Wisconsin-Madison scientists 3D print arteries to enable real-time blood pressure monitoring 

Researchers from the University of Wisconsin-Madison University (UW-Madison) have 3D printed blood vessels that enable cardiac patients to monitor their blood pressure remotely.  The research team’s implantable tubular structures emit piezoelectric pulses which act to alert patients when their blood pressure is either getting too high or too low. Leveraging the Wisconsin team’s new pressure-powered […]

Additive Manufacturer Green Trade Association commissions first research project

Global trade group Additive Manufacturer Green Trade Association (AMGTA) has announced a systematic review into the environmental sustainability of metal 3D printing. The organization’s first literary-based appraisal will be carried out by Jeremy Faludi, Ph.D, a researcher of sustainable engineering, with the aim of promoting the green benefits of additive manufacturing (AM).  “This project will […]

New biomaterial discovery enables 3D printing of vascular structures

A new study, published in Nature Communications, details the 3D printing of graphene oxide with a protein which can organise into tubular structures that replicate vascular tissues. The research is led by Professor Alvaro Mata at the University of Nottingham and Queen Mary University of London. Professor Mata explains: “This work offers opportunities in biofabrication […]

Researchers use injket 3D printing to create gold 3D images

In an effort to advance biomedical sensors, material scientists from the University of Seville, Spain, and the University of Nottingham have created a 3D printed image using nanoparticles of stabilized gold. As stated by the research published in Nature, gold nanoparticles themselves are not printable but provide biocompatible properties in fields such as diagnostics. For example, electrochemical […]

Additive Manufacturing Technologies unveils integrated post-processing Digital Manufacturing System at Formnext 2019

UK-based post-processing specialist Additive Manufacturing Technologies (AMT) has launched its new Digital Manufacturing System (DMS) at Formnext 2019. Described as a comprehensive post-processing system, the DMS uses AMT’s proprietary technology to provide an automated and digital solution for the entire manufacturing workflow. Namely, the system was designed to address the manual stages between 3D printers […]

Added Scientific creates the first 3D printed magnetic-optical trap chamber

Additive manufacturing R&D company Added Scientific has 3D printed the first vacuum chamber that can trap clouds of cold atoms. Introducing geometries only available to 3D printing, the vacuum system is significantly smaller and lighter than currently available chambers. This project paves the way for real-world quantum technology application such as building atomic clocks, essential […]

University of Nottingham: 3D Printed PG/PLA Composites for Repairing Fractures

In ‘Mechanical properties and in vitro degradation behavior of additively manufactured phosphate glass particles/fibers reinforced polyactide,’ authors Lizhe He, Jiahui Zhong, Chenkai Zhu, and Xiaoling Liu explore a new level of material for 3D printing with phosphate glass/polylactide (PG/PLA) composites for use in medical applications such as fabrication of customized bone fixation plates for repairing fractures.

While bone regeneration is an area of great interest in 3D printing and additive manufacturing, so is the more common element of healing breaks, as researchers continue to look for better ways to improve the process—often accompanied by a range of bone fixation plates, screws, pins, and rods. Materials are key, along with integrity in design. Implants must be biocompatible, but the process is seamless when they are biodegradable too, thus eliminating the need for surgery.

The materials were tested for suitable mechanical properties as well as in vitro degradation behavior after creating models designed with PTC Creo Parametric, which were then imported into Simplify3D and the PG/PLA composites were 3D printed on an Ultimaker 2+. With the ability to fabricate complex geometries, the researchers could also control the level of porosity for bioprinting and tissue engineering purposes.

“Comparisons were made with PLA, and PLA reinforced with different loadings of PG particles (PGPs) as well as composites with reinforcements of different geometries [PGPs or milled phosphate glass fibers (PGFs)].”

The aim was to evaluate the AM composites as fracture fixation plates. A three-point bending test was performed, along with in vitro degradation for examining the strength and hydroscopy of the composites. There was a pH value check, along with dynamic mechanical analysis, and fiber length and laser particle size analysis. Both microscopy and statistical analysis were performed also.

Initial flexural properties of the FDM fabricated PLA, PGP/PLA, and PGF/PLA composites. Error bars represent standard deviation. Significance was marked with: * (p < 0.05, n = 5), ** (p < 0.01, n = 5) in black (strength) and red (modulus).

In continuing to compare with PLA specimens, the authors noted the following:

  • Improved flexural modulus
  • Reduced flexural strength
  • Reduced strain at break
  • Intensified effects with increased PGP loading

Typical stress–strain curves of the three‐point bending test of the FDM fabricated PLA, PGP/PLA, and PGF/PLA composites.

“Embrittlement and strength reduction are associated with of stress concentration and low interfacial strength. It is likely here that the stress concentration effect was augmented by the incorporation of particulate with sharp corners. With increased filler loading, stress concentration sites also increased and led to more pronounced strength reduction and the same effect on strain at failure,” noted the authors.

Here, the average fiber length was 54 μm, and median and mode of fiber length were even lower. In comparison to authentic cortical bones, the PGF 10 composite was noted by the researchers to be ‘a close approximation,’ although flexural modulus was found to be considerably lower.

