes. Regeneration of tissue attempts to replace defects with biological materials. 3D-printing can be used to create either scaffolds or living, cellular constructs to signal tissue-forming cells to regenerate defect regions. By integrating these three approaches, 3D-printing technologies afford the opportunity to develop personalized treatment plans and design-driven manufacturing solutions to improve aesthetic and functional outcomes for patients with craniofacial defects. PMID:27295184

Progress in 3D Printing of Carbon Materials for Energy-Related Applications.

PubMed

Fu, Kun; Yao, Yonggang; Dai, Jiaqi; Hu, Liangbing

2017-03-01

The additive-manufacturing (AM) technique, known as three-dimensional (3D) printing, has attracted much attention in industry and academia in recent years. 3D printing has been developed for a variety of applications. Printable inks are the most important component for 3D printing, and are related to the materials, the printing method, and the structures of the final 3D-printed products. Carbon materials, due to their good chemical stability and versatile nanostructure, have been widely used in 3D printing for different applications. Good inks are mainly based on volatile solutions having carbon materials as fillers such as graphene oxide (GO), carbon nanotubes (CNT), carbon blacks, and solvent, as well as polymers and other additives. Studies of carbon materials in 3D printing, especially GO-based materials, have been extensively reported for energy-related applications. In these circumstances, understanding the very recent developments of 3D-printed carbon materials and their extended applications to address energy-related challenges and bring new concepts for material designs are becoming urgent and important. Here, recent developments in 3D printing of emerging devices for energy-related applications are reviewed, including energy-storage applications, electronic circuits, and thermal-energy applications at high temperature. To close, a conclusion and outlook are provided, pointing out future designs and developments of 3D-printing technology based on carbon materials for energy-related applications and beyond. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

3D-printing techniques in a medical setting: a systematic literature review.

PubMed

Tack, Philip; Victor, Jan; Gemmel, Paul; Annemans, Lieven

2016-10-21

Three-dimensional (3D) printing has numerous applications and has gained much interest in the medical world. The constantly improving quality of 3D-printing applications has contributed to their increased use on patients. This paper summarizes the literature on surgical 3D-printing applications used on patients, with a focus on reported clinical and economic outcomes. Three major literature databases were screened for case series (more than three cases described in the same study) and trials of surgical applications of 3D printing in humans. 227 surgical papers were analyzed and summarized using an evidence table. The papers described the use of 3D printing for surgical guides, anatomical models, and custom implants. 3D printing is used in multiple surgical domains, such as orthopedics, maxillofacial surgery, cranial surgery, and spinal surgery. In general, the advantages of 3D-printed parts are said to include reduced surgical time, improved medical outcome, and decreased radiation exposure. The costs of printing and additional scans generally increase the overall cost of the procedure. 3D printing is well integrated in surgical practice and research. Applications vary from anatomical models mainly intended for surgical planning to surgical guides and implants. Our research suggests that there are several advantages to 3D-printed applications, but that further research is needed to determine whether the increased intervention costs can be balanced with the observable advantages of this new technology. There is a need for a formal cost-effectiveness analysis.

A 3D-Printed Sensor for Monitoring Biosignals in Small Animals

PubMed Central

Byun, Donghak; Choi, Seok-Yong; Lee, Byung-Geun; Kim, Myeong-Kyu

2017-01-01

Although additive manufacturing technologies, also known as 3D printing, were first introduced in the 1980s, they have recently gained remarkable popularity owing to decreased costs. 3D printing has already emerged as a viable technology in many industries; in particular, it is a good replacement for microfabrication technology. Microfabrication technology usually requires expensive clean room equipment and skilled engineers; however, 3D printing can reduce both cost and time dramatically. Although 3D printing technology has started to emerge into microfabrication manufacturing and medical applications, it is typically limited to creating mechanical structures such as hip prosthesis or dental implants. There have been increased interests in wearable devices and the critical part of such wearable devices is the sensing part to detect biosignals noninvasively. In this paper, we have built a 3D-printed sensor that can measure electroencephalogram and electrocardiogram from zebrafish. Despite measuring biosignals noninvasively from zebrafish has been known to be difficult due to that it is an underwater creature, we were able to successfully obtain electrophysiological information using the 3D-printed sensor. This 3D printing technique can accelerate the development of simple noninvasive sensors using affordable equipment and provide an economical solution to physiologists who are unfamiliar with complicated microfabrication techniques. PMID:29209491

Clinical Applications of 3D Printing: Primer for Radiologists.

PubMed

Ballard, David H; Trace, Anthony Paul; Ali, Sayed; Hodgdon, Taryn; Zygmont, Matthew E; DeBenedectis, Carolynn M; Smith, Stacy E; Richardson, Michael L; Patel, Midhir J; Decker, Summer J; Lenchik, Leon

2018-01-01

Three-dimensional (3D) printing refers to a number of manufacturing technologies that create physical models from digital information. Radiology is poised to advance the application of 3D printing in health care because our specialty has an established history of acquiring and managing the digital information needed to create such models. The 3D Printing Task Force of the Radiology Research Alliance presents a review of the clinical applications of this burgeoning technology, with a focus on the opportunities for radiology. Topics include uses for treatment planning, medical education, and procedural simulation, as well as patient education. Challenges for creating custom implantable devices including financial and regulatory processes for clinical application are reviewed. Precedent procedures that may translate to this new technology are discussed. The task force identifies research opportunities needed to document the value of 3D printing as it relates to patient care. Copyright © 2018 The Association of University Radiologists. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Polymeric 3D Printed Functional Microcantilevers for Biosensing Applications.

PubMed

Stassi, Stefano; Fantino, Erika; Calmo, Roberta; Chiappone, Annalisa; Gillono, Matteo; Scaiola, Davide; Pirri, Candido Fabrizio; Ricciardi, Carlo; Chiadò, Alessandro; Roppolo, Ignazio

2017-06-07

In this study, we show for the first time the production of mass-sensitive polymeric biosensors by 3D printing technology with intrinsic functionalities. We also demonstrate the feasibility of mass-sensitive biosensors in the form of microcantilever in a one-step printing process, using acrylic acid as functional comonomer for introducing a controlled amount of functional groups that can covalently immobilize the biomolecules onto the polymer. The effectiveness of the application of 3D printed microcantilevers as biosensors is then demonstrated with their implementation in a standard immunoassay protocol. This study shows how 3D microfabrication techniques, material characterization, and biosensor development could be combined to obtain an engineered polymeric microcantilever with intrinsic functionalities. The possibility of tuning the composition of the starting photocurable resin with the addition of functional agents, and consequently controlling the functionalities of the 3D printed devices, paves the way to a new class of mass-sensing microelectromechanical system devices with intrinsic properties.

Cardiac 3D Printing and its Future Directions.

PubMed

Vukicevic, Marija; Mosadegh, Bobak; Min, James K; Little, Stephen H

2017-02-01

Three-dimensional (3D) printing is at the crossroads of printer and materials engineering, noninvasive diagnostic imaging, computer-aided design, and structural heart intervention. Cardiovascular applications of this technology development include the use of patient-specific 3D models for medical teaching, exploration of valve and vessel function, surgical and catheter-based procedural planning, and early work in designing and refining the latest innovations in percutaneous structural devices. In this review, we discuss the methods and materials being used for 3D printing today. We discuss the basic principles of clinical image segmentation, including coregistration of multiple imaging datasets to create an anatomic model of interest. With applications in congenital heart disease, coronary artery disease, and surgical and catheter-based structural disease, 3D printing is a new tool that is challenging how we image, plan, and carry out cardiovascular interventions. Copyright © 2017 American College of Cardiology Foundation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

3D-Printing Electrolytes for Solid-State Batteries.

PubMed

McOwen, Dennis W; Xu, Shaomao; Gong, Yunhui; Wen, Yang; Godbey, Griffin L; Gritton, Jack E; Hamann, Tanner R; Dai, Jiaqi; Hitz, Gregory T; Hu, Liangbing; Wachsman, Eric D

2018-05-01

Solid-state batteries have many enticing advantages in terms of safety and stability, but the solid electrolytes upon which these batteries are based typically lead to high cell resistance. Both components of the resistance (interfacial, due to poor contact with electrolytes, and bulk, due to a thick electrolyte) are a result of the rudimentary manufacturing capabilities that exist for solid-state electrolytes. In general, solid electrolytes are studied as flat pellets with planar interfaces, which minimizes interfacial contact area. Here, multiple ink formulations are developed that enable 3D printing of unique solid electrolyte microstructures with varying properties. These inks are used to 3D-print a variety of patterns, which are then sintered to reveal thin, nonplanar, intricate architectures composed only of Li 7 La 3 Zr 2 O 12 solid electrolyte. Using these 3D-printing ink formulations to further study and optimize electrolyte structure could lead to solid-state batteries with dramatically lower full cell resistance and higher energy and power density. In addition, the reported ink compositions could be used as a model recipe for other solid electrolyte or ceramic inks, perhaps enabling 3D printing in related fields. © 2018 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Use of 3D printed models in medical education: A randomized control trial comparing 3D prints versus cadaveric materials for learning external cardiac anatomy.

