#Researchers develop new metal materials through 3d printing Wee heard of new materials being developed for 3d printing use
but two researchers at the Missouri University of Science and Technology have been developing a way to use 3d printing technology
Dr. Frank Liou and Dr. Jagannanthan Sarangapani, distinguished professors in Product Innovation and Creativity, and Electrical and Computer engineering, respectively, have been working towards using cyber additive manufacturing technology
in order to create new metal materials that possess stronger and lighter properties than existing metal materials.
The process of manufacturing these metals involves additive manufacturing process modelling sensor network, and seamless process integration.
The metal materials Liou and Sarangapani have been developing are Structural amorphous metals (SAMS), and they are made by using a laser to melt blown powder metal,
which is deposited then layer by layer to manufacture a 3d printed object. The two researchers have been working on finding the correct cooling rate
in order to make the metal materials amorphous, meaning randomly constructed at the cellular level, rather than their usual crystalline formation.
The appeal of making amorphous metals comes precisely from the randomized cellular composition. That is, the material
and more fracture resilience than regular metals because of the lack of pattern in their composition, so to speak.
While metals in their regular crystalline structure tend to break along lines of their cellular structure,
the amorphous metals would have no pattern to break along. As Dr. Liou explains, he smaller the grains,
The hope is that it will be possible to create new materials with 10 times the strength of conventional metals,
which combine two metals that normally don fuse easily such as stainless steel and titanium or copper and steel.
an associate professor of materials science and engineering. Their work is being sponsored by NASA Langley Research center In virginia, which has interests in the developing technology.
FGMS in combining different types of metal, would result in new types of metals, possessing the traits and properties of both individual materials.
In order to, for instance, create an object with copper on one side and titanium on the other,
the metals would have to be combined and blended with other types of metal to ridge the gapso to speak.
The new material, which would possess the qualities of both copper and titanium, could be useful for constructing such things as aircraft or spaceship parts.
you can fuse two metals together easily. The research conducted by Dr. Liou, Dr. Sarangapani,
Their eyes have caused defects largely by refractive errors, cataract, or glaucoma. They don see the world as the rest of the seeing world does and, due to the high costs of healthcare or unavailability of medical facilities,
they probably never will. 80%of all visual impairment can be prevented or cured, but 90%of these people live in developing countries,
and his team have developed a 3d printable device that converts any smartphone into a retinal camera, for less than NZ$50.
and the design is open-source and freely available for anyone to download and print, anywhere in the world.
First, the patient, second the lens and third my smartphone. All three object should be lined up in the same axis
I wanted it to be universal (to fit all kinds of phones. The design was supposed to eliminate to variable factors (the phone
and the lens) making them into a single unit, so a hand is freed to secure the patient.
They explored the potential of making a device not just for any phone but for any lens as well.
An app was created also to back the hardware with an integrated software. It called the pthalmicdocs Eye Appand will be available for download from the Apple App store from May 22.
The app is multifunctional in that it provides a range of vision tests, has image acquisition capabilities,
is part of their efforts to develop smartphone based teleopthalmology systems that link physicians with patients,
His team is also working on developing a portable smartphone-based slit lamp microscope for imaging the anterior segment of the eye, with working similar to the Opthalmicdocs Fundus.
He believes in training local people to learn how to use the device for their own communities
It requires financial backing though, and since the development of the Opthalmicdocs Fundus was essentially a social enterprise,
none of the profit-driven businesses in healthcare have opened their eyes to or shown any interest in backing it.
Earlier in May, he delivered a talk at TEDX Auckland on his journey in fighting for preventable blindness
The aim of his organization Opthalmicdocs is to reate an environment and ecosystem that makes eye care borderless and accessible to people all around the world despite limited financial resources and geographical isolation.
and the intentions of the growing community of professional 3d printing users and the scene looks bright.
which involved interviews with over 1, 000 professionals operating in fields ranging from food processing to aeronautics,
According to Sculpteo study, over 50%of professionals consider very practical aspects of the technology such as the price of supplies
Other, more theoretical aspects, such as training requirements, consumer needs, legal framework, and reverse engineering, were determining factors for only less than 30%of respondents.
In this sense, users once again showed less concern for less concrete possibilities such as enabling co-creation, increasing production flexibility,
This data supports the idea that 3d printing is less accessible in Europe where people without experience in 3d printing would feel less inclined to think of it as a possible solution,
#Oxman Revolutionizes Biomanufacturing with Living, 3d printed Wearable If a Makerbot Replicator 3d printer can be used in pharmacological research labs for advances studies on how to administer cancer fighting drugs,
then it should be no surprise that the Object 500 Connex3 multi-material and multicolor Polyjet 3d printer from Stratasys can be used for futuristic biomanfacturing projects,
The MIT professor and founder of the Mediated Matter design research group at MIT Media Lab has rightfully been enjoying a celebrity-like status in the 3d printing industry.
