Researchers Explore Melt Electrospinning & 3D Printed Scaffolds for Guided Bone Regeneration2/26/2019 Researchers Explore Melt Electrospinning & 3D Printed Scaffolds for Guided Bone Regeneration https://ift.tt/2IDau8d Recent research by scientists at University Hospital Würzburg yields new insight into the uses of 3D printing in creating scaffolding for oral bone regeneration, offering results in ‘Medical-grade polycaprolactone scaffolds made by melt electrospinning writing for oral bone regeneration – a pilot study in vitro.’ The use of scaffolds has been rife with challenges, and especially in guided bone regeneration (GBR). Problems include issues with handling in clinical environments, erratic degradation, lack of stability in cell growth, and more. The researchers in this case embarked on a study of scaffolds created through melt electrospinning writing (MEW) and consequent 3D printing, creating complex scaffold geometrics that can be fabricated specifically to bone tissue requirements—usually in maxillofacial applications.
Electrospinning offers a comparatively easy way to make scaffolds necessary to biomedical applications, employing a charged polymer jet pushed out from a spinneret and ‘drawn’ toward an area well fibers begin to form into a structure. For creating polymers, both solution electrospinning and MEW are used. MEW allows the operator to place fibers exactly, and without chemicals and solvents, meaning there is also no potential for solvents to be left in the scaffold.
All scaffolds for the study were made of medical-grade PCL and the researchers were able to use a MEW device that was customized by the Department for Functional Materials in Medicine and Dentistry Würzburg University Hospital. Cells were assessed and quantified, and then washed, sealed, and neutralized. Testing revealed good viability and proliferation.
End results showed not only good viability but also protein concentration, and cell number.
3D printing has lent so much to the world of innovation, from aerospace to fashion and beyond, but this technology has had significant impacts in medicine, and in areas that are vital but that many of us rarely think about or even know about, such as scaffolding. What do you think of this news? Let us know your thoughts! Join the discussion of this and other 3D printing topics at 3DPrintBoard.com. [Source / Images: Medical-grade polycaprolactone scaffolds made by melt electrospinning writing for oral bone regeneration – a pilot study in vitro]
Printing via 3DPrint.com | The Voice of 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing https://3dprint.com February 26, 2019 at 01:24AM
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Researchers Study the Effectiveness of 3D Printing in Cardiac Phantoms https://ift.tt/2H3fIaX The heart wants what the hearts wants, as they say, but in many cases, it may also want some help to continue performing its natural duties in pumping blood throughout the body and removing carbon dioxide. The many miracles of modern science allow medical professionals and surgeons to save patients by repairing issues with the heart, and the tools they use to do so continue to progress with technology like advanced imagery, 3D printing—and sometimes the two together. In ‘Optimisation of CT protocols for cardiac imaging using three-dimensional printing technology,’ by Kamarul Amin Abdullah of the University of Sydney, a three-tiered study was performed, beginning with 3D printing a cardiac phantom. Next, it was placed within the Lungman phantom and scanned, allowing researchers to reconstruct data and then measure and compare to figure out dose reduction potential. Last, the use of algorithms with varying strengths and ‘low-tube voltage for dose optimization studies’ was evaluated. Phantoms are commonly used to refine imagery such as CT scans, allowing for better optimization, to evaluate quality, and to establish the dosage of radiation occurring during use—which has become of increasing concern:
The technology of CT scans is so helpful and so widely available today that use continues to increase, along with radiation exposure. Cancer risk is the main concern due to radiation affecting DNA, as well as lungs and breasts made vulnerable during scanning; in fact, in those cases with an organ dose ranging from 42 to 91 mSv regarding the lungs and 50 to 80 mSv for women’s breasts, the risk of cancer is .7 for women 20 years of age, and .03 percent for a man at 80. Lowering cancer risk during exposure is a concern and typical methods for doing so are in using the following:
The scientists see phantom-based dose optimisation methodology as one that is ‘appropriate’ for coronary computed tomography angiography research. Currently, using patient data causes issues because of the resulting radiation, along with finding enough patients who may have coronary artery disease (CAD). Typical phantoms for optimization studies are the Catphan series and American College of Radiology phantoms, attractive to research teams because they are both comprehensive and sophisticated. Here though, a more accurate phantom is required, and the previously mentioned types are not good replicating the desired features. The researchers state that the Lungman anthropomorphic chest phantom is equipped with a phantom that mimics the heart, with surrounding structures and tissues very similar to a real patient. The heart features are lacking, however, with simulation allowed through only one, homogenous material.