PubMed

Lim, Kah Heng Alexander; Loo, Zhou Yaw; Goldie, Stephen J; Adams, Justin W; McMenamin, Paul G

2016-05-06

Three-dimensional (3D) printing is an emerging technology capable of readily producing accurate anatomical models, however, evidence for the use of 3D prints in medical education remains limited. A study was performed to assess their effectiveness against cadaveric materials for learning external cardiac anatomy. A double blind randomized controlled trial was undertaken on undergraduate medical students without prior formal cardiac anatomy teaching. Following a pre-test examining baseline external cardiac anatomy knowledge, participants were randomly assigned to three groups who underwent self-directed learning sessions using either cadaveric materials, 3D prints, or a combination of cadaveric materials/3D prints (combined materials). Participants were then subjected to a post-test written by a third party. Fifty-two participants completed the trial; 18 using cadaveric materials, 16 using 3D models, and 18 using combined materials. Age and time since completion of high school were equally distributed between groups. Pre-test scores were not significantly different (P = 0.231), however, post-test scores were significantly higher for 3D prints group compared to the cadaveric materials or combined materials groups (mean of 60.83% vs. 44.81% and 44.62%, P = 0.010, adjusted P = 0.012). A significant improvement in test scores was detected for the 3D prints group (P = 0.003) but not for the other two groups. The finding of this pilot study suggests that use of 3D prints do not disadvantage students relative to cadaveric materials; maximally, results suggest that 3D may confer certain benefits to anatomy learning and supports their use and ongoing evaluation as supplements to cadaver-based curriculums. Anat Sci Educ 9: 213-221. © 2015 American Association of Anatomists. © 2015 American Association of Anatomists.

3D-printing of undisturbed soil imaged by X-ray

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bacher, Matthias; Koestel, John; Schwen, Andreas

2014-05-01

The unique pore structures in Soils are altered easily by water flow. Each sample has a different morphology and the results of repetitions vary as well. Soil macropores in 3D-printed durable material avoid erosion and have a known morphology. Therefore potential and limitations of reproducing an undisturbed soil sample by 3D-printing was evaluated. We scanned an undisturbed soil column of Ultuna clay soil with a diameter of 7 cm by micro X-ray computer tomography at a resolution of 51 micron. A subsample cube of 2.03 cm length with connected macropores was cut out from this 3D-image and printed in five different materials by a 3D-printing service provider. The materials were ABS, Alumide, High Detail Resin, Polyamide and Prime Grey. The five print-outs of the subsample were tested on their hydraulic conductivity by using the falling head method. The hydrophobicity was tested by an adapted sessile drop method. To determine the morphology of the print-outs and compare it to the real soil also the print-outs were scanned by X-ray. The images were analysed with the open source program ImageJ. The five 3D-image print-outs copied from the subsample of the soil column were compared by means of their macropore network connectivity, porosity, surface volume, tortuosity and skeleton. The comparison of pore morphology between the real soil and the print-outs showed that Polyamide reproduced the soil macropore structure best while Alumide print-out was the least detailed. Only the largest macropore was represented in all five print-outs. Printing residual material or printing aid material remained in and clogged the pores of all print-out materials apart from Prime Grey. Therefore infiltration was blocked in these print-outs and the materials are not suitable even though the 3D-printed pore shapes were well reproduced. All of the investigated materials were insoluble. The sessile drop method showed angles between 53 and 85 degrees. Prime Grey had the fastest flow rate; the

Multimaterial magnetically assisted 3D printing of composite materials.

PubMed

Kokkinis, Dimitri; Schaffner, Manuel; Studart, André R

2015-10-23

3D printing has become commonplace for the manufacturing of objects with unusual geometries. Recent developments that enabled printing of multiple materials indicate that the technology can potentially offer a much wider design space beyond unusual shaping. Here we show that a new dimension in this design space can be exploited through the control of the orientation of anisotropic particles used as building blocks during a direct ink-writing process. Particle orientation control is demonstrated by applying low magnetic fields on deposited inks pre-loaded with magnetized stiff platelets. Multimaterial dispensers and a two-component mixing unit provide additional control over the local composition of the printed material. The five-dimensional design space covered by the proposed multimaterial magnetically assisted 3D printing platform (MM-3D printing) opens the way towards the manufacturing of functional heterogeneous materials with exquisite microstructural features thus far only accessible by biological materials grown in nature.

Multimaterial magnetically assisted 3D printing of composite materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kokkinis, Dimitri; Schaffner, Manuel; Studart, André R.

2015-10-01

3D printing has become commonplace for the manufacturing of objects with unusual geometries. Recent developments that enabled printing of multiple materials indicate that the technology can potentially offer a much wider design space beyond unusual shaping. Here we show that a new dimension in this design space can be exploited through the control of the orientation of anisotropic particles used as building blocks during a direct ink-writing process. Particle orientation control is demonstrated by applying low magnetic fields on deposited inks pre-loaded with magnetized stiff platelets. Multimaterial dispensers and a two-component mixing unit provide additional control over the local composition of the printed material. The five-dimensional design space covered by the proposed multimaterial magnetically assisted 3D printing platform (MM-3D printing) opens the way towards the manufacturing of functional heterogeneous materials with exquisite microstructural features thus far only accessible by biological materials grown in nature.

Potential Cost Savings with 3D Printing Combined With 3D Imaging and CPLM for Fleet Maintenance and Revitalization

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-05-01

1 Potential Cost Savings with 3D Printing Combined With 3D Imaging and CPLM for Fleet Maintenance and Revitalization David N. Ford...2014 4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE Potential Cost Savings with 3D Printing Combined With 3D Imaging and CPLM for Fleet Maintenance and Revitalization 5a...Manufacturing ( 3D printing ) 2 Research Context Problem: Learning curve savings forecasted in SHIPMAIN maintenance initiative have not materialized

3D-Printing Technologies for Craniofacial Rehabilitation, Reconstruction, and Regeneration.

PubMed

Nyberg, Ethan L; Farris, Ashley L; Hung, Ben P; Dias, Miguel; Garcia, Juan R; Dorafshar, Amir H; Grayson, Warren L

2017-01-01

The treatment of craniofacial defects can present many challenges due to the variety of tissue-specific requirements and the complexity of anatomical structures in that region. 3D-printing technologies provide clinicians, engineers and scientists with the ability to create patient-specific solutions for craniofacial defects. Currently, there are three key strategies that utilize these technologies to restore both appearance and function to patients: rehabilitation, reconstruction and regeneration. In rehabilitation, 3D-printing can be used to create prostheses to replace or cover damaged tissues. Reconstruction, through plastic surgery, can also leverage 3D-printing technologies to create custom cutting guides, fixation devices, practice models and implanted medical devices to improve patient outcomes. Regeneration of tissue attempts to replace defects with biological materials. 3D-printing can be used to create either scaffolds or living, cellular constructs to signal tissue-forming cells to regenerate defect regions. By integrating these three approaches, 3D-printing technologies afford the opportunity to develop personalized treatment plans and design-driven manufacturing solutions to improve aesthetic and functional outcomes for patients with craniofacial defects.

3D Printing In Zero-G ISS Technology Demonstration

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Werkheiser, Niki; Cooper, Kenneth; Edmunson, Jennifer; Dunn, Jason; Snyder, Michael

2014-01-01

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has a long term strategy to fabricate components and equipment on-demand for manned missions to the Moon, Mars, and beyond. To support this strategy, NASA and Made in Space, Inc. are developing the 3D Printing In Zero-G payload as a Technology Demonstration for the International Space Station (ISS). The 3D Printing In Zero-G experiment ('3D Print') will be the first machine to perform 3D printing in space. The greater the distance from Earth and the longer the mission duration, the more difficult resupply becomes; this requires a change from the current spares, maintenance, repair, and hardware design model that has been used on the International Space Station (ISS) up until now. Given the extension of the ISS Program, which will inevitably result in replacement parts being required, the ISS is an ideal platform to begin changing the current model for resupply and repair to one that is more suitable for all exploration missions. 3D Printing, more formally known as Additive Manufacturing, is the method of building parts/objects/tools layer-by-layer. The 3D Print experiment will use extrusion-based additive manufacturing, which involves building an object out of plastic deposited by a wire-feed via an extruder head. Parts can be printed from data files loaded on the device at launch, as well as additional files uplinked to the device while on-orbit. The plastic extrusion additive manufacturing process is a low-energy, low-mass solution to many common needs on board the ISS. The 3D Print payload will serve as the ideal first step to proving that process in space. It is unreasonable to expect NASA to launch large blocks of material from which parts or tools can be traditionally machined, and even more unreasonable to fly up multiple drill bits that would be required to machine parts from aerospace-grade materials such as titanium 6-4 alloy and Inconel. The technology to produce parts on demand, in space, offers

"Black Bone" MRI: a novel imaging technique for 3D printing.