Pamela Silver at Harvard Medical school, and Christopher Bader & Dominik Kolb from Deskriptiv) develop concepts of wearables capable of augmenting human capabilities and making life possible on inhospitable planets.
The next step for the professor was to introduce living matter. e live in a special time, alongside the latest advances in computational design, materials engineering, synthetic biology, and additive manufacturing
Imagining exactly how those microorganisms might aid us is a job for designers and artists such as Professor Oxman, with
D printing Mushtari is a wonderful example of how far this collaboration can bring us.
ent beyond the boundaries of our existing technology, formulating a dedicated improved support structure to allow a smooth, effective process in support of Professor Oxman vision.
Experiments such as this and previous ones carried out by Professor Oxman which include the Gemini lounge chair
it is clear that the incorporation of synthetic biology in 3d printed products for wearable microbiomes will enable the transition from designs that are inspired By nature,
what real computer aided manufacturing is ultimately about s
#3d Systems Demos Virtual Surgeries and Soft 3d printed Models in New orleans On top of its massive 3d printing portfolio and Quickparts services, 3d Systems also has an extensive medical design and 3d printing wing.
Today, the company has announced two significant programs that could foreshadow the future of medicine altogether:
the release of irst-ever virtual reality robotic prostatectomy simulation training as well as patient-specific 3d printed kidney models for surgical planning and training, developed in partnership with Tulane University School of medicine.
According to the American Cancer Society, more than 220,000 men in the US will be diagnosed with prostate cancer this year,
with 1 in 7 men being diagnosed over the course of a lifetime. To treat the problem,
prostatectomy procedures remove the entire prostate gland. 80%of these procedures in the US are, the National Cancer Institute states,
To step in and train the surgeons that will perform this surgery is 3d Systems with its Robotix Mentor training module.
The Robotix Mentor allows trainees to practice the surgery in a virtual environment using step-by-step guidance, performance metrics, anatomy recognition,
and a video-based curriculum. The additional LAP Mentor Express simulator even provides laparoscopic assistants training to aid the primary surgeon in the virtual procedure. 3ds Vice president
and Chief Technology Officer of Healthcare, Ran Bronstein, elaborates on the system potential for healthcare,
he addition of the Prostatectomy Module changes the future of Robotic Urology training. 3d Systems is committed to supporting medical advancements that ultimately affect patient safety by providing innovative products that range from virtual reality training
In addition to their new Robotix system, 3ds has developed also a new series of soft, 3d printed kidney models for surgical training.
the models developed by 3ds in tandem with surgeons at Tulane University School of medicine actually have the texture and consistency of the kidneys on
By converting a patient medical imaging data into a 3d printable model, doctors are able to create a soft and flexible model via multi-material 3d printing.
The kidney model can then be used to train med-students plan surgeries, or practice procedures before operation.
Dr. Jonathan Silberstein, Assistant professor of Urology and Chief of Urologic Oncology at Tulane, says of the technology,
ndividualized patient-specific soft tissue 3d printing allows surgeons and trainees the opportunity to operate on a model that looks
and feels just like their patient kidney tumor. This technology has the potential to reinvent the way we teach
and train our young surgeons and for experienced surgeons adapting to a new technology such as robotics,
it will flatten the learning curve. o me, what these technologies represent, in addition to the future of surgery planning,
is 3d Systemsgrasp of the evolving reality computing ecosystem, which encompasses 3d scanning, 3d printing, VR,
and haptic devices, all of which can be found in the company growing healthcare division. Both pieces of tech will be on display at the Annual Meeting for the American Urological Association in New orleans from today until May 19.
When these tools become widespread through the medical community, however, remains to be seen t
#3d printing in the Vacuum of Space Now Possible from Made In Space At the end of last year,
Made In Space made what was a huge achievement for 3d printing in space by sending their Zero G 3d printer, capable of 3d printing without gravity, to the International space station.
There, it has 3d printed numerous components, including a now famous wrench and twenty-three other prints that have returned
since to Earth for lab analysis. The ability to 3d print without gravity restraints will allow those aboard the ISS to 3d print tools
as Made In Space was able to 3d print a number of specimens from aerospace-grade plastics that will now be analyzed in terms of their mechanical properties,
NASA Spiderfab project intends to 3d print the underlying structures for such objects as antennas and solar panels.