“Stiffness matching is recognized as the ‘gold standard’ for bone fixation implants, as fixation implants with such mechanical properties are strong and stiff enough for the load‐bearing activities without leading to ‘stress shielding.’ As such, it is probably necessary to consider the use of higher/longer fiber loading for this type of application,” stated the researchers.

Continuous PGF/PLA composites are more ‘suitable,’ according to the authors, in regard to load-bearing fixation—a feature connected with continuous fibers leading to stiffness. The flexural modulus of these materials, however, was reduced by ~80% after 28 days of degradation. The PGF 10 composites lost ~30% of initial flexural modulus after a degradation period of 56 days. The rapid flexural modulus could have been a result of the fiber ends being exposed in degradation media.

“Based on the consideration of both the initial mechanical properties and the facility to produce composites with desired geometries straightforwardly, the additive manufacturing of PG/PLA composites exhibits good potential in the making of patient‐specific fixation implants for bone that has low demand for load‐bearing, for example, zygoma, ankle, and maxilla,” concluded the researchers.

“These bones have been previously reported to be successfully restored using PLA‐based biodegradable fixation devices. Compared to PLA alone, it was demonstrated that the incorporation of PGF enhanced the flexural modulus of implants. It is also anticipated that the degradation of PGF releases magnesium, calcium, and phosphate to upregulate bone regrowth. Moreover, the FDM process allows fixation implants with customized geometries to be built directly and may remove the need for contouring of implants for anatomic fit during the operation.”

A serious interest in 3D printing today translates into a serious interest in materials—and most likely composites too, as they are able to add significant strength and improved properties to prototypes and parts, including that of polymers, bioprinting applications, and metals like titanium. 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.

SEM images of polished/pristine fractured surfaces of virgin PLA (a,b); PGP 10 (c,d); PGP 20 (e,f); and PGF 10 (g,h) composites

SEM images of pristine fractured surfaces of PLA (a,b); PGP 10 (c,d); PGP 20 (e,f); and PGF 10 (g,h) degraded at 37 °C in PBS for 28/56 days.

SEM images showing the fusion of PGPs (a) and PGFs (b) into excrescences, captured on Day 56.

[Source / Images: ‘Mechanical properties and in vitro degradation behavior of additively manufactured phosphate glass particles/fibers reinforced polyactide‘]

The post University of Nottingham: 3D Printed PG/PLA Composites for Repairing Fractures appeared first on 3DPrint.com | The Voice of 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing.

Added Scientific Used Xaar Printhead in Pilot Project for 3D Printing Personalized Pharmaceuticals

Cambridge-based company Xaar may have had its start in developing piezoelectric, drop-on-demand industrial printheads, but transitioned to the 3D printing world back in 2014 when it helped develop the high speed sintering (HSS) FACTUM 3D printer. Xaar is also a leading developer of digital inkjet printing technology, and is currently helping research organization Added Scientific, headquartered in Nottingham, as it works to determine how suitable inkjet printing is in fabricating personalized pharmaceuticals.

Added Scientific, a spinoff company from the University of Nottingham, is using Xaar’s 1201 printhead to bring personalized medicine, with dosages tailored to individual people on an industrial scale, just one step closer to reality.

Craig Sturgess, Research Manager for Added Scientific, said, “Inkjet printing offers the ability to digitally control the printing with its precision placement of tiny droplets a few picolitres in size and the capability to place multiple materials to create complex multi-functional objects in 2D & 3D.

The project was initiated by Added Scientific with its collaborating partners Xaar and global pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca and funded under the UK government’s Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund’s Medicines Manufacturing Challenge, with additional support from Innovate UK. They’re building on research previously conducted at the university regarding the development of excipients: everything but the active pharmaceutical ingredient (API). This pilot project is looking at the long-term suitability and scalability of using inkjet printing to dispense APIs.

“Trial research carried out previously has shown that inkjet offers a real potential for printed medicines. This project was designed to answer questions pharmaceutical companies have around the suitability of inkjet printing in dispensing APIs at a scale that made both manufacturing and economic sense,” Sturgess continued.

The project partners used the Xaar 1201 printhead with one of the university’s formulations to evaluate its impact on the API, in addition to how well it can operate under Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) conditions. GMP is the de facto standard for manufacturing in the pharmaceutical industry. They also studied if the formulation had an effect on the life of the printhead, and rounded out their experimental trials by evaluating AstraZeneca’s data from conventional tablet manufacturing against inkjet printing process times.

Xaar’s 1201 printhead

“The Xaar 1201 is ideal for a wide range of industrial applications including Advanced Manufacturing due to its ability to print fluids with a range of viscosities, reactivity and conductivity. This pilot project has demonstrated the Xaar 1201’s versatility for pharmaceuticals and how inkjet printing is proving itself to have the potential to drive innovation as well as efficiencies in many areas of 21 st century life,” stated Mike Seal, Business Development Manager, Advanced Manufacturing, at Xaar.