PubMed

Eley, Karen A; Watt-Smith, Stephen R; Golding, Stephen J

2017-03-01

Three-dimensionally printed anatomical models are rapidly becoming an integral part of pre-operative planning of complex surgical cases. We have previously reported the "Black Bone" MRI technique as a non-ionizing alternative to CT. Segmentation of bone becomes possible by minimizing soft tissue contrast to enhance the bone-soft tissue boundary. The objectives of this study were to ascertain the potential of utilizing this technique to produce three-dimensional (3D) printed models. "Black Bone" MRI acquired from adult volunteers and infants with craniosynostosis were 3D rendered and 3D printed. A custom phantom provided a surrogate marker of accuracy permitting comparison between direct measurements and 3D printed models created by segmenting both CT and "Black Bone" MRI data sets using two different software packages. "Black Bone" MRI was successfully utilized to produce 3D models of the craniofacial skeleton in both adults and an infant. Measurements of the cube phantom and 3D printed models demonstrated submillimetre discrepancy. In this novel preliminary study exploring the potential of 3D printing from "Black Bone" MRI data, the feasibility of producing anatomical 3D models has been demonstrated, thus offering a potential non-ionizing alterative to CT for the craniofacial skeleton.

Use of 3D reconstruction cloacagrams and 3D printing in cloacal malformations.

PubMed

Ahn, Jennifer J; Shnorhavorian, Margarett; Amies Oelschlager, Anne-Marie E; Ripley, Beth; Shivaram, Giridhar M; Avansino, Jeffrey R; Merguerian, Paul A

2017-08-01

Cloacal anomalies are complex to manage, and the anatomy affects prognosis and management. Assessment historically includes examination under anesthesia, and genitography is often performed, but these do not consistently capture three-dimensional (3D) detail or spatial relationships of the anatomic structures. Three-dimensional reconstruction cloacagrams can provide a high level of detail including channel measurements and the level of the cloaca (<3 cm vs. >3 cm), which typically determines the approach for surgical reconstruction and can impact long-term prognosis. Yet this imaging modality has not yet been directly compared with intra-operative or endoscopic findings. Our objective was to compare 3D reconstruction cloacagrams with endoscopic and intraoperative findings, as well as to describe the use of 3D printing to create models for surgical planning and education. An IRB-approved retrospective review of all cloaca patients seen by our multi-disciplinary program from 2014 to 2016 was performed. All patients underwent examination under anesthesia, endoscopy, 3D reconstruction cloacagram, and subsequent reconstructive surgery at a later date. Patient characteristics, intraoperative details, and measurements from endoscopy and cloacagram were reviewed and compared. One of the 3D cloacagrams was reformatted for 3D printing to create a model for surgical planning. Four patients were included for review, with the Figure illustrating 3D cloacagram results. Measurements of common channel length and urethral length were similar between modalities, particularly with confirming the level of cloaca. No patient experienced any complications or adverse effects from cloacagram or endoscopy. A model was successfully created from cloacagram images with the use of 3D printing technology. Accurate preoperative assessment for cloacal anomalies is important for counseling and surgical planning. Three-dimensional cloacagrams have been shown to yield a high level of anatomic

3D printed orodispersible films with Aripiprazole.

PubMed

Jamróz, Witold; Kurek, Mateusz; Łyszczarz, Ewelina; Szafraniec, Joanna; Knapik-Kowalczuk, Justyna; Syrek, Karolina; Paluch, Marian; Jachowicz, Renata

2017-11-30

Three dimensional printing technology is gaining in importance because of its increasing availability and wide applications. One of the three dimensional printing techniques is Fused Deposition Modelling (FDM) which works on the basis of hot melt extrusion-well known in the pharmaceutical technology. Combination of fused deposition modelling with preparation of the orodispersible film with poorly water soluble substance such as aripiprazole seems to be extra advantageous in terms of dissolution rate. 3D printed as well as casted films were compared in terms of physicochemical and mechanical properties. Moreover, drug-free films were prepared to evaluate the impact of the extrusion process and aripiprazole presence on the film properties. X-ray diffractometry and thermal analyses confirmed transition of aripiprazole into amorphous state during film preparation using 3D printing technique. Amorphization of the aripiprazole and porous structure of printed film led to increased dissolution rate in comparison to casted films, which, however have slightly better mechanical properties due to their continuous structure. It can be concluded that fused deposition modelling is suitable technique and polyvinyl alcohol is applicable polymer for orodispersible films preparation. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

3D Printing in Makerspaces: Health and Safety Concerns

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bharti, Neelam

2017-01-01

3D (three-dimensional) printing is included in makerspaces around the world and has become increasingly affordable and useful. Most makerspaces use Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM)-based 3D printers, using polylactic acid (PLA) and acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) as printing materials. However, heating PLA and ABS to high temperatures emits…

3D Printing of Plant Golgi Stacks from Their Electron Tomographic Models.

PubMed

Mai, Keith Ka Ki; Kang, Madison J; Kang, Byung-Ho

2017-01-01

Three-dimensional (3D) printing is an effective tool for preparing tangible 3D models from computer visualizations to assist in scientific research and education. With the recent popularization of 3D printing processes, it is now possible for individual laboratories to convert their scientific data into a physical form suitable for presentation or teaching purposes. Electron tomography is an electron microscopy method by which 3D structures of subcellular organelles or macromolecular complexes are determined at nanometer-level resolutions. Electron tomography analyses have revealed the convoluted membrane architectures of Golgi stacks, chloroplasts, and mitochondria. But the intricacy of their 3D organizations is difficult to grasp from tomographic models illustrated on computer screens. Despite the rapid development of 3D printing technologies, production of organelle models based on experimental data with 3D printing has rarely been documented. In this chapter, we present a simple guide to creating 3D prints of electron tomographic models of plant Golgi stacks using the two most accessible 3D printing technologies.

Surface functionalization of 3D-printed plastics via initiated chemical vapor deposition

PubMed Central

Cheng, Christine

2017-01-01

3D printing is a useful fabrication technique because it offers design flexibility and rapid prototyping. The ability to functionalize the surfaces of 3D-printed objects allows the bulk properties, such as material strength or printability, to be chosen separately from surface properties, which is critical to expanding the breadth of 3D printing applications. In this work, we studied the ability of the initiated chemical vapor deposition (iCVD) process to coat 3D-printed shapes composed of poly(lactic acid) and acrylonitrile butadiene styrene. The thermally insulating properties of 3D-printed plastics pose a challenge to the iCVD process due to large thermal gradients along the structures during processing. In this study, processing parameters such as the substrate temperature and the filament temperature were systematically varied to understand how these parameters affect the uniformity of the coatings along the 3D-printed objects. The 3D-printed objects were coated with both hydrophobic and hydrophilic polymers. Contact angle goniometry and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy were used to characterize the functionalized surfaces. Our results can enable the use of iCVD to functionalize 3D-printed materials for a range of applications such as tissue scaffolds and microfluidics. PMID:28875099

3D printed graphene-based electrodes with high electrochemical performance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vernardou, D.; Vasilopoulos, K. C.; Kenanakis, G.

2017-10-01

Three-dimensional (3D) printed graphene pyramids were fabricated through a dual-extrusion FDM-type 3D printer using a commercially available PLA-based conductive graphene. Compared with flat printed graphene, a substantial enhancement in the electrochemical performance was clearly observed for the case of 3D printed graphene pyramids with 5.0 mm height. Additionally, the charge transfer of Li+ across the graphene pyramids/electrolyte interface was easier enhancing its performance presenting a specific discharge capacity of 265 mAh g-1 with retention of 93% after 1000 cycles. The importance of thickness control towards the printing of an electrode with good stability and effective electrochemical behavior is highlighted.

Analysis of Impact of 3D Printing Technology on Traditional Manufacturing Technology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, Niyan; Chen, Qi; Liao, Linzhi; Wang, Xin

With quiet rise of 3D printing technology in automobile, aerospace, industry, medical treatment and other fields, many insiders hold different opinions on its development. This paper objectively analyzes impact of 3D printing technology on mold making technology and puts forward the idea of fusion and complementation of 3D printing technology and mold making technology through comparing advantages and disadvantages of 3D printing mold and traditional mold making technology.

Expanding Geometry Understanding with 3D Printing

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cochran, Jill A.; Cochran, Zane; Laney, Kendra; Dean, Mandi

2016-01-01

With the rise of personal desktop 3D printing, a wide spectrum of educational opportunities has become available for educators to leverage this technology in their classrooms. Until recently, the ability to create physical 3D models was well beyond the scope, skill, and budget of many schools. However, since desktop 3D printers have become readily…

Quantitative evaluation of performance of 3D printed lenses

PubMed Central

Gawedzinski, John; Pawlowski, Michal E.; Tkaczyk, Tomasz S.

