Development of a 3D-printed transhumeral prosthesis for assistive technology applications

Is This the Future of Medical Technology?

3D printing in surgical simulation: emphasized importance in the COVID-19 pandemic era

The technique of three-dimensional (3D) printing is used for generating 3D objects using Computer-Aided Design software or 3D scanners. The employment of 3D printing in medical and dental fields is one among the foremost recent emerging trends since it has numerous advantages over traditional techniques in terms of patient-specific personalized care. The database was thoroughly searched using PubMed, Google Scholar, and Ebscohost with keywords such as 3D printing, additive manufacturing, study model, treatment planning, clinical approach, fluoride application, space maintainer, occlusal splints, endodontic procedures, rehabilitation, nasoalveolar molding, and so on. There were no restrictions made on the year of publication, but the articles published in English were evaluated. With the continual advancements within the technology, this paper is aimed toward reviewing the present literature on various applications together with its specific applications regarding pediatric dental practice.

Purpose of study: Additive manufacturing processes taking the basic information form computer-aided design (CAD) file to convert into the stereolithography (STL) data file. Today additive layer manufacturing processes are playing a very vital role in manufacturing parts with high rate of effectiveness and accuracy. CAD software is approximated to sliced containing information of each layer by layer that is printed. The main purpose of the study is to discuss the scientific and technological challenges of additive layer manufacturing processes for making polymer components production through various technological parameters and problem-solving techniques of layer manufacturing processes.
 Main findings: Additive layer manufacturing is simply another name for 3D printing or rapid prototyping. As 3D printing has evolved as a technology, it has moved beyond prototyping and into the manufacturing space, with small runs of finished components now being produced by 3D printing machines around the world. Additive layer manufacturing (ALM) is the opposite of subtractive manufacturing, in which material is removed to reach the desired shape
 Methodology Used: The continuous and increasing growth of additive layer manufacturing processes to discuss with different experimental behavior through simulations and graphical representations. In ALM, 3D parts are built up in successive layers of material under computer control. In its early days, 3D printing was used mainly for rapid prototyping, but it is now frequently used to make finished parts the automotive and aerospace sectors, amongst many others.
 The originality of study: At the present time, the technologies of additive manufacturing are not just using for making models with the plastics but using polymer materials. It is possible to make finished products developed with high accuracy and save a lot of time and there is the possibility of testing more models.

In this study, a manual agricultural tool was optimized using computer-aided design (CAD), computer-aided manufacturing (CAM), and finite element analysis (FEA) technologies, which were carried out in different complementary design stages. The process began with an existing physical prototype, which, through reverse engineering processes, generated a detailed and scaled CAD model with functional design specifications. Subsequently, a low-cost additive manufacturing process (3D printing) was used to create a functional prototype from the previous CAD model. To estimate the mechanical performance and durability of the tool prototype, a Finite Element Analysis (FEA) was performed, simulating the loads it would be subjected to during use. The results obtained through the FEA simulation provided an optimal design for the tool and validated its performance. The tool prototype optimized by these FEA processes was again subjected to 3D printing to generate a functional model for the manufacturing of the agricultural tool through sand casting processes. The tools manufactured in the casting processes were used in conventional agricultural activities, closing the design cycle established in this study. It is concluded that the innovative approach, which combined the stages of computational design and additive manufacturing, offered multiple advantages due to the rapid and economical design iterations before constructing the first tool by casting. Additionally, it facilitated the optimization of the geometry, size, and weight of the tool prototype, considering ergonomic aspects and performance in the projected agricultural activities. Finally, the implemented methodology is viable for the creation of new agricultural tools, avoiding additional high-cost manufacturing processes, such as chip removal machining or mold manufacturing for forging or stamping processes, optimizing the design cost.

A novel multi-brand robotic software interface for industrial additive manufacturing cells

Additionally known as three-dimensional (3D) printing, additive manufacturing has made major advancements possible in the fields of engineering, business, the arts, education, and medical. Thanks to recent developments, it is now possible to print three-dimensional to create complex, useful living tissues, biocompatible substances, cells, and supporting structures are combined. Regenerative medicine is utilizing 3D bioprinting. Additive manufacturing technology, or 3D printing, has been labelled the “next big thing” and is predicted to overtake cell phones in popularity. 3D printers use digital templates to produce actual, three-dimensional items. Adding layers to a print, commonly referred to as additive manufacturing, allows for the use of more than a hundred different materials, including nylon, metal, and plastic. Applications for 3D printing can be found in many different industries, such as industrial design, manufacturing, dental, automotive, aerospace, civil engineering, education, jewellery, footwear, and geographic information systems. It has shown to be a simple and affordable solution for a variety of use cases. Using computer-aided design tools and programming, three-dimensional printing is a sophisticated technique that adds material to a base surface to create three-dimensional things. Additive layer manufacturing, also referred to as 3D printing, is the technique of creating three-dimensional things by depositing or solidifying material one layer at a time. Using a computer-aided design module, pharmaceutical components are organized in a three-dimensional pattern. Afterwards, the constituents are converted into a machine-readable format resembling the surface of a three-dimensional dosage form. 3D printing has been used for jewelry, shoe-making, architecture, engineering & construction, the automotive industry as well as the aerospace field, dentistry and medicine, plus geographic information systems (GIS), civil engineering and education. After that stage of the process is completed, the surface transferred to the machine is then printed in different layers. Bioprinting is an interdisciplinary domain that integrates additive manufacturing with biology and material sciences to manufacture threedimensional structures representative of living organisms. The ability to create biological tissues and organs has attracted considerable attention in biomedical research owing to the rising demand for personalized medicine. This scenario propelled bioprinting forward which received much interest thus triggering comprehensive research efforts by various players such as companies, universities as well as research institutes. The goal of this book is to provide a thorough analysis of the complex and rapidly evolving field of bioprinting by critically analyzing and evaluating the existing scientific literature.