They also discuss the benefits of 3D printing in phantom development, as researchers have studied ways to make phantoms mimicking different parts of the anatomy. So far, however, a 3D printed insert of a Lungman phantom has not been created.
The goals of the study include:
While we have seen 3D printing in a wide range of medical models from those fabricated to train medical students to those meant to streamline patient care, to models created for pre-surgical planning. Not a lot of research has been involved in creating cardiac phantoms though. For this study, they were able to 3D print an insert with the same specifications as the first Lungman cardiac insert:
The insert was created on a Creatbot DM Plus 3D printer. Filling materials like contrast media, oil, water, and jelly were loaded into the phantom insert.
The research team found that using an IR algorithm does permit lower exposure through reducing image noise during image reconstruction.
Ultimately, they discovered that 3D printing was suitable for dose optimization studies, allowing for investigation of IR algorithm on dose reduction.
What do you think of this news? Let us know your thoughts! Join the discussion of this and other 3D printing topics at 3DPrintBoard.com. Printing via 3DPrint.com | The Voice of 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing https://3dprint.com February 26, 2019 at 01:00AM University of Louisville: Ultrasonic Vibration Improves Layer Adhesion in FDM 3D Printing with ABS2/26/2019
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University of Louisville: Ultrasonic Vibration Improves Layer Adhesion in FDM 3D Printing with ABS https://ift.tt/2BUTcxt In ‘Effect of Ultrasonic Vibration on Interlayer Adhesion in Fused Filament Fabrication 3D Printed ABS,’ by Alireza Tofangchi, Pu Han , Julio Izquierdo, Adithya Iyengar and Keng Hsu, the authors examine the future of FFF (FDM, Material Extrusion) 3D printing, along with how different processes affect performance. They foresee greater potential for FFF printing as a serious tool in manufacturing, as materials, accuracy, finishing, and quality in parts begin to evolve. With the use of 34.4 kHz ultrasonic vibrations during FFF 3D printing, the researchers found up to a 10 percent increase in ABS layer adhesion versus regular FFF processes.
The team explains that there have been several different methods used for strengthening interlayer bonding; for example, adding more heat during or after printing has proven to be effective through elevating the ‘temperature dependent diffusivity.’ Enhancing the surface of filaments also proved to improve strength, along with both infrared and laser heating—added just before deposition of each layer. The researchers also noted that ‘reducing the radius of gyration of polymer chains could also result in similar improvement in inter-layer strength,’ effected through relaxing the polymer chains left in the 3D printed tracks. Ultrasound vibrations permit both relaxation and diffusion of polymers, creating better interfacial adhesion—and possibly resulting in parts bearing isotropic mechanical properties. Testing occurred on a MakerGear M3 that the team customized for the inclusion of the vibrations. Vibrations were created with a 40 kHz-piezoelectric crystal-based bolt-clamped transducer with power rated at 25 W. This was connected to the heater block using a connecting rod and threaded fasteners.
Researchers measured peeling and energy of the inter-related bonds with the ASTM F88 Peel Test, a system well-known for evaluating adhesion between flexible bands that have been sealed. The test is relevant here as the subject matter is also flexible. Results of the study show adhesion forces remaining consistent. When track width-to-nozzle diameter ration varies from .74 to 1.47, however, adhesion increases but then balances out at 1.2 and becomes lower at the larger ratios. Such reactions are caused by shear forces in the flow of the polymer traveling from the nozzle to flow horizontally. The wide increases, so do the flow rate and velocity of the polymer increases.
Diffusivity may be caused by polymer chain disentanglement which also adds to chain relaxation and then counteracts polymer reputation increases.
What do you think of this news? Let us know your thoughts! Join the discussion of this and other 3D printing topics at 3DPrintBoard.com. Printing via 3DPrint.com | The Voice of 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing https://3dprint.com February 26, 2019 at 12:39AM Indian Surgeons Use 3D Printing to Make Custom Pelvic Implant and Surgical Guidance Jigs https://ift.tt/2NAccWR Chondromyxoid fibroma, or CMF, is a rare, benign bone tumor that’s typically found in the bones of legs, arms, feet, hands, fingers, and toes and occurs most often between the ages of 10 and 30. A few years ago, 18-year-old Noor Fadil was experiencing severe pain in her left hip, which was caused by CMF of the pelvis, and was unable to bear weight on the hip or walk normally, which was obviously causing some issues in her daily life. After one medical facility advised a hindquarter amputation due to the severity of the tumor, she sought a second opinion from the Yellow Ribbon team in Bangalore, India.