2017-01-01

We present an analysis of the shape, surface quality, and imaging capabilities of custom 3D printed lenses. 3D printing technology enables lens prototypes to be fabricated without restrictions on surface geometry. Thus, spherical, aspherical and rotationally non-symmetric lenses can be manufactured in an integrated production process. This technique serves as a noteworthy alternative to multistage, labor-intensive, abrasive processes such as grinding, polishing and diamond turning. Here, we evaluate the quality of lenses fabricated by Luxexcel using patented Printoptical© technology that is based on an inkjet printing technique by comparing them to lenses made with traditional glass processing technologies (grinding, polishing etc.). The surface geometry and roughness of the lenses were evaluated using white-light and Fizeau interferometers. We have compared peak-to-valley wavefront deviation, root-mean-squared wavefront error, radii of curvature and the arithmetic average of the roughness profile (Ra) of plastic and glass lenses. Additionally, the imaging performance of selected pairs of lenses was tested using 1951 USAF resolution target. The results indicate performance of 3D printed optics that could be manufactured with surface roughness comparable to that of injection molded lenses (Ra < 20 nm). The RMS wavefront error of 3D printed prototypes was at a minimum 18.8 times larger than equivalent glass prototypes for a lens with a 12.7 mm clear aperture, but when measured within 63% of its clear aperture, 3D printed components’ RMS wavefront error was comparable to glass lenses. PMID:29238114

3D Printing of Molecular Potential Energy Surface Models

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lolur, Phalgun; Dawes, Richard

2014-01-01

Additive manufacturing, commonly known as 3D printing, is gaining popularity in a variety of applications and has recently become routinely available. Today, 3D printing services are not only found in engineering design labs and through online companies, but also in university libraries offering student access. In addition, affordable options for…

3D printed microfluidic circuitry via multijet-based additive manufacturing†

PubMed Central

Sochol, R. D.; Sweet, E.; Glick, C. C.; Venkatesh, S.; Avetisyan, A.; Ekman, K. F.; Raulinaitis, A.; Tsai, A.; Wienkers, A.; Korner, K.; Hanson, K.; Long, A.; Hightower, B. J.; Slatton, G.; Burnett, D. C.; Massey, T. L.; Iwai, K.; Lee, L. P.; Pister, K. S. J.; Lin, L.

2016-01-01

The miniaturization of integrated fluidic processors affords extensive benefits for chemical and biological fields, yet traditional, monolithic methods of microfabrication present numerous obstacles for the scaling of fluidic operators. Recently, researchers have investigated the use of additive manufacturing or “three-dimensional (3D) printing” technologies – predominantly stereolithography – as a promising alternative for the construction of submillimeter-scale fluidic components. One challenge, however, is that current stereolithography methods lack the ability to simultaneously print sacrificial support materials, which limits the geometric versatility of such approaches. In this work, we investigate the use of multijet modelling (alternatively, polyjet printing) – a layer-by-layer, multi-material inkjetting process – for 3D printing geometrically complex, yet functionally advantageous fluidic components comprised of both static and dynamic physical elements. We examine a fundamental class of 3D printed microfluidic operators, including fluidic capacitors, fluidic diodes, and fluidic transistors. In addition, we evaluate the potential to advance on-chip automation of integrated fluidic systems via geometric modification of component parameters. Theoretical and experimental results for 3D fluidic capacitors demonstrated that transitioning from planar to non-planar diaphragm architectures improved component performance. Flow rectification experiments for 3D printed fluidic diodes revealed a diodicity of 80.6 ± 1.8. Geometry-based gain enhancement for 3D printed fluidic transistors yielded pressure gain of 3.01 ± 0.78. Consistent with additional additive manufacturing methodologies, the use of digitally-transferrable 3D models of fluidic components combined with commercially-available 3D printers could extend the fluidic routing capabilities presented here to researchers in fields beyond the core engineering community. PMID:26725379

3D Cell Printed Tissue Analogues: A New Platform for Theranostics

PubMed Central

Choi, Yeong-Jin; Yi, Hee-Gyeong; Kim, Seok-Won; Cho, Dong-Woo

2017-01-01

Stem cell theranostics has received much attention for noninvasively monitoring and tracing transplanted therapeutic stem cells through imaging agents and imaging modalities. Despite the excellent regenerative capability of stem cells, their efficacy has been limited due to low cellular retention, low survival rate, and low engraftment after implantation. Three-dimensional (3D) cell printing provides stem cells with the similar architecture and microenvironment of the native tissue and facilitates the generation of a 3D tissue-like construct that exhibits remarkable regenerative capacity and functionality as well as enhanced cell viability. Thus, 3D cell printing can overcome the current concerns of stem cell therapy by delivering the 3D construct to the damaged site. Despite the advantages of 3D cell printing, the in vivo and in vitro tracking and monitoring of the performance of 3D cell printed tissue in a noninvasive and real-time manner have not been thoroughly studied. In this review, we explore the recent progress in 3D cell technology and its applications. Finally, we investigate their potential limitations and suggest future perspectives on 3D cell printing and stem cell theranostics. PMID:28839468

Creating Learning Environment Connecting Engineering Design and 3D Printing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pikkarainen, Ari; Salminen, Antti; Piili, Heidi

Engineering education in modern days require continuous development in didactics, pedagogics and used practical methods. 3D printing provides excellent opportunity to connect different engineering areas into practice and produce learning by doing applications. The 3D-printing technology used in this study is FDM (Fused deposition modeling). FDM is the most used 3D-printing technology by commercial numbers at the moment and the qualities of the technology makes it popular especially in academic environments. For achieving the best result possible, students will incorporate the principles of DFAM (Design for additive manufacturing) into their engineering design studies together with 3D printing. This paper presents a plan for creating learning environment for mechanical engineering students combining the aspects of engineering design, 3D-CAD learning and AM (additive manufacturing). As a result, process charts for carrying out the 3D printing process from technological point of view and design process for AM from engineering design point of view were created. These charts are used in engineering design education. The learning environment is developed to work also as a platform for Bachelor theses, work-training environment for students, prototyping service centre for cooperation partners and source of information for mechanical engineering education in Lapland University of Applied Sciences.

Clinical efficacy and effectiveness of 3D printing: a systematic review

PubMed Central

Diment, Laura E; Thompson, Mark S; Bergmann, Jeroen H M

2017-01-01

Objective To evaluate the clinical efficacy and effectiveness of using 3D printing to develop medical devices across all medical fields. Design Systematic review compliant with Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses. Data sources PubMed, Web of Science, OVID, IEEE Xplore and Google Scholar. Methods A double-blinded review method was used to select all abstracts up to January 2017 that reported on clinical trials of a three-dimensional (3D)-printed medical device. The studies were ranked according to their level of evidence, divided into medical fields based on the International Classification of Diseases chapter divisions and categorised into whether they were used for preoperative planning, aiding surgery or therapy. The Downs and Black Quality Index critical appraisal tool was used to assess the quality of reporting, external validity, risk of bias, risk of confounding and power of each study. Results Of the 3084 abstracts screened, 350 studies met the inclusion criteria. Oral and maxillofacial surgery contained 58.3% of studies, and 23.7% covered the musculoskeletal system. Only 21 studies were randomised controlled trials (RCTs), and all fitted within these two fields. The majority of RCTs were 3D-printed anatomical models for preoperative planning and guides for aiding surgery. The main benefits of these devices were decreased surgical operation times and increased surgical accuracy. Conclusions All medical fields that assessed 3D-printed devices concluded that they were clinically effective. The fields that most rigorously assessed 3D-printed devices were oral and maxillofacial surgery and the musculoskeletal system, both of which concluded that the 3D-printed devices outperformed their conventional comparators. However, the efficacy and effectiveness of 3D-printed devices remain undetermined for the majority of medical fields. 3D-printed devices can play an important role in healthcare, but more rigorous and long-term assessments

3D print of polymer bonded rare-earth magnets, and 3D magnetic field scanning with an end-user 3D printer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huber, C.; Abert, C.; Bruckner, F.; Groenefeld, M.; Muthsam, O.; Schuschnigg, S.; Sirak, K.; Thanhoffer, R.; Teliban, I.; Vogler, C.; Windl, R.; Suess, D.

2016-10-01

3D print is a recently developed technique, for single-unit production, and for structures that have been impossible to build previously. The current work presents a method to 3D print polymer bonded isotropic hard magnets with a low-cost, end-user 3D printer. Commercially available isotropic NdFeB powder inside a PA11 matrix is characterized, and prepared for the printing process. An example of a printed magnet with a complex shape that was designed to generate a specific stray field is presented, and compared with finite element simulation solving the macroscopic Maxwell equations. For magnetic characterization, and comparing 3D printed structures with injection molded parts, hysteresis measurements are performed. To measure the stray field outside the magnet, the printer is upgraded to a 3D magnetic flux density measurement system. To skip an elaborate adjusting of the sensor, a simulation is used to calibrate the angles, sensitivity, and the offset of the sensor. With this setup, a measurement resolution of 0.05 mm along the z-axes is achievable. The effectiveness of our calibration method is shown. With our setup, we are able to print polymer bonded magnetic systems with the freedom of having a specific complex shape with locally tailored magnetic properties. The 3D scanning setup is easy to mount, and with our calibration method we are able to get accurate measuring results of the stray field.

