Low-cost FDM 3D-printed modular electrospray/electrospinning setup for biomedical applications

In biomedical studies as well as in clinical trials, it is often useful to have a reliable measure of the force exerted by the body(eg. clenching force at the teeth or pinch force at fingertips) or on the body by external stimuli (eg. taps to elicit reflexes orlocal pressure for nociceptive stimulation). Thin-film sensors such as FlexiForce ® provide a very handy and versatile solutionfor these application, but can be easily damaged and offer poor accuracy and repeatability, being heavily affected by thesurface material they get in contact with. The aim of the study is the realization of a 3D-printed cover that completely embedsthe sensor, thus providing mechanical protection and increasing reliability of the measurement. The increasing availability of3D printers and of printing materials for medical use allows the user to shape the cover according to specific needs, with shortdeveloping time and low cost.

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Tissue Integrated 3D Printed Porous Polyethylene Implant

Key Engineering Materials ◽

10.4028/www.scientific.net/kem.798.65 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 798 ◽

pp. 65-70

Author(s):

Jintamai Suwanprateeb

Keyword(s):

Biomedical Applications ◽

Low Cost ◽

Three Dimensional ◽

Weight Ratio ◽

Porous Polyethylene ◽

Three Dimensional Printing ◽

Polymeric Biomaterials ◽

History Of ◽

3D Printed ◽

Dimensional Printing

Synthetic polymers are widely used in biomedical applications due to their advantages compared to other materials including low cost and ease of processability, good corrosion resistance and high properties to weight ratio. Among several polymeric biomaterials, polyethylene is a biocompatible polymer which has a long history of being utilized in many biomedical applications ranging from simple components to advanced implants. Although dense polyethylene is known to be a bioinert material which does not interact with host tissue, polyethylene in its appropriate porous form has been shown to be able to integrate well with surrounding host tissues and could widen its uses as bioactive implants. Porous polyethylene structure which was fabricated by three dimensional printing (3DP) is demonstrated. Its manufacturing technique, properties and clinical applications as tissue integrated implants which permitted soft or hard tissue ingrowth in tissue regeneration and replacement is discussed.

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Pioneering Low-Cost 3D-Printed Transtibial Prosthetics to Serve a Rural Population in Sierra Leone

SSRN Electronic Journal ◽

10.2139/ssrn.3745177 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Merel van der Stelt ◽

Martin P. Grobusch ◽

Abdul R. Koroma ◽

Marco Papenburg ◽

Ismaila Kebbie ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Sierra Leone ◽

Rural Population ◽

Low Cost ◽

3D Printed

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UV Inscription and Pressure Induced Long-Period Gratings through 3D Printed Amplitude Masks

Sensors ◽

10.3390/s21061977 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 21 (6) ◽

pp. 1977

Author(s):

Ricardo Oliveira ◽

Liliana M. Sousa ◽

Ana M. Rocha ◽

Rogério Nogueira ◽

Lúcia Bilro

Keyword(s):

State Of The Art ◽

Low Cost ◽

Resonance Wavelength ◽

Complex Structures ◽

Pressing Method ◽

Long Period ◽

Long Period Gratings ◽

3D Printed ◽

Mechanical Pressing ◽

First Time

In this work, we demonstrate for the first time the capability to inscribe long-period gratings (LPGs) with UV radiation using simple and low cost amplitude masks fabricated with a consumer grade 3D printer. The spectrum obtained for a grating with 690 µm period and 38 mm length presented good quality, showing sharp resonances (i.e., 3 dB bandwidth < 3 nm), low out-of-band loss (~0.2 dB), and dip losses up to 18 dB. Furthermore, the capability to select the resonance wavelength has been demonstrated using different amplitude mask periods. The customization of the masks makes it possible to fabricate gratings with complex structures. Additionally, the simplicity in 3D printing an amplitude mask solves the problem of the lack of amplitude masks on the market and avoids the use of high resolution motorized stages, as is the case of the point-by-point technique. Finally, the 3D printed masks were also used to induce LPGs using the mechanical pressing method. Due to the better resolution of these masks compared to ones described on the state of the art, we were able to induce gratings with higher quality, such as low out-of-band loss (0.6 dB), reduced spectral ripples, and narrow bandwidths (~3 nm).

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BoSL FAL Pump: a small, low-cost, easily constructed, 3D-printed peristaltic pump for sampling of waters

HardwareX ◽

10.1016/j.ohx.2021.e00214 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. e00214

Author(s):

David T. McCarthy ◽

Baiqian Shi ◽

Miao Wang ◽

Stephen Catsamas

Keyword(s):

Low Cost ◽

Peristaltic Pump ◽

3D Printed

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Using low-cost 3D-printed models of prenatal ultrasonography for visually-impaired expectant persons

Patient Education and Counseling ◽

10.1016/j.pec.2021.02.033 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Romain Nicot ◽

Edwige Hurteloup ◽

Sébastien Joachim ◽

Charles Druelle ◽

Jean-Marc Levaillant

Keyword(s):

Visually Impaired ◽

Low Cost ◽

Prenatal Ultrasonography ◽

3D Printed

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Microstructured Surface Plasmon Resonance Sensor Based on Inkjet 3D Printing Using Photocurable Resins with Tailored Refractive Index

Polymers ◽

10.3390/polym13152518 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (15) ◽

pp. 2518

Author(s):

Nunzio Cennamo ◽

Lorena Saitta ◽

Claudio Tosto ◽

Francesco Arcadio ◽

Luigi Zeni ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Surface Plasmon Resonance ◽

