Freeform reversible embedding of suspended hydrogels for the manufacturing of biomedical applications

Abstract

Additive Manufacturing (AM) can be applied in different medical applications. Amongst all the AM technologies, DIW (Direct Ink Writing), FDM (Fused Deposition Modelling) and SLS (Selective Laser Sintering) are some of the most popular. Nevertheless, in case of biomedical applications, DIW was identified as the best option since it easily handles hydrogels and silicones, two great materials for biomedical applications. However, these materials present some difficulties in being 3D printed due to their low yield stress values which lead to the 3D printed sample to fall apart. To overcome these problems, the FRESH (Freeform Reversible Embedding of Suspended Hydrogels) technique has been developed and implemented. In this technique, a supporting gel bath is used as the support material, and removed after the material curing process. Additionally, and in particular conditions, this support bath can be reused multiple times, making the technique a cost-effective approach. In the present study, several simple and complex silicone samples were manufactured using FRESH, confirming not only the success of this AM technique for biomedical applications, but also its effectiveness