The application of additive manufacturing, well known as 3D printing, in textile industry is not more totally new. It allows is giving significant increase of the product variety, production stages reduction, widens the application areas of textiles, customization of design and properties of products according to the type of applications requirement. This paper presents a review of the current state-of-the-art, related to complete process of additive manufacturing. Beginning with the design tools, the classical machinery building computer-aided design (CAD) software, the novel non-uniform rational B-spline (NURBS) based software and parametric created models are reported. Short overview of the materials demonstrates that in this area few thermoplastic materials become standards and currently a lot of research for the application of new materials is going. Three types of 3D printing, depending on the relation to textiles, are identified and reported from the literature—3D printing on textiles, 3D printing of flexible structures and 3D printing with flexible materials. Several applications with all these methods are reported and finally the main advantages and disadvantages of the 3D printing in relation to textile industry are given.

In recent years, the clinical application of three-dimensional (3D) printing technology has shown great potential in surgical planning. The left atrial appendage (LAA) is a key site for thrombus formation in nonvalvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF), increasing the risk of stroke. One recent application of this technology is for LAA occlusion, a procedure used to seal the LAA and prevent the formation of systemic thromboembolism associated with NVAF in patients with contraindications for oral anticoagulation therapy. In this systematic review, the use of 3D printing for device sizing during the planning of LAA occlusion procedures was evaluated through a literature search using the following keywords: ("Left atrial appendage" OR "LAA" or "intra-atrial mass" OR "left atrial mass" ) AND ("3D printing" OR "additive manufacturing" OR "rapid prototyping" OR "computer-aided design" OR "CAD" OR "bioprinting") AND ("occlusion" OR "closure" OR "device sizing" OR "atrial fibrillation"). After data extraction, 16 studies reported using 3D printing, prospectively or retrospectively, to estimate the accuracy of LAA device sizing and/or deployment. These studies demonstrated that 3D-printed models can improve anatomical measurements and allow for improved device sizing and implantation compared to standard-of-care imaging-assisted procedural planning. Of the articles included in this review, two articles found a significant reduction in devices used per procedure (from 1.7 to 1.1 and 1.20 to 1.05, respectively), with shorter procedure times in the 3D-printed groups. Additionally, the 3D-printed models showed fewer devices deployed per procedure, perivascular leaks, and residual shunts. Additionally, one article found fewer perivascular leaks in the 3D group (one vs. four in controls), and one article showed no residual shunts in the 3D group compared to 14.29% in controls. Although the 16 studies included in this review demonstrate the value of 3D printing in LAA occlusion procedures, the findings underscore the need for larger, multicenter studies to further quantify its clinical benefits, particularly in improving procedural planning and reducing complications in the intravascular treatment of LAA thrombosis in NVAF. Future research should focus on multicenter trials, larger cohorts, and testing 3D-printed occlusion devices for personalized treatments.

3D printing is a technique that involves sequential deposition of materials in a layer-by-layer fashion to create three dimensional objects (hence also referred to as additive manufacturing) from a digital 3D model generated by computer-aided design (CAD) software which is obtained from a 3D scanner. Thus, objects generated using 3D printing have a broad spectrum of applications, ranging from rapid prototyping in electronics and robotic industries to 3D printing organoids using bio-ink in biomedical research. Recently, there has been a huge paradigm shift in the field of medicine toward personalized medicine. Hence, technologies that assist in modulating drug dosage based on genetic profiles have been vigorously evaluated, while technologies such as stereolithography, binder jetting and material extrusion have found profound applications in tissue engineering and other technologies such as fused deposition modelling, selective laser sintering, and material jetting. Many biomedical alloys used in implants are currently manufactured using direct energy deposition. The following article highlights its history, the difference between 3D printing and traditional manufacturing, the types of 3D printing techniques used, and the applications, advantages, and disadvantages of 3D printing.