While an antenna could improve communication, an optimally designed, large-scale solar array could power spacecraft, robots, drones, and more.
And, though such projects as mining asteroids with solar-powered drones might seem like science fiction,
the news that Made In Space plans to send their AMF to the ISS later this year implies that science fact could be realized in the very near future d
#3d printed Micro-Fish to Explore the Oceans of Our Bodies In the exponentially vital industry of nanoengineering,
Two professors of nanoengineering from the University of California San diego are utilizing advanced 3d printing technology to produce icrofish fish-shaped microrobotic devices geared towards traveling
and delivering medicinal products to hard-to-reach places within the body. The leaders of this project, Professors Shoachen Chen and Joseph Wang, recognized that most microrobots that have already been produced are unable to perform more advanced tasks due to their simply-shaped designs and inorganic physical make-ups.
Thus they manufactured the micro-fish, obviously inspired by the fluid, advanced motion that underwater creatures use to function in their liquid environments.
The microfish were manufactured with microscale continuous optical printing (COP), an advanced, high-resolution form of 3d printing that was created in Chen laboratory.
The COP printer functions at a rapid pace, and is able to produce hundreds of their microfish within seconds of printing.
What makes this printer so efficient is its digital micromirroring array device chip (DMD), containing millions of micromirrors that function separately from one another to cast the desired microfish design onto photosensitive material,
which is solidified then once exposed to UV LIGHT. This advanced process results in these 3d printed microfish, able to swim naturally through liquids,
while being controlled magnetically and propelled by a hydrogen peroxide solution. The nanoengineering team was then able to modify the microfish body with various nanoparticles,
using platinum in the tail section to interact with the hydrogen peroxide used to propel the fish forward,
will be able to serve as both a detoxification device and a toxin sensor too, and, hopefully,
Chen and Wang have conducted demonstrations to show the great potential of combining 3d printing with nanoengineering, installing polydiacetylene (PDA) nanoparticles within the microfish.
These PDA particles capture pore-forming toxins such as those found in bee venom. Chen and Wang successfully discovered that the strong swimming mechanisms of their microfish actually enhanced the ability to clear up toxins,
and detoxification is monitored easily due to the red light that is emitted on the device when nanoparticles are introduced to the particular toxins.
This project offers boundless potential for the way that we locate and treat the toxins that deteriorate human health,
helping medical professionals gather their diagnosis from swimming throughout the body with these microfish. 3d printing enthusiasts are amazed oftentimes by
This means that the full injection-molded-transparent-plastic-bottle to 3d printed-transparent-plastic-bottle-cycle is now a real opportunity for the 3d printing industry as a whole,
PET (Polyethylene terephthalate) is one of the most widely used thermoplastics there is. It is used to make plastic drink bottles as well as many other products (including fabrics) and for packaging purposes
Although first-use PET (the waste from cut PET sheets) can already be used to extrude filament,
Through research and development, B-PET has improved the process of waste recycling for use in 3d printing. The company recycled PET has the same properties as virgin PET but costs up to 70%less.
#3d4md Puts a 3d printer in the Doctor Bag of the Future As the technology progresses,
with a portable PV and battery power supply system. Dr. Wong, who graduated from Harvard and participated in the Made in Space-NASA program for solar-powered 3d printing in space,
assess and provide 3d printing of medical supplies where it is needed most, turning the knowledge she acquired to her own field of expertise.
and off-the-shelf components to 3d print medical and dental devices, using either a solar power-charged battery or solar panels as power sources.
The 2nd generation Cube 3d printer was selected for its portability, because of its small size and low weight,
since a egacy3d printer can still inspire advanced research studies and projects. The ultimate goal of Dr. Wong study is to demonstrate the technical feasibility of powering an FFF 3d printer using solar energy to manufacture functional
and customized medical resources at a Mars analogue research station. This study describes a 3d printer with a PV system improvised on-site by providing a detailed components summary.
and evaluating three case study prints appropriate for providing medical care on a Mars mission. The findings from this work were used to design an ultraportable, plug-and-play, solar-powered 3d printing system suitable for transport to,
and use in, remote, off-grid communities. The idea of using a 3d printer for on-location manufacturing in remote areas of the world is not new
and it is one of the most fascinating aspects to consider for the future of 3d printing, especially for low-cost, transportable (and even portable) systems.
With access to a satellite internet connection photovoltaic panels, and a 3d printer, any plastic and possibly ceramics or even metal (with binder jetting or future wire melting technologies) objects could be produced anywhere in the world.
