TY - JOUR
T1 - A Radiopaque Nanoparticle-Based Ink Using PolyJet 3D Printing for Medical Applications
AU - Shannon, Alice
AU - O'Connell, Aine
AU - O'Sullivan, Aidan
AU - Byrne, Michael
AU - Clifford, Seamus
AU - O'Sullivan, Kevin J.
AU - O'Sullivan, Leonard
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© Copyright 2020, Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers 2020.
PY - 2020/12
Y1 - 2020/12
N2 - The aim of this study was to develop a 3D printable radiopaque ink and successfully print a finished artifact. Radiopaque 3D printing would be hugely beneficial to improve the visibility of medical devices and implants, as well as allowing more realistic phantoms and calibration aids to be produced. Most 3D printing technologies are polymer based. Polymers are naturally radiolucent, allowing X-rays to pass through, showing up as faint dark gray regions on X-ray detectors, as for soft tissues. During this study, a 3D printable ultraviolet (UV) curable resin containing zirconium oxide (ZrO2) nanoparticles was developed. 5 wt.% ZrO2 was dispersed in a base resin using a high-shear mixer. Particles remained in suspension for 6-8 h at room temperature, allowing time for 3D printing. A model of a hand including radiopaque bones and a test block demonstrating a range of internal radiopaque features were successfully 3D printed. Radiopacity was demonstrated in the 3D-printed models, and there was good dispersion of ZrO2 within the resin matrix. The impregnated resin remained UV curable and viscosity was not compromised. In this study, 3D-printed radiopaque features demonstrated clear radiopacity under X-ray and microcomputed tomography imaging.
AB - The aim of this study was to develop a 3D printable radiopaque ink and successfully print a finished artifact. Radiopaque 3D printing would be hugely beneficial to improve the visibility of medical devices and implants, as well as allowing more realistic phantoms and calibration aids to be produced. Most 3D printing technologies are polymer based. Polymers are naturally radiolucent, allowing X-rays to pass through, showing up as faint dark gray regions on X-ray detectors, as for soft tissues. During this study, a 3D printable ultraviolet (UV) curable resin containing zirconium oxide (ZrO2) nanoparticles was developed. 5 wt.% ZrO2 was dispersed in a base resin using a high-shear mixer. Particles remained in suspension for 6-8 h at room temperature, allowing time for 3D printing. A model of a hand including radiopaque bones and a test block demonstrating a range of internal radiopaque features were successfully 3D printed. Radiopacity was demonstrated in the 3D-printed models, and there was good dispersion of ZrO2 within the resin matrix. The impregnated resin remained UV curable and viscosity was not compromised. In this study, 3D-printed radiopaque features demonstrated clear radiopacity under X-ray and microcomputed tomography imaging.
KW - 3D printing
KW - additive manufacturing
KW - medical devices
KW - nanoparticles
KW - radiopacity
KW - zirconium oxide
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85098125444&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1089/3dp.2019.0160
DO - 10.1089/3dp.2019.0160
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85098125444
SN - 2329-7662
VL - 7
SP - 259
EP - 268
JO - 3D Printing and Additive Manufacturing
JF - 3D Printing and Additive Manufacturing
IS - 6
ER -