Recent Advances in 3D Printing of Aliphatic Polyesters

PubMed Central

Frone, Adriana Nicoleta; Brandabur, Călin

2017-01-01

3D printing represents a valuable alternative to traditional processing methods, clearly demonstrated by the promising results obtained in the manufacture of various products, such as scaffolds for regenerative medicine, artificial tissues and organs, electronics, components for the automotive industry, art objects and so on. This revolutionary technique showed unique capabilities for fabricating complex structures, with precisely controlled physical characteristics, facile tunable mechanical properties, biological functionality and easily customizable architecture. In this paper, we provide an overview of the main 3D-printing technologies currently employed in the case of poly (lactic acid) (PLA) and polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA), two of the most important classes of thermoplastic aliphatic polyesters. Moreover, a short presentation of the main 3D-printing methods is briefly discussed. Both PLA and PHA, in the form of filaments or powder, proved to be suitable for the fabrication of artificial tissue or scaffolds for bone regeneration. The processability of PLA and PHB blends and composites fabricated through different 3D-printing techniques, their final characteristics and targeted applications in bioengineering are thoroughly reviewed. PMID:29295559

Recent Advances in 3D Printing of Aliphatic Polyesters.

PubMed

Chiulan, Ioana; Frone, Adriana Nicoleta; Brandabur, Călin; Panaitescu, Denis Mihaela

2017-12-24

3D printing represents a valuable alternative to traditional processing methods, clearly demonstrated by the promising results obtained in the manufacture of various products, such as scaffolds for regenerative medicine, artificial tissues and organs, electronics, components for the automotive industry, art objects and so on. This revolutionary technique showed unique capabilities for fabricating complex structures, with precisely controlled physical characteristics, facile tunable mechanical properties, biological functionality and easily customizable architecture. In this paper, we provide an overview of the main 3D-printing technologies currently employed in the case of poly (lactic acid) (PLA) and polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA), two of the most important classes of thermoplastic aliphatic polyesters. Moreover, a short presentation of the main 3D-printing methods is briefly discussed. Both PLA and PHA, in the form of filaments or powder, proved to be suitable for the fabrication of artificial tissue or scaffolds for bone regeneration. The processability of PLA and PHB blends and composites fabricated through different 3D-printing techniques, their final characteristics and targeted applications in bioengineering are thoroughly reviewed.

Point-of-care testing: applications of 3D printing.

PubMed

Chan, Ho Nam; Tan, Ming Jun Andrew; Wu, Hongkai

2017-08-08

Point-of-care testing (POCT) devices fulfil a critical need in the modern healthcare ecosystem, enabling the decentralized delivery of imperative clinical strategies in both developed and developing worlds. To achieve diagnostic utility and clinical impact, POCT technologies are immensely dependent on effective translation from academic laboratories out to real-world deployment. However, the current research and development pipeline is highly bottlenecked owing to multiple restraints in material, cost, and complexity of conventionally available fabrication techniques. Recently, 3D printing technology has emerged as a revolutionary, industry-compatible method enabling cost-effective, facile, and rapid manufacturing of objects. This has allowed iterative design-build-test cycles of various things, from microfluidic chips to smartphone interfaces, that are geared towards point-of-care applications. In this review, we focus on highlighting recent works that exploit 3D printing in developing POCT devices, underscoring its utility in all analytical steps. Moreover, we also discuss key advantages of adopting 3D printing in the device development pipeline and identify promising opportunities in 3D printing technology that can benefit global health applications.

A Model for Managing 3D Printing Services in Academic Libraries

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Scalfani, Vincent F.; Sahib, Josh

2013-01-01

The appearance of 3D printers in university libraries opens many opportunities for advancing outreach, teaching, and research programs. The University of Alabama (UA) Libraries recently adopted 3D printing technology and maintains an open access 3D Printing Studio. The Studio consists of a 3D printer, multiple 3D design workstations, and other…

3D Printing in Liver Surgery: A Systematic Review.

PubMed

Witowski, Jan Sylwester; Coles-Black, Jasamine; Zuzak, Tomasz Zbigniew; Pędziwiatr, Michał; Chuen, Jason; Major, Piotr; Budzyński, Andrzej

2017-12-01

Rapid growth of three-dimensional (3D) printing in recent years has led to new applications of this technology across all medical fields. This review article presents a broad range of examples on how 3D printing is facilitating liver surgery, including models for preoperative planning, education, and simulation. We have performed an extensive search of the medical databases Ovid/MEDLINE and PubMed/EMBASE and screened articles fitting the scope of review, following previously established exclusion criteria. Articles deemed suitable were analyzed and data on the 3D-printed models-including both technical properties and desirable application-and their impact on clinical proceedings were extracted. Fourteen articles, presenting unique utilizations of 3D models, were found suitable for data analysis. A great majority of articles (93%) discussed models used for preoperative planning and intraoperative guidance. PolyJet was the most common (43%) and, at the same time, most expensive 3D printing technology used in the development process. Many authors of reviewed articles reported that models were accurate (71%) and allowed them to understand patient's complex anatomy and its spatial relationships. Although the technology is still in its early stages, presented models are considered useful in preoperative planning and patient and student education. There are multiple factors limiting the use of 3D printing in everyday healthcare, the most important being high costs and the time-consuming process of development. Promising early results need to be verified in larger randomized trials, which will provide more statistically significant results.

Wear Resistance of 3D Printing Resin Material Opposing Zirconia and Metal Antagonists.

PubMed

Park, Ji-Man; Ahn, Jin-Soo; Cha, Hyun-Suk; Lee, Joo-Hee

2018-06-20

3D printing offers many advantages in dental prosthesis manufacturing. This study evaluated the wear resistance of 3D printing resin material compared with milling and conventional resin materials. Sixty substrate specimens were prepared with three types of resin materials: 3D printed resin, milled resin, and self-cured resin. The 3D printed specimens were printed at a build angle of 0° and 100 μm layer thickness by digital light processing 3D printing. Two kinds of abraders were made of zirconia and CoCr alloy. The specimens were loaded at 5 kg for 30,000 chewing cycles with vertical and horizontal movements under thermocycling condition. The 3D printed resin did not show significant difference in the maximal depth loss or the volume loss of wear compared to the milled and the self-cured resins. No significant difference was revealed depending on the abraders in the maximal depth loss or the volume loss of wear. In SEM views, the 3D printed resin showed cracks and separation of inter-layer bonds when opposing the metal abrader. The results suggest that the 3D printing using resin materials provides adequate wear resistance for dental use.

Fused filament 3D printing of ionic polymer-metal composites (IPMCs)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carrico, James D.; Traeden, Nicklaus W.; Aureli, Matteo; Leang, Kam K.

2015-12-01

This paper describes a new three-dimensional (3D) fused filament additive manufacturing (AM) technique in which electroactive polymer filament material is used to build soft active 3D structures, layer by layer. Specifically, the unique actuation and sensing properties of ionic polymer-metal composites (IPMCs) are exploited in 3D printing to create electroactive polymer structures for application in soft robotics and bio-inspired systems. The process begins with extruding a precursor material (non-acid Nafion precursor resin) into a thermoplastic filament for 3D printing. The filament is then used by a custom-designed 3D printer to manufacture the desired soft polymer structures, layer by layer. Since at this stage the 3D-printed samples are not yet electroactive, a chemical functionalization process follows, consisting in hydrolyzing the precursor samples in an aqueous solution of potassium hydroxide and dimethyl sulfoxide. Upon functionalization, metal electrodes are applied on the samples through an electroless plating process, which enables the 3D-printed IPMC structures to be controlled by voltage signals for actuation (or to act as sensors). This innovative AM process is described in detail and the performance of 3D printed IPMC actuators is compared to an IPMC actuator fabricated from commercially available Nafion sheet material. The experimental results show comparable performance between the two types of actuators, demonstrating the potential and feasibility of creating functional 3D-printed IPMCs.