The team of self-described “super specialists” began managing bone and soft tissue sarcoma in 2008 and started the Yellow Ribbon movement, which, according to the website, “ensure the best outcomes to put a child back to normal.” Once Fadil’s CMF diagnosis was confirmed, Dr. Chinder, along with fellow Yellow Ribbon team members Dr. Chandramouli, Dr Suraj, and Dr Srinath, collaborated with Bangalore-based Osteo3D and implantcast GmbH in Germany to make a custom 3D printed pelvic implant for Fadil…the first ever in the country, in fact. It’s no easy feat to reconstruct or resect a pelvis, which is why the team turned to 3D printing to get the job done.
During a multidisciplinary tumor board meeting, the team planned their approach, starting with using a minimally invasive approach to debulk the lesion in the patient’s pelvis, then using an ultrasonic probe to find “a well-defined cavity.” The surgeons completed removed the tumor, and completed an excision of the head of the femur for good measure, to ensure that no tumor tissue was left. Then Fadil went home and began therapy both to maintain her limb function and to begin forming a strong, healthy bone bed – an essential foundation for a reconstructed hip joint. Then the waiting began. To make sure she was completely ready for her hip reconstruction, the Yellow Ribbon team followed up with Fadil for two years to make sure that there no signs of the tumor coming back; luckily, there weren’t any. However, the patient’s remaining pelvis was distorted after her surgery, so the team took CT and MRI scans of the area in order to create a realistic digital model for planning purposes and to help design a biocompatible, patient-specific, 3D printed implant. It was not an easy procedure, because the 3D printed implant needed to be placed at a very specific location, with specific angles, for it to fit properly. The screws to anchor the implant were also well-designed, as they too needed to end up in a certain place since Fadil only had a limited amount of native pelvic bone left. The team designed and used 3D printed plastic guidance jigs to make sure everything ended up where it was supposed to be.
Post-op, Fadil needed to take things slow, and with plenty of assistance, began non-weight bearing hip range of motion therapy and strengthening exercises during the first week after her surgery. Two months later, she began working on partial weight bearing, and eight months out, she was able to walk normally, bearing full weight, on her left side without relying on any supports like crutches and with no limp. Just think – if the Yellow Ribbon team hadn’t been there, Fadil may have had to deal with an amputation. This is yet another example of 3D printing being used to change someone’s life for the better. Discuss this news and other 3D printing topics at 3DPrintBoard.com or share your thoughts in the Facebook comments below. [Images provided by Dr. Pramod Chinder] Printing via 3DPrint.com | The Voice of 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing https://3dprint.com February 25, 2019 at 04:36PM
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Titomic Licenses Two CSIRO Patents for 3D Printing Titanium Piping, Signs Acquisition Agreement with FTT https://ift.tt/2H2Iok8 Renowned for its metal Kinetic Fusion (TKF) technology, Australian 3D printing company Titomic recently signed an MoU with China’s largest manufacturer and global exporter of titanium powder in order to secure a high quality supply of low-cost, commercially pure titanium powders. It’s clear that the company is continuing to focus on titanium resources – it has licensed two new patents from the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) for the production of titanium pipe and continuous pipe. This Exclusive License Agreement with CSIRO gives Titomic global rights to the patents, which will significantly open the company’s revenue opportunities in several industries, like defense, marine and mining, and oil and gas. Additionally, Titomic has signed an Acquisition Agreement with Future Titanium Technologies (FTT). The company is now entitled to over eight years of exclusive 3D printing techniques and background IP relating to the production of pipes and their components.
Titomic’s fast 3D printing technology, which is actually the result of a CSIRO study, can now be used by industries looking to access next generation, dual-wall materials to 3D print metal pipe without having to worry about profile or size constraints. For instance, the oil and gas industry is uses plenty of valves, but their lifecycle can be negatively impacted by abrasive matter like rock, sand, and sediments that run through pipes during extraction. Using these newly licensed patents, Titomic can use its technology to produce metal pipes with higher corrosion and wear resistant properties; additionally, the process can also fuse dissimilar metals together to make fitting components and pipes.