The results from the team’s project showed significant time saved in unit process times from inkjet printing in comparison to conventional manufacturing methods. Production trials consisted of 1,000 dosage forms printed in batches of 100, and no issues or interaction with the API occurred in Xaar’s 1201 printhead; additionally, there was no impact on the life of the printhead itself.

“These are exciting times. Our project has clearly shown that printing personalised medicines – with all their advantages of dose and design freedom – is no longer just a theory, but a scalable and economic reality for pharmaceutical companies and we look forward to extended trials to confirm these findings,” Sturgess concluded.

Added Scientific and its project partners are certainly not the first to investigate the idea of using 3D printing to fabricate personalized medication, and I doubt they will be the last. However, inkjet printing is not typically used to make 3D printed medication, so it will be interesting to see what the team’s next steps will be.

Discuss this story and other 3D printing topics at 3DPrintBoard.com or share your thoughts in the Facebook comments below.

[Images: Xaar]

Siemens opens £24 million Advanced Manufacturing at the University of Nottingham

Siemens, Europe’s largest industrial manufacturing company, has opened a £24 million research facility at the University of Nottingham (UoN) to accelerate advanced manufacturing technologies. With a total research portfolio of £80 million, the Advanced Manufacturing Building (AMB) will support the UK’s manufacturing industry by developing new processes involving additive manufacturing, bioengineering, and Operations Management (OM) […]

3D Printed Paracetamol Tablets Have Big Implications for Personalized Medicine

Drugs affect everyone differently. That’s why it’s so hard to find the right medication and right dosage to treat people with depression, for example, or why certain people don’t seem to get much relief from painkillers. That’s why the prospect of 3D printed medication is so exciting. Companies like FabRx are working to create medicines with personalized doses through 3D printing. Not only does 3D printing allow for different medications to be combined in one dose, but, as a new study shows, dosages can also be customized to suit people with different metabolic rates. The study, entitled “Extrusion 3D Printing of Paracetamol Tablets from a Single Formulation with Tunable Release Profiles Through Control of Tablet Geometry,” was written by a group of researchers from the University of Nottingham and GlaxoSmithKline.

“Personalised medicine is defined as a customization of health care to individual patients through linking diagnostics and treatments with genetic testing and emerging technologies such as proteomics and metabolomics analysis,” the researchers state. “The main advantages of this approach are to increase the effectiveness of the prescribed treatment regimen and to minimise their adverse effects such as those linked to overdosing of drugs with a narrow therapeutic index such as digoxin and anti-clotting agents.”

Paracetamol, or acetaminophen, is one of the most commonly used over-the-counter painkillers, so the researchers selected it as the subject for their proof of concept study. Work has been done before using FDM 3D printing to formulate paracetamol tablets, they note, but the high extrusion temperature limits the potential active ingredients to only heat-stable ones. Other methods like SLA and ink-jet printing use excipients that are not generally recognized as safe, however, so FDM was chosen for the study.

A regenHU 3D bioprinter was used to print paracetamol into three different tablet geometries – solid, ring and mesh. The outer dimensions of the tablets were kept in the same oval shape, but the inner geometries were varied, as were the number of layers. The weights of the tablets were also kept consistent by varying their heights. The tablet surface area influenced the speed of the drug release – for example, with the mesh tablets, 70% of the drug was released within the first 15 minutes, while 25% was released from the ring tablets and 12% from the solid tablets in the same period of time.

Notably, each of the tablets contained the same dosage of paracetamol, but the different release rates meant that they would affect people in different ways. These release rates could, therefore, be tailored to specific patients’ metabolisms for the most effective treatment.

“The demonstrated ability to use a single unmodified formulation to achieve defined release profiles presents opportunities to optimise or personalise medicines during formulation development and in clinical use,” the researchers explain. “For example, relatively straightforward personalization of medicines would be possible for individuals with different metabolism rates due to their genetic makeup for certain drugs and hence could address issues where people who metabolise drugs slowly may accumulate a toxic level of a drug in the body or in others who process a drug quickly and never have high enough drug concentrations to be effective.”

Any drug is dangerous when taken in too-high doses, but some people tend to go overboard with painkillers such as paracetamol, because, as the researchers point out, they metabolize the drugs too quickly for them to be effective and thus think that more is better. More is toxic, in fact, but programming drugs so that their release rates are tailored to each individual’s metabolism means that the same dosage can be taken by different people and still have the proper effect on each one.

If this study could be applied to painkillers only, it would still be big news, but its potential goes beyond just paracetamol. Adverse effects could be minimized from drugs such as anticoagulants and antidepressants, even as they are tailored to be more effective to each individual patient. The prospect of personalized medicine through 3D printing has a lot of promise; one day we may look back on our current “one dosage fits all” standard as primitive medicine.

Authors of the paper include Shaban A. Khaled, Morgan R. Alexander, Derek J. Irvine, Ricky D. Wildman, Martin J. Wallace, Sonja Sharpe, Jae Yoo and Clive J. Roberts.

Discuss this and other 3D printing topics at 3DPrintBoard.com or share your thoughts below.