Even complex parts could be assembled in a second phase with internet instructions. What is interesting about Dr Wong latest project is focused that she on a very basic,
easy-to-find, and affordable 3d printer, as well as off the shelf items that can be stored easily in carry on luggage.
This means that what she proposes can be achieved today in a very real way (without even paying for extra luggage on low-cost airlines.
Some more doubts may concern the actual efficacy of the medical items that were 3d printed.
This project used ABS (PLA is too frail for most end-use parts; however the machine has an open print chamber so
Dr. Wong team was able to produce an ABS custom mallet finger splint, a dental filling replacement tool,
when solar panels were not available, while a specific inverter is included in the kit in case the standard Mars analogue mission battery pack cannot be transported on the plane due to varying airline regulations
and acid batteries need to be obtained locally. The dental tool required only 12 minutes and 9. 2 Wh of energy, the metal splint required 23 minutes and 17.6 Wh,
while the scalpel handle printing took 25 minutes and 19.2 Wh of energy. It may take some more time before on-location on-demand manufacturing becomes the norm
but it will very likely happen. And Dr Wong probably has quite a bit more time to optimise the technology before sending it with humans to Mars t
#Exclusive: 3d Bioprinted Carbon nanotubes Used to Stimulate Bone Regrowth How do you 3d print bone?
A couple of years ago, if anyone who was not a researcher (and even many researchers) asked this question people might have looked at them strangely.
3d printing bone requires a combination of a reabsorbable material such as a biodegradable polymer and an inorganic bioactive phase material such as ceramics.
The research group led by Prof. Maria Vallet-Regí at the faculty of pharmacy-Universidad Complutense de Madrid (Spain) recently demonstrated that,
if you add carbon nanotubes to the mix to create a 3d electrical network within the bone tissue,
and published the results, in collaboration with the University of Aveiro (Portugal), in the Journal of Biomedical Materials Research.
The polymer they used was a material that is rather easy to 3d print and that was approved FDA for use in implants:
polycaprolactone, or PCL. The ceramic phase material was hydroxyapatite, a commonly occurring calcium-based mineral. owadays, calcium phosphates, glasses,
and polymers are used widely as bone regenerators and biocompatible functional materials in tissue engineering, as they are very similar to the natural bone tissue,
the Principal investigator in charge of the project. hese types of materials are designed with different shaping methods for obtaining implant pieces
and scaffolds with the required shapes and sizes. he carbon nanotubes (or CNT) were added to the bioprintable material mixture to create a hree-dimensional electrical conducting network all through the volume of the scaffold,
which would allow the application of this stimulation to the scaffold once implanted on the damaged bone site.
CNTS are basically one-atom-thick graphene sheets rolled up onto themselves in order to form very long filaments with diameters of only a few nanometers. n this sense,
electrical stimulation has been explored since the discovery of the presence of electrical potentials in mechanically loaded bones,
as well as a direct electrical stimulation can promote the attraction of charged ions from the environment to the cells.
by adding conducting CNTS into the bioprinted polymer and mineral prosthetic bone implant, you can stimulate the regrowth of the actual bone cells.
Perhaps one of the most curious aspects is that bioprinting CNTS created no additional difficulties,
as they are so thin that they can be extruded with ease through any pneumatic syringe.
and hydroxypatite. inding the right right viscosity to be extruded through the syringe while keeping enough robustness to get the 3d scaffold printed at room temperature,
the addition of the CNTS was performed and reaching a proper dispersion took a bit of stirring time. ercedes
and the team are enthusiastic about the possibilities offered by bioprinting. They have been working on the design of bioceramic-based bone grafting materials
and scaffolds for regenerative biomedicine that will speed up bone regrowth, while the polymer-based support dissolves efficiently.
These research lines also involve the production and study of bioceramic systems for the controlled release of biotechnological and antitumoral species
nanoparticles and biocompatible matrices for biotechnological applications. Moreover, they are pioneers in the application of silica-based ordered mesoporous materials,
as release systems of biologically active species, cell encapsulation in silica porous materials, mesoporous materials for gene therapy and transfection, organic-inorganic hybrid materials.
Using Envisiontec 3d bioplotter they were able to take their research to new levels creating very complex multilateral 3d structures following specific designs previously programmed on the computer. his is an incredible advantage
when trying to produce bone substitutes as the bone defects to fill in are highly variable depending on each case,
Mercedes explained. believe that this technique is the future for tissue replacements as it allows tailored solutions by capturing the anatomical information of the patient wound by computed tomography and magnetic resonance, for example,
to obtain a personalized and unique implant. There is already a large trend being developed for introducing and testing these products as future solutions and
I think we will see them on the market shortly. s with many other 3d printing applications,
it seems we are only beginning to scratch the surface of the possibilities that lie ahead,
but all the signs are there that bioprinting is one of the ways if not the best way to go forward in many if not all regenerative medicine applications m
#Cancer Patient Receives 3d printed Sternum and Ribs in First of its Kind Surgery Only months after Australia scientific research arm launched its $6 million 3d printing facility,
CSIRO Lab 22 has begun already making a significant impact, helping to improve the life of one Spanish cancer patient.