3D Printing ◽

Surface Plasmon ◽

Plasmon Resonance ◽

Optical Sensor ◽

Low Cost ◽

3D Print ◽

Spr Sensor ◽

Resonance Sensor ◽

3D Printed

In this work, a novel approach to realize a plasmonic sensor is presented. The proposed optical sensor device is designed, manufactured, and experimentally tested. Two photo-curable resins are used to 3D print a surface plasmon resonance (SPR) sensor. Both numerical and experimental analyses are presented in the paper. The numerical and experimental results confirm that the 3D printed SPR sensor presents performances, in term of figure of merit (FOM), very similar to other SPR sensors made using plastic optical fibers (POFs). For the 3D printed sensor, the measured FOM is 13.6 versus 13.4 for the SPR-POF configuration. The cost analysis shows that the 3D printed SPR sensor can be manufactured at low cost (∼15 €) that is competitive with traditional sensors. The approach presented here allows to realize an innovative SPR sensor showing low-cost, 3D-printing manufacturing free design and the feasibility to be integrated with other optical devices on the same plastic planar support, thus opening undisclosed future for the optical sensor systems.

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Low‐cost 3D‐Printed smart robotic system for distance signature and authentication

Advanced Control for Applications Engineering and Industrial Systems ◽

10.1002/adc2.78 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Bilal Hazim Younus Alsalam

Keyword(s):

Low Cost ◽

Robotic System ◽

3D Printed

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Induction of Neural Plasticity Using a Low-Cost Open Source Brain-Computer Interface and a 3D-Printed Wrist Exoskeleton

Sensors ◽

10.3390/s21020572 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 21 (2) ◽

pp. 572

Author(s):

Mads Jochumsen ◽

Taha Al Muhammadee Janjua ◽

Juan Carlos Arceo ◽

Jimmy Lauber ◽

Emilie Simoneau Buessinger ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Open Source ◽

Neural Plasticity ◽

Motor Evoked Potentials ◽

Low Cost ◽

True Positive Rate ◽

Positive Rate ◽

3D Printed ◽

Major Factors ◽

And Control ◽

Bci System

Brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) have been proven to be useful for stroke rehabilitation, but there are a number of factors that impede the use of this technology in rehabilitation clinics and in home-use, the major factors including the usability and costs of the BCI system. The aims of this study were to develop a cheap 3D-printed wrist exoskeleton that can be controlled by a cheap open source BCI (OpenViBE), and to determine if training with such a setup could induce neural plasticity. Eleven healthy volunteers imagined wrist extensions, which were detected from single-trial electroencephalography (EEG), and in response to this, the wrist exoskeleton replicated the intended movement. Motor-evoked potentials (MEPs) elicited using transcranial magnetic stimulation were measured before, immediately after, and 30 min after BCI training with the exoskeleton. The BCI system had a true positive rate of 86 ± 12% with 1.20 ± 0.57 false detections per minute. Compared to the measurement before the BCI training, the MEPs increased by 35 ± 60% immediately after and 67 ± 60% 30 min after the BCI training. There was no association between the BCI performance and the induction of plasticity. In conclusion, it is possible to detect imaginary movements using an open-source BCI setup and control a cheap 3D-printed exoskeleton that when combined with the BCI can induce neural plasticity. These findings may promote the availability of BCI technology for rehabilitation clinics and home-use. However, the usability must be improved, and further tests are needed with stroke patients.

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Gold, Silver, and Electrum Electroless Plating on Additively Manufactured Laser Powder-Bed Fusion AlSi10Mg Parts: A Review

Coatings ◽

10.3390/coatings11040422 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (4) ◽

pp. 422

Author(s):

Dana Ashkenazi ◽

Alexandra Inberg ◽

Yosi Shacham-Diamand ◽

Adin Stern

Keyword(s):

Additive Manufacturing ◽

Low Cost ◽

Ion Beam ◽

Surface Finishing ◽

Powder Bed Fusion ◽

Laser Powder Bed Fusion ◽

Powder Bed ◽

Finishing Process ◽

Gold Silver ◽

3D Printed

Additive manufacturing (AM) revolutionary technologies open new opportunities and challenges. They allow low-cost manufacturing of parts with complex geometries and short time-to-market of products that can be exclusively customized. Additive manufactured parts often need post-printing surface modification. This study aims to review novel environmental-friendly surface finishing process of 3D-printed AlSi10Mg parts by electroless deposition of gold, silver, and gold–silver alloy (e.g., electrum) and to propose a full process methodology suitable for effective metallization. This deposition technique is simple and low cost method, allowing the metallization of both conductive and insulating materials. The AlSi10Mg parts were produced by the additive manufacturing laser powder bed fusion (AM-LPBF) process. Gold, silver, and their alloys were chosen as coatings due to their esthetic appearance, good corrosion resistance, and excellent electrical and thermal conductivity. The metals were deposited on 3D-printed disk-shaped specimens at 80 and 90 °C using a dedicated surface activation method where special functionalization of the printed AlSi10Mg was performed to assure a uniform catalytic surface yielding a good adhesion of the deposited metal to the substrate. Various methods were used to examine the coating quality, including light microscopy, optical profilometry, XRD, X-ray fluorescence, SEM–energy-dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), focused ion beam (FIB)-SEM, and XPS analyses. The results indicate that the developed coatings yield satisfactory quality, and the suggested surface finishing process can be used for many AM products and applications.

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