Thanks to the important performance factors like cost, quality, scale, speed, and sustainability, Titomic will now be able to commercially exploit its TKF technology. Pipe and fitting component consumers will be able to save on both time and money, as maintenance costs and down time will decrease and parts will have longer life cycles. Additionally, TKF can also be used to 3D print valves, fitting components, and pipes with new superalloys, and can even combine them with polymers, composites, ceramics, and alloys to achieve high performance properties. The most important transaction terms of the new Acquisition Agreement with FTT include Titomic allotting $400,000 worth of its shares to FTT shareholders for $2.00 per share, half of which will be escrowed for a year. For every two shares, Titomic will also issue one new option to FTT shareholders, at an excerisable price set at a 130% premium to the share price with a two-year life. In terms of its Exclusive License Agreement with CSIRO, Titomic will pay the following minimum annual royalties to CSIRO:
Additionally, Titomic will pay CSIRO an upfront fee of $125,000 cash for licensing the technologies. To hear the rest of the terms, visit Titomic’s website. VIDEO Discuss this news and other 3D printing topics at 3DPrintBoard.com or share your thoughts below. [Images provided by Titomic] Printing via 3DPrint.com | The Voice of 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing https://3dprint.com February 25, 2019 at 01:12PM
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Jill & Gill https://ift.tt/2UbNuP2 New to our People of Print Membership community are Jill & Gill; a forward-thinking and multi-discipline creative studio founded on exclusivity and craftsmanship. Based in Dublin, Ireland, Jill & Gill was established in April 2016 when Jill Deering and Gillian Henderson collaborated on a print commission together. Ever since, the business has grown organically, vibrantly and always with the approach that their work and brand is seen as collectable and engaging.
You can also shop Jill & Gill’s collection on Department Store here. Want to learn more about becoming a verified People of Print member? APPLY.
Printing via People of Print https://ift.tt/2DhgcW7 February 25, 2019 at 09:38AM
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The Future of 3D Printing and Fashion Design Through the Eyes of LabeledBy https://ift.tt/2Evpvoi LabeledBy is a design studio based in Eindhoven, the Netherlands. They work in fashion and their area of expertise is research and technology development. Their products range goes from technological textiles to innovative couture. As engineers with master degrees from the Technical University of Eindhoven, they are able to explore the future of fashion and adapt innovative methods to fashion design that bring the craft of clothing forward. In their own words, here is their mission:
The use of 3D printing in fashion is creating an optimistic path towards the future of textile and clothing. What is presented nowadays as exclusive showpieces could be a possibility at hand for everybody in the future. As one of the most important features of 3D printing, the possibility of have a personalised garment that fits each body perfectly by being unique makes us impatient to see the future of fashion design. LabeledBy is a studio that has placed its bet in this direction. They offer a future-oriented service of trend research, textile development as well as the making of exclusive showpieces. With an in-house production, they have the possibility of personalise each project and develop it in terms of manufacturing techniques and material. They work with a 3D printer that prints directly on textile, being able to create form small samples to big garments. Starting with an Ultimaker that they then modified the team is now continuing to develop their own print methods.
I reached out to LabeledBy to interview Fabienne van der Weiden and Jessica Joosse on their chosen craft. How does your 3D printer work?
What materials can it print?
How would I work with you if I was a fashion designer?
Why is what you do important?
What is the added value of what you do?
What are you adding to the 3D printing & fashion world?
What do you think about the future of 3Dprinting & fashion?
Can you actually wear the garments? Can you clean them in a washing machine?
Personally, I do believe that 3D printing has a lot to offer the fashion world. Given my experience with developing 3D printing filaments as an engineer, I’m skeptical about the real-life wear and washability of 3D printed garments today. But, I’m sure that motivated people like Fabienne & Jessica will get us there in the end. We are at the beginning of a long path whose end requires a creative mind to foresee. The difficulties are in imagining a future of 3D printing in fashion which itself creates new aesthetics that still feel futuristic to us. As a designer, this idea of new aesthetic tinkles my mind. I’m excited to see the work of studios like LabeledBy which help us to envision the future of 3D printing and fashion through their dedication. Printing via 3DPrint.com | The Voice of 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing https://3dprint.com February 25, 2019 at 08:36AM
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Josephine Rais https://ift.tt/2TissAT Josephine Rais is a Strategic Designer and Illustrator from Germany. She completed her bachelor’s degree in Industrial Design two years ago, and graduated with a masters degree in Strategic Design last summer from the University of Applied Sciences in Schwäbisch Gmünd. Josephine currently works as a freelancer in Berlin and her work includes illustration, branding and graphic design, with special skills in conception and storytelling.
In addition to branding, Josephine recently began to work as an illustrator for magazines. She is currently aiming to widen her work as an editorial illustrator and gain new clients. Want to become an Official People of Print Member like Josephine? You can apply here. Printing via People of Print https://ift.tt/2DhgcW7 February 25, 2019 at 07:45AM
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UK Researchers Examine Particle Dynamics in Powder Bed Fusion https://ift.tt/2BQ07YQ In ‘Fluid and particle dynamics in laser powder bed fusion,’ authors P. Bidare, I. Bitharas, R.M. Ward, M.M. Attallah, and A.J. Moore examine laser bed and powder bed interaction. In this study, the team was able to study and create images of areas where powder was removed during single line and island scans. Research gave the scientists further insight into the PBF process, making it obvious that it is more dynamic than previously realized, and includes substantial movement (driven by the laser-induced plume of metal vapor and plasma above the melt pool) between power and agglomerates both in and above the powder bed. Previously, images have been recorded through a Renishaw AM250 3D printer, but laser and powder particles ‘could not be resolved.’ Other image sequences, however, were used to discover powder areas overheating, and then defects. The scientists used an open architecture PBF system for in situ measurements, offering automated build of fully dense components. The computer offers:
The system offers high resolution imaging plus the ability to melt single tracks in the powder bed and during builds using multiple layers.
