Thursday, July 11, 2019
Soft and flexible 3D printed meshes for the medical sector
Engineers at MIT have designed 3D-printed, bendable meshes whose flexibility and strength could be adjusted to mimic and support softer tissues such as muscles and tendons. This research should have an impact on the medical sector, particularly in the manufacture of custom-made devices such as prostheses, hearing aids and dental crowns.
Most medical devices and appliances are made from solid materials that are not very flexible, which can be a hindrance to the creation of customised solutions. 3D printing technologies are known to address some of the challenges in the medical sector by making custom design easier and faster. The evolution of 3D printing materials also contributes greatly to meeting these challenges: for example, certain high-performance materials such as PEEK are particularly interesting for certain medical applications due to their lightness, strength and biocompatibility. Engineers at MIT have therefore looked into these printing materials and have developed 3D printed meshes similar to tissues...
Source : 3Dnatives