MO-A-9A-01: Innovation in Medical Physics Practice: 3D Printing Applications

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ehler, E; Perks, J; Rasmussen, K

2014-06-15

3D printing, also called additive manufacturing, has great potential to advance the field of medicine. Many medical uses have been exhibited from facial reconstruction to the repair of pulmonary obstructions. The strength of 3D printing is to quickly convert a 3D computer model into a physical object. Medical use of 3D models is already ubiquitous with technologies such as computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging. Thus tailoring 3D printing technology to medical functions has the potential to impact patient care. This session will discuss applications to the field of Medical Physics. Topics discussed will include introduction to 3D printing methodsmore » as well as examples of real-world uses of 3D printing spanning clinical and research practice in diagnostic imaging and radiation therapy. The session will also compare 3D printing to other manufacturing processes and discuss a variety of uses of 3D printing technology outside the field of Medical Physics. Learning Objectives: Understand the technologies available for 3D Printing Understand methods to generate 3D models Identify the benefits and drawbacks to rapid prototyping / 3D Printing Understand the potential issues related to clinical use of 3D Printing.« less

[Non-biological 3D printed simulator for training in percutaneous nephro- lithotripsy].

PubMed

Alyaev, Yu G; Sirota, E S; Bezrukov, E A; Ali, S Kh; Bukatov, M D; Letunovskiy, A V; Byadretdinov, I Sh

2018-03-01

To develop a non-biological 3D printed simulator for training and preoperative planning in percutaneous nephrolithotripsy (PCNL), which allows doctors to master and perform all stages of the operation under ultrasound and fluoroscopy guidance. The 3D model was constructed using multislice spiral computed tomography (MSCT) images of a patient with staghorn urolithiasis. The MSCT data were processed and used to print the model. The simulator consisted of two parts: a non-biological 3D printed soft model of a kidney with reproduced intra-renal vascular and collecting systems and a printed 3D model of a human body. Using this 3D printed simulator, PCNL was performed in the interventional radiology operating room under ultrasound and fluoroscopy guidance. The designed 3D printed model of the kidney completely reproduces the individual features of the intra-renal structures of the particular patient. During the training, all the main stages of PCNL were performed successfully: the puncture, dilation of the nephrostomy tract, endoscopic examination, intra-renal lithotripsy. Our proprietary 3D-printed simulator is a promising development in the field of endourologic training and preoperative planning in the treatment of complicated forms of urolithiasis.

A dimensional comparison between embedded 3D-printed and silicon microchannels

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

O'Connor, J.; Punch, J.; Jeffers, N.; Stafford, J.

2014-07-01

The subject of this paper is the dimensional characterization of embedded microchannel arrays created using contemporary 3D-printing fabrication techniques. Conventional microchannel arrays, fabricated using deep reactive ion etching techniques (DRIE) and wet-etching (KOH), are used as a benchmark for comparison. Rectangular and trapezoidal cross-sectional shapes were investigated. The channel arrays were 3D-printed in vertical and horizontal directions, to examine the influence of print orientation on channel characteristics. The 3D-printed channels were benchmarked against Silicon channels in terms of the following dimensional characteristics: cross-sectional area (CSA), perimeter, and surface profiles. The 3D-printed microchannel arrays demonstrated variances in CSA of 6.6-20% with the vertical printing approach yielding greater dimensional conformity than the horizontal approach. The measured CSA and perimeter of the vertical channels were smaller than the nominal dimensions, while the horizontal channels were larger in both CSA and perimeter due to additional side-wall roughness present throughout the channel length. This side-wall roughness caused significant shape distortion. Surface profile measurements revealed that the base wall roughness was approximately the resolution of current 3D-printers. A spatial periodicity was found along the channel length which appeared at different frequencies for each channel array. This paper concludes that vertical 3D-printing is superior to the horizontal printing approach, in terms of both dimensional fidelity and shape conformity and can be applied in microfluidic device applications.

Continuous Optical 3D Printing of Green Aliphatic Polyurethanes.

PubMed

Pyo, Sang-Hyun; Wang, Pengrui; Hwang, Henry H; Zhu, Wei; Warner, John; Chen, Shaochen

2017-01-11

Photosensitive diurethanes were prepared from a green chemistry synthesis pathway based on methacrylate-functionalized six-membered cyclic carbonate and biogenic amines. A continuous optical 3D printing method for the diurethanes was developed to create user-defined gradient stiffness and smooth complex surface microstructures in seconds. The green chemistry-derived polyurethane (gPU) showed high optical transparency, and we demonstrate the ability to tune the material stiffness of the printed structure along a gradient by controlling the exposure time and selecting various amine compounds. High-resolution 3D biomimetic structures with smooth curves and complex contours were printed using our gPU. High cell viability (over 95%) was demonstrated during cytocompatibility testing using C3H 10T1/2 cells seeded directly on the printed structures.

No-infill 3D Printing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wei, Xiao-Ran; Zhang, Yu-He; Geng, Guo-Hua

2016-09-01

In this paper, we examined how printing the hollow objects without infill via fused deposition modeling, one of the most widely used 3D-printing technologies, by partitioning the objects to shell parts. More specifically, we linked the partition to the exact cover problem. Given an input watertight mesh shape S, we developed region growing schemes to derive a set of surfaces that had inside surfaces that were printable without support on the mesh for the candidate parts. We then employed Monte Carlo tree search over the candidate parts to obtain the optimal set cover. All possible candidate subsets of exact cover from the optimal set cover were then obtained and the bounded tree was used to search the optimal exact cover. We oriented each shell part to the optimal position to guarantee the inside surface was printed without support, while the outside surface was printed with minimum support. Our solution can be applied to a variety of models, closed-hollowed or semi-closed, with or without holes, as evidenced by experiments and performance evaluation on our proposed algorithm.

Computer-aided multiple-head 3D printing system for printing of heterogeneous organ/tissue constructs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jung, Jin Woo; Lee, Jung-Seob; Cho, Dong-Woo

2016-02-01

Recently, much attention has focused on replacement or/and enhancement of biological tissues via the use of cell-laden hydrogel scaffolds with an architecture that mimics the tissue matrix, and with the desired three-dimensional (3D) external geometry. However, mimicking the heterogeneous tissues that most organs and tissues are formed of is challenging. Although multiple-head 3D printing systems have been proposed for fabricating heterogeneous cell-laden hydrogel scaffolds, to date only the simple exterior form has been realized. Here we describe a computer-aided design and manufacturing (CAD/CAM) system for this application. We aim to develop an algorithm to enable easy, intuitive design and fabrication of a heterogeneous cell-laden hydrogel scaffolds with a free-form 3D geometry. The printing paths of the scaffold are automatically generated from the 3D CAD model, and the scaffold is then printed by dispensing four materials; i.e., a frame, two kinds of cell-laden hydrogel and a support. We demonstrated printing of heterogeneous tissue models formed of hydrogel scaffolds using this approach, including the outer ear, kidney and tooth tissue. These results indicate that this approach is particularly promising for tissue engineering and 3D printing applications to regenerate heterogeneous organs and tissues with tailored geometries to treat specific defects or injuries.

Computer-aided multiple-head 3D printing system for printing of heterogeneous organ/tissue constructs.

PubMed

Jung, Jin Woo; Lee, Jung-Seob; Cho, Dong-Woo

2016-02-22

Recently, much attention has focused on replacement or/and enhancement of biological tissues via the use of cell-laden hydrogel scaffolds with an architecture that mimics the tissue matrix, and with the desired three-dimensional (3D) external geometry. However, mimicking the heterogeneous tissues that most organs and tissues are formed of is challenging. Although multiple-head 3D printing systems have been proposed for fabricating heterogeneous cell-laden hydrogel scaffolds, to date only the simple exterior form has been realized. Here we describe a computer-aided design and manufacturing (CAD/CAM) system for this application. We aim to develop an algorithm to enable easy, intuitive design and fabrication of a heterogeneous cell-laden hydrogel scaffolds with a free-form 3D geometry. The printing paths of the scaffold are automatically generated from the 3D CAD model, and the scaffold is then printed by dispensing four materials; i.e., a frame, two kinds of cell-laden hydrogel and a support. We demonstrated printing of heterogeneous tissue models formed of hydrogel scaffolds using this approach, including the outer ear, kidney and tooth tissue. These results indicate that this approach is particularly promising for tissue engineering and 3D printing applications to regenerate heterogeneous organs and tissues with tailored geometries to treat specific defects or injuries.

Dual-extrusion 3D printing of anatomical models for education.

PubMed

Smith, Michelle L; Jones, James F X

2018-01-01

Two material 3D printing is becoming increasingly popular, inexpensive and accessible. In this paper, freely available printable files and dual extrusion fused deposition modelling were combined to create a number of functional anatomical models. To represent muscle and bone FilaFlex 3D flexible filament and polylactic acid (PLA) filament were extruded respectively via a single 0.4 mm nozzle using a Big Builder printer. For each filament, cubes (5 mm 3 ) were printed and analyzed for X, Y, and Z accuracy. The PLA printed cubes resulted in errors averaging just 1.2% across all directions but for FilaFlex 3D printed cubes the errors were statistically significantly greater (average of 3.2%). As an exemplar, a focus was placed on the muscles, bones and cartilage of upper airway and neck. The resulting single prints combined flexible and hard structures. A single print model of the vocal cords was constructed which permitted movement of the arytenoids on the cricoid cartilage and served to illustrate the action of intrinsic laryngeal muscles. As University libraries become increasingly engaged in offering inexpensive 3D printing services it may soon become common place for both student and educator to access websites, download free models or 3D body parts and only pay the costs of print consumables. Novel models can be manufactured as dissectible, functional multi-layered units and offer rich possibilities for sectional and/or reduced anatomy. This approach can liberate the anatomist from constraints of inflexible hard models or plastinated specimens and engage in the design of class specific models of the future. Anat Sci Educ 11: 65-72. © 2017 American Association of Anatomists. © 2017 American Association of Anatomists.