With a 3d printed titanium sternum and rib implant, designed and manufactured by Lab 22 and Melbourne-based Anatomics,
an international collaboration has aided a 54-year-old patient diagnosed with a chest wall sarcoma.
When a Spanish surgical team made up of Dr José Aranda, Dr Marcelo Jimene and Dr Gonzalo Varela from Salamanca University Hospital decided to remove the patient sternum and part of his rib cage,
the team knew that the geometries of his chest cavity would prove finding a suitable implant difficult.
Dr Aranda explains, e thought, maybe we could create a new type of implant that we could fully customise to replicate the intricate structures of the sternum and ribs.
We wanted to provide a safer option for our patient, and improve their recovery post-surgery.
However, 3d printing has been increasingly proven as the ideal method for creating complex, patient-specific implants.
In turn, they crossed paths with Aussie medical device company Anatomics. Anatomics CEO Andrew Batty realized that the only process for producing such an implant was through metal 3d printing
saying, e wanted to 3d print the implant from titanium because of its complex geometry and design.
While titanium implants have previously been used in chest surgery, designs have not considered the issues surrounding long term fixation.
Flat and plate implants rely on screws for rigid fixation that may come loose over time.
This can increase the risk of complications and the possibility of reoperation. First, Anatomics produced a 3d reconstruction of the patient chest wall and tumor with high-resolution CT SCANS, with
which the doctors were better able to plan their surgery and the necessary implant. Batty elaborates
rom this, we were able to design an implant with a rigid sternal core and semi-flexible titanium rods to act as prosthetic ribs attached to the sternum.
To print the resulting component, the team turned to CSIRO newly launched facility, which houses a variety of metal 3d printers and other additive technologies.
Alex Kingsbury, Research Group Leader of Additive manufacturing at CSIRO, explained the benefits of 3d printing in surgical-grade titanium,
e built the implant using our $1. 3 million Arcam printer. The printer works by directing an electron beam at a bed of titanium powder
in order to melt it. This process is repeated then building the product up layer-by-layer until you have a complete implant. 3d printing has significant advantages over traditional manufacturing methods, particularly for biomedical applications.
As well as being customisable, it also allows for rapid prototyping which can make a big difference
if a patient is waiting for surgery. The implant was shipped then off to Spain, where it was implanted into the patient.
Dr. Aranda says, he operation was very successful. Thanks to 3d printing technology and a unique resection template, we were able to create a body part that was customised fully
and fitted like a glove. The news was heralded as a feat of remarkable international collaboration today by Australian Minister for Industry
and Science Ian Macfarlane. his breakthrough is an impressive example of what can be achieved when industry and science come together,
Minister Macfarlane said. his collaboration crossed disciplines and international boundaries, with a clear benefit for both this individual patient and for surgical practice.
3d printing in the medical sector is climbing towards a peak of hypeability and nothing could be more hype-worthy than the regeneration of nerves after an injury.
A team of researchers from the University of Minnesota, Virginia Tech, University of Maryland, Princeton university,
and Johns hopkins university have created a first-of-its-kind 3d printed guide that helps restore sensory and motor functions to damaged nerves,
a affliction suffered by more than 200,000 people worldwide due to disease and injury. The Mayo Clinic suggests that
due to the complexity of nerve regeneration, nerve damage can be permanent; however, according to a study published in the journal of Advanced Functional Materials,
The multidisciplinary team was able to 3d print custom silicone guides infused with biochemical cues that proved to effectively regrow nerve tissue in lab rats.
the silicone guide was saturated with chemical cues (colored red and green in the video above) to trigger motor and sensory nerve growth.
and mechanical engineering professor at the University of Minnesota, said of the study, his represents an important proof of concept of the 3d printing of custom nerve guides for the regeneration of complex nerve injuries.
Someday we hope that we could have a 3d scanner and printer right at the hospital to create custom nerve guides right on site to restore nerve function.
To bring this technology to humans, Mcalpine suggests an entire library of scanned nerves from individuals,
The professor says, he exciting next step would be to implant these guides in humans rather than rats.
you may never have to hear your uncle complain about his sciatica ever again v
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