Direct imaging was allowed through the top viewing window, with an infra-red absorbing window offering the side views. The team inserted the camera onto a tilt stage, transforming the powder bed area, and meaning that several areas could be both scanned and imaged. They then moved forward in imitating gas and plasma dynamics during PBF thermal effects. For process thermodynamics, an energy balance was used to account for all types of heat transfer from conductive to convective to radiative. Temperature increases build plasma density and powder agglomerates forming when scanning islands.
Laser plume was directed in a forward motion for the first time from the melt pool, and other studies have remarked on this happening because of droplet detachment. The team also believes the forward motion is specific to PBF.
What do you think of this news? Let us know your thoughts! Join the discussion of this and other 3D printing topics at 3DPrintBoard.com. [Source / Images: Fluid and particle dynamics in laser powder bed fusion] Printing via 3DPrint.com | The Voice of 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing https://3dprint.com February 25, 2019 at 02:39AM Print It with SOLIDWORKS Apps for Kids https://ift.tt/2ViyvTc SOLIDWORKS Apps for Kids is an ecosystem of apps designed to introduce children ages 4 and up to the principles of STEAM. The apps nurture their burgeoning engineering skills, taking kids through a child-friendly version of the design workflow process: Ideation, Creation, Enhancement, and, finally, Production. In Apps for Kids, “Production” means Print It. The Print It app is where the models created and enhanced in the Shape It and Style It apps can come to life in the real world. With the ability to 3D print, 2D print, and cube print, Print It is a favorite among users of all ages. 3D printing with SOLIDWORKS Apps for Kids is simple. Once a model is ready for printing, users can switch to Print It and view their model in an approximately 8 inch/200 mm cube. From here, the model can be downloaded as an STL and used with any 3D printer. It’s super simple and compatible with all kinds of printers. We also have a partnership with Sindoh 3D Printers that makes 3D printing with SOLIDWORKS Apps for Kids even easier. The dimensions of the Print It 3D print interface match that of the Sindoh 3DWOX DP201 printer. The 3DWOX DP201 is specifically designed for educational purposes, with a flexible print bed that allows kids, parents, or educators to easily and securely remove prints. Once connected, kids can print their models from anywhere using SOLIDWORKS Apps for Kids. If you have a different Sindoh 3D printer, don’t worry, now SOLIDWORKS Apps for Kids can print to any Sindoh 3DWOX printer. Your model’s size can be scaled up or down, and multiple copies can be printed at once. Cloud printing to a Sindoh 3DWOX 3D Printer is a breeze, and the sky is the limit with the educational mission of the 3DWOX DP201. Don’t have access to a 3D printer and still want a three-dimensional view of your model? Cube print is an immensely popular feature in SOLIDWORKS Apps for Kids that does just that. By using cube print, six views of a model are arranged on a flattened cube. Once printed on paper, you can cut, fold, and glue or tape the cube together to make a 3D version of your design. It’s a great way to introduce kids to orthographic views, while turning their models into a fun crafting project and giving them something 3D to play with. Sometimes, kids just want a cool picture to draw on or hang up on their wall. With Apps for Kids, that’s a piece of cake. In the Style It app, kids can paint their models with all sorts of colors and add scenic backgrounds to make their creations pop. Want to see that background in the real world? After shifting to Print It, users are able to print of a 2D image of their model in the middle of a scene. With the 2D Print functionality, models can also be printed as color-by-numbers pictures, allowing kids to hand-draw whatever they want on their models and give them their own background. The model becomes an outline, and kids can use a number key to color in different loops and areas. Kids can get as creative as they want, building their own design and coloring to their hearts’ content. Print It is a fun way to literally bring kids’ models into the real world. Kids of all ages have the ability to produce their own models and bring them to life. The workflow found within SOLIDWORKS Apps for Kids is the best way to start your child off on their journey through design and engineering. Learn more and sign up on the SOLIDWORKS Apps for Kids website. Printing via 3DPrint.com | The Voice of 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing https://3dprint.com February 25, 2019 at 02:00AM |
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