High density 3D printed microfluidic valves, pumps, and multiplexers.

PubMed

Gong, Hua; Woolley, Adam T; Nordin, Gregory P

2016-07-07

In this paper we demonstrate that 3D printing with a digital light processor stereolithographic (DLP-SLA) 3D printer can be used to create high density microfluidic devices with active components such as valves and pumps. Leveraging our previous work on optical formulation of inexpensive resins (RSC Adv., 2015, 5, 106621), we demonstrate valves with only 10% of the volume of our original 3D printed valves (Biomicrofluidics, 2015, 9, 016501), which were already the smallest that have been reported. Moreover, we show that incorporation of a thermal initiator in the resin formulation along with a post-print bake can dramatically improve the durability of 3D printed valves up to 1 million actuations. Using two valves and a valve-like displacement chamber (DC), we also create compact 3D printed pumps. With 5-phase actuation and a 15 ms phase interval, we obtain pump flow rates as high as 40 μL min(-1). We also characterize maximum pump back pressure (i.e., maximum pressure the pump can work against), maximum flow rate (flow rate when there is zero back pressure), and flow rate as a function of the height of the pump outlet. We further demonstrate combining 5 valves and one DC to create a 3-to-2 multiplexer with integrated pump. In addition to serial multiplexing, we also show that the device can operate as a mixer. Importantly, we illustrate the rapid fabrication and test cycles that 3D printing makes possible by implementing a new multiplexer design to improve mixing, and fabricate and test it within one day.

3D-printed tracheoesophageal puncture and prosthesis placement simulator.

PubMed

Barber, Samuel R; Kozin, Elliott D; Naunheim, Matthew R; Sethi, Rosh; Remenschneider, Aaron K; Deschler, Daniel G

A tracheoesophageal prosthesis (TEP) allows for speech after total laryngectomy. However, TEP placement is technically challenging, requiring a coordinated series of steps. Surgical simulators improve technical skills and reduce operative time. We hypothesize that a reusable 3-dimensional (3D)-printed TEP simulator will facilitate comprehension and rehearsal prior to actual procedures. The simulator was designed using Fusion360 (Autodesk, San Rafael, CA). Components were 3D-printed in-house using an Ultimaker 2+ (Ultimaker, Netherlands). Squid simulated the common tracheoesophageal wall. A Blom-Singer TEP (InHealth Technologies, Carpinteria, CA) replicated placement. Subjects watched an instructional video and completed pre- and post-simulation surveys. The simulator comprised 3D-printed parts: the esophageal lumen and superficial stoma. Squid was placed between components. Ten trainees participated. Significant differences existed between junior and senior residents with surveys regarding anatomy knowledge(p<0.05), technical details(p<0.01), and equipment setup(p<0.01). Subjects agreed that simulation felt accurate, and rehearsal raised confidence in future procedures. A 3D-printed TEP simulator is feasible for surgical training. Simulation involving multiple steps may accelerate technical skills and improve education. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

3D Printed Shock Mitigating Structures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schrand, Amanda; Elston, Edwin; Dennis, Mitzi; Metroke, Tammy; Chen, Chenggang; Patton, Steven; Ganguli, Sabyasachi; Roy, Ajit

Here we explore the durability, and shock mitigating potential, of solid and cellular 3D printed polymers and conductive inks under high strain rate, compressive shock wave and high g acceleration conditions. Our initial designs include a simple circuit with 4 resistors embedded into circular discs and a complex cylindrical gyroid shape. A novel ink consisting of silver-coated carbon black nanoparticles in a thermoplastic polyurethane was used as the trace material. One version of the disc structural design has the advantage of allowing disassembly after testing for direct failure analysis. After increasing impacts, printed and traditionally potted circuits were examined for functionality. Additionally, in the open disc design, trace cracking and delamination of resistors were able to be observed. In a parallel study, we examined the shock mitigating behavior of 3D printed cellular gyroid structures on a Split Hopkinson Pressure Bar (SHPB). We explored alterations to the classic SHPB setup for testing the low impedance, cellular samples to most accurately reflect the stress state inside the sample (strain rates from 700 to 1750 s-1). We discovered that the gyroid can effectively absorb the impact of the test resulting in crushing the structure. Future studies aim to tailor the unit cell dimensions for certain frequencies, increase print accuracy and optimize material compositions for conductivity and adhesion to manufacture more durable devices.

Why 3D Print? The 21st-Century Skills Students Develop While Engaging in 3D Printing Projects

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Trust, Torrey; Maloy, Robert W.

2017-01-01

The emergence of 3D printing has raised hopes and concerns about how it can be used effectively as an educational technology in school classrooms. This paper presents the results of a survey asking teachers from multiple grade levels and subject fields about the impact of 3D projects on student learning. Teachers were asked about the kinds of 3D…

3D scanning and printing skeletal tissues for anatomy education.

PubMed

Thomas, Daniel B; Hiscox, Jessica D; Dixon, Blair J; Potgieter, Johan

2016-09-01

Detailed anatomical models can be produced with consumer-level 3D scanning and printing systems. 3D replication techniques are significant advances for anatomical education as they allow practitioners to more easily introduce diverse or numerous specimens into classrooms. Here we present a methodology for producing anatomical models in-house, with the chondrocranium cartilage from a spiny dogfish (Squalus acanthias) and the skeleton of a cane toad (Rhinella marina) as case studies. 3D digital replicas were produced using two consumer-level scanners and specimens were 3D-printed with selective laser sintering. The fidelity of the two case study models was determined with respect to key anatomical features. Larger-scale features of the dogfish chondrocranium and frog skeleton were all well-resolved and distinct in the 3D digital models, and many finer-scale features were also well-resolved, but some more subtle features were absent from the digital models (e.g. endolymphatic foramina in chondrocranium). All characters identified in the digital chondrocranium could be identified in the subsequent 3D print; however, three characters in the 3D-printed frog skeleton could not be clearly delimited (palatines, parasphenoid and pubis). Characters that were absent in the digital models or 3D prints had low-relief in the original scanned specimen and represent a minor loss of fidelity. Our method description and case studies show that minimal equipment and training is needed to produce durable skeletal specimens. These technologies support the tailored production of models for specific classes or research aims. © 2016 Anatomical Society.

Surface Finish Effects Using Coating Method on 3D Printing (FDM) Parts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Haidiezul, AHM; Aiman, AF; Bakar, B.

2018-03-01

One of three-dimensional (3-D) printing economical processes is by using Fused Deposition Modelling (FDM). The 3-D printed object was built using layer-by-layer approach which caused “stair stepping” effects. This situation leads to uneven surface finish which mostly affect the objects appearance for product designers in presenting their models or prototypes. The objective of this paper is to examine the surface finish effects from the application of XTC-3D coating developed by Smooth-On, USA on the 3D printed parts. From the experimental works, this study shows the application of XTC-3D coating to the 3-D printed parts has improve the surface finish by reducing the gap between the layer

A systematic review of 3-D printing in cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases

PubMed Central

Sun, Zhonghua; Lee, Shen-Yuan

2017-01-01

Objective: The application of 3-D printing has been increasingly used in medicine, with research showing many applications in cardiovascular disease. This systematic review analyzes those studies published about the applications of 3-D printed, patient-specific models in cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. Methods: A search of PubMed/Medline and Scopus databases was performed to identify studies investigating the 3-D printing in cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. Only studies based on patient’s medical images were eligible for review, while reports on in vitro phantom or review articles were excluded. Results: A total of 48 studies met selection criteria for inclusion in the review. A range of patient-specific 3-D printed models of different cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases were generated in these studies with most of them being developed using cardiac CT and MRI data, less commonly with 3-D invasive angiographic or echocardiographic images. The review of these studies showed high accuracy of 3-D printed, patient-specific models to represent complex anatomy of the cardiovascular and cerebrovascular system and depict various abnormalities, especially congenital heart diseases and valvular pathologies. Further, 3-D printing can serve as a useful education tool for both parents and clinicians, and a valuable tool for pre-surgical planning and simulation. Conclusion: This systematic review shows that 3-D printed models based on medical imaging modalities can accurately replicate complex anatomical structures and pathologies of the cardiovascular and cerebrovascular system. 3-D printing is a useful tool for both education and surgical planning in these diseases. PMID:28430115

Reproducing 2D breast mammography images with 3D printed phantoms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Clark, Matthew; Ghammraoui, Bahaa; Badal, Andreu

2016-03-01

Mammography is currently the standard imaging modality used to screen women for breast abnormalities and, as a result, it is a tool of great importance for the early detection of breast cancer. Physical phantoms are commonly used as surrogates of breast tissue to evaluate some aspects of the performance of mammography systems. However, most phantoms do not reproduce the anatomic heterogeneity of real breasts. New fabrication technologies, such as 3D printing, have created the opportunity to build more complex, anatomically realistic breast phantoms that could potentially assist in the evaluation of mammography systems. The primary objective of this work is to present a simple, easily reproducible methodology to design and print 3D objects that replicate the attenuation profile observed in real 2D mammograms. The secondary objective is to evaluate the capabilities and limitations of the competing 3D printing technologies, and characterize the x-ray properties of the different materials they use. Printable phantoms can be created using the open-source code introduced in this work, which processes a raw mammography image to estimate the amount of x-ray attenuation at each pixel, and outputs a triangle mesh object that encodes the observed attenuation map. The conversion from the observed pixel gray value to a column of printed material with equivalent attenuation requires certain assumptions and knowledge of multiple imaging system parameters, such as x-ray energy spectrum, source-to-object distance, compressed breast thickness, and average breast material attenuation. A detailed description of the new software, a characterization of the printed materials using x-ray spectroscopy, and an evaluation of the realism of the sample printed phantoms are presented.

High-Speed 3D Printing of High-Performance Thermosetting Polymers via Two-Stage Curing.

PubMed

Kuang, Xiao; Zhao, Zeang; Chen, Kaijuan; Fang, Daining; Kang, Guozheng; Qi, Hang Jerry

2018-04-01

Design and direct fabrication of high-performance thermosets and composites via 3D printing are highly desirable in engineering applications. Most 3D printed thermosetting polymers to date suffer from poor mechanical properties and low printing speed. Here, a novel ink for high-speed 3D printing of high-performance epoxy thermosets via a two-stage curing approach is presented. The ink containing photocurable resin and thermally curable epoxy resin is used for the digital light processing (DLP) 3D printing. After printing, the part is thermally cured at elevated temperature to yield an interpenetrating polymer network epoxy composite, whose mechanical properties are comparable to engineering epoxy. The printing speed is accelerated by the continuous liquid interface production assisted DLP 3D printing method, achieving a printing speed as high as 216 mm h -1 . It is also demonstrated that 3D printing structural electronics can be achieved by combining the 3D printed epoxy composites with infilled silver ink in the hollow channels. The new 3D printing method via two-stage curing combines the attributes of outstanding printing speed, high resolution, low volume shrinkage, and excellent mechanical properties, and provides a new avenue to fabricate 3D thermosetting composites with excellent mechanical properties and high efficiency toward high-performance and functional applications. © 2018 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Design and Realization of 3D Printed AFM Probes.

PubMed

Alsharif, Nourin; Burkatovsky, Anna; Lissandrello, Charles; Jones, Keith M; White, Alice E; Brown, Keith A

2018-05-01

Atomic force microscope (AFM) probes and AFM imaging by extension are the product of exceptionally refined silicon micromachining, but are also restricted by the limitations of these fabrication techniques. Here, the nanoscale additive manufacturing technique direct laser writing is explored as a method to print monolithic cantilevered probes for AFM. Not only are 3D printed probes found to function effectively for AFM, but they also confer several advantages, most notably the ability to image in intermittent contact mode with a bandwidth approximately ten times larger than analogous silicon probes. In addition, the arbitrary structural control afforded by 3D printing is found to enable programming the modal structure of the probe, a capability that can be useful in the context of resonantly amplifying nonlinear tip-sample interactions. Collectively, these results show that 3D printed probes complement those produced using conventional silicon micromachining and open the door to new imaging techniques. © 2018 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

3D printing in neurosurgery: A systematic review

PubMed Central

Randazzo, Michael; Pisapia, Jared M.; Singh, Nickpreet; Thawani, Jayesh P.

2016-01-01

Background: The recent expansion of three-dimensional (3D) printing technology into the field of neurosurgery has prompted a widespread investigation of its utility. In this article, we review the current body of literature describing rapid prototyping techniques with applications to the practice of neurosurgery. Methods: An extensive and systematic search of the Compendex, Scopus, and PubMed medical databases was conducted using keywords relating to 3D printing and neurosurgery. Results were manually screened for relevance to applications within the field. Results: Of the search results, 36 articles were identified and included in this review. The articles spanned the various subspecialties of the field including cerebrovascular, neuro-oncologic, spinal, functional, and endoscopic neurosurgery. Conclusions: We conclude that 3D printing techniques are practical and anatomically accurate methods of producing patient-specific models for surgical planning, simulation and training, tissue-engineered implants, and secondary devices. Expansion of this technology may, therefore, contribute to advancing the neurosurgical field from several standpoints. PMID:27920940

Clinical efficacy and effectiveness of 3D printing: a systematic review.

PubMed

Diment, Laura E; Thompson, Mark S; Bergmann, Jeroen H M

2017-12-21

To evaluate the clinical efficacy and effectiveness of using 3D printing to develop medical devices across all medical fields. Systematic review compliant with Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses. PubMed, Web of Science, OVID, IEEE Xplore and Google Scholar. A double-blinded review method was used to select all abstracts up to January 2017 that reported on clinical trials of a three-dimensional (3D)-printed medical device. The studies were ranked according to their level of evidence, divided into medical fields based on the International Classification of Diseases chapter divisions and categorised into whether they were used for preoperative planning, aiding surgery or therapy. The Downs and Black Quality Index critical appraisal tool was used to assess the quality of reporting, external validity, risk of bias, risk of confounding and power of each study. Of the 3084 abstracts screened, 350 studies met the inclusion criteria. Oral and maxillofacial surgery contained 58.3% of studies, and 23.7% covered the musculoskeletal system. Only 21 studies were randomised controlled trials (RCTs), and all fitted within these two fields. The majority of RCTs were 3D-printed anatomical models for preoperative planning and guides for aiding surgery. The main benefits of these devices were decreased surgical operation times and increased surgical accuracy. All medical fields that assessed 3D-printed devices concluded that they were clinically effective. The fields that most rigorously assessed 3D-printed devices were oral and maxillofacial surgery and the musculoskeletal system, both of which concluded that the 3D-printed devices outperformed their conventional comparators. However, the efficacy and effectiveness of 3D-printed devices remain undetermined for the majority of medical fields. 3D-printed devices can play an important role in healthcare, but more rigorous and long-term assessments are needed to determine if 3D-printed devices are

3D Printing technology over a drug delivery for tissue engineering.

PubMed

Lee, Jin Woo; Cho, Dong-Woo

2015-01-01

Many researchers have attempted to use computer-aided design (CAD) and computer-aided manufacturing (CAM) to realize a scaffold that provides a three-dimensional (3D) environment for regeneration of tissues and organs. As a result, several 3D printing technologies, including stereolithography, deposition modeling, inkjet-based printing and selective laser sintering have been developed. Because these 3D printing technologies use computers for design and fabrication, and they can fabricate 3D scaffolds as designed; as a consequence, they can be standardized. Growth of target tissues and organs requires the presence of appropriate growth factors, so fabrication of 3Dscaffold systems that release these biomolecules has been explored. A drug delivery system (DDS) that administrates a pharmaceutical compound to achieve a therapeutic effect in cells, animals and humans is a key technology that delivers biomolecules without side effects caused by excessive doses. 3D printing technologies and DDSs have been assembled successfully, so new possibilities for improved tissue regeneration have been suggested. If the interaction between cells and scaffold system with biomolecules can be understood and controlled, and if an optimal 3D tissue regenerating environment is realized, 3D printing technologies will become an important aspect of tissue engineering research in the near future.

A Case Study in Astronomical 3D Printing: The Mysterious η Carinae

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Madura, Thomas I.

2017-05-01

Three-dimensional (3D) printing moves beyond interactive 3D graphics and provides an excellent tool for both visual and tactile learners, since 3D printing can now easily communicate complex geometries and full color information. Some limitations of interactive 3D graphics are also alleviated by 3D printable models, including issues of limited software support, portability, accessibility, and sustainability. We describe the motivations, methods, and results of our work on using 3D printing (1) to visualize and understand the η Car Homunculus nebula and central binary system and (2) for astronomy outreach and education, specifically, with visually impaired students. One new result we present is the ability to 3D print full-color models of η Car’s colliding stellar winds. We also demonstrate how 3D printing has helped us communicate our improved understanding of the detailed structure of η Car’s Homunculus nebula and central binary colliding stellar winds, and their links to each other. Attached to this article are full-color 3D printable files of both a red-blue Homunculus model and the η Car colliding stellar winds at orbital phase 1.045. 3D printing could prove to be vital to how astronomer’s reach out and share their work with each other, the public, and new audiences.

3D Printing in Zero-G ISS Technology Demonstration