The treatment of hypertrophic scars (HSs) is considered to be the most challenging task in wound rehabilitation. Conventional silicone sheet therapy has a positive effect on the healing process of HSs. However, the dimensions of the silicone sheet are typically larger than those of the HS itself which may negatively impact the healthy skin that surrounds the HS. Furthermore, the debonding and displacement of the silicone sheet from the skin are critical problems that affect treatment compliance. Herein, we propose a bespoke HS treatment design that integrates pressure sleeve with a silicone sheet and use of silicone gel using a workflow of three-dimensional (3D) printing, 3D scanning and computer-aided design, and manufacturing software. A finite element analysis (FEA) is used to optimize the control of the pressure distribution and investigate the effects of the silicone elastomer. The result shows that the silicone elastomer increases the amount of exerted pressure on the HS and minimizes unnecessary pressure to other parts of the wrist. Based on this treatment design, a silicone elastomer that perfectly conforms to an HS is printed and attached onto a customized pressure sleeve. Most importantly, unlimited scar treating gel can be applied as the means to optimize treatment of HSs while the silicone sheet is firmly affixed and secured by the pressure sleeve.

Additive manufacturing (AM) alias3D printing translates computer-aideddesign (CAD) virtual 3D models into physical objects. By digital slicingof CAD, 3D scan, or tomography data, AM builds objects layer by layerwithout the need for molds or machining. AM enables decentralizedfabrication of customized objects on demand by exploiting digitalinformation storage and retrieval via the Internet. The ongoing transitionfrom rapid prototyping to rapid manufacturing prompts new challengesfor mechanical engineers and materials scientists alike. Because polymersare by far the most utilized class of materials for AM, this Reviewfocuses on polymer processing and the development of polymers andadvanced polymer systems specifically for AM. AM techniques coveredinclude vat photopolymerization (stereolithography), powder bed fusion(SLS), material and binder jetting (inkjet and aerosol 3D printing),sheet lamination (LOM), extrusion (FDM, 3D dispensing, 3D fiber deposition,and 3D plotting), and 3D bioprinting. The range of polymers used inAM encompasses thermoplastics, thermosets, elastomers, hydrogels,functional polymers, polymer blends, composites, and biological systems.Aspects of polymer design, additives, and processing parameters asthey relate to enhancing build speed and improving accuracy, functionality,surface finish, stability, mechanical properties, and porosity areaddressed. Selected applications demonstrate how polymer-based AMis being exploited in lightweight engineering, architecture, foodprocessing, optics, energy technology, dentistry, drug delivery, andpersonalized medicine. Unparalleled by metals and ceramics, polymer-basedAM plays a key role in the emerging AM of advanced multifunctionaland multimaterial systems including living biological systems as wellas life-like synthetic systems.

3D printing technology has a wide range of applications in various industries. It is widely used to produce complex 3D structures, but it has some limitations such as a limited amount of material, etc., which have been overcome with the introduction of 4D printing technology. In 4D printing, which involves time as a function and the combination of smart materials, this enables properties such as changing form and function.[1]Five-dimensional (5D) printing is a new branch of additive manufacturing (AM) with great potential to solve problems in engineering, medicine, dentistry and other related fields. It is the latest technological advancement used to produce complex and intricately shaped products, implants and devices with much better physical properties than those obtained by three-dimensional (3D) printing. The concept of 5D printing originated from William Yerazunis of the American University of Mitsubishi Electric Research Laboratories (MERL). In 5D printing, the printing plate also moves with the printing head during the printing process. in 3D printing techniques.[1]four-dimensional (4D) printing is the concept of using a smart material that can change the shape of a printed object over time as the temperature changes. [2] One of the advantages of 5D printing is the use of 25% less material than 3D printing. Five-dimensional printing is all about efficiently manufacturing this complex and curved structure with maximum strength. Using computer-aided design (CAD) data to produce super strong dental implants, orthodontic brackets, crowns, aligners, bridges and appliances. This CAD data is created using the dentist's 3D scanner / different design software.[1] 5D printing of five axes: [1], 1.X-axis ;2. Y-axis;3. Z axis; 4. Movable print head and 5. Movable printing base.5D printing is an advanced manufacturing technology that builds on the concept of 3D printing and adds customization options and features. While 3D printing requires the creation of three-dimensional objects layer by layer, 5D printing allows additional functions or features to be added to a printable object, often dynamically or responsively. its role in dentistry may be limited due to the newness of the technology.

Superhydrophobic properties have been present in nature for many millennia before human beings discovered their true capabilities and utilized them to revolutionize modern societies. The most familiar form of hydrophobicity found in nature is that of the lotus leaf, where its ultra-low water adhesion and self-cleaning properties make it one of the best hydrophobic elements formed naturally. Since its discovery, artificially created superhydrophobic elements have been used in many industries --maritime, automobile, and medical -- due to their self-cleaning, antibacterial, and corrosion-prevention properties. However, for a surface to become superhydrophobic, it must possess a greater roughness. To achieve this, microscopic- or nanoscopic-level modifications must be made to the surface through various experimentations. For a surface to be considered superhydrophobic, it must have a water contact angle greater than 150°. One cost-effective method of manufacturing superhydrophobic materials is three-dimensional (3D) printing (additive manufacturing), which has been gaining popularity in the recent past. A 3D printing design is initially created using computer-aided design (CAD) software. Then, the design information is transferred to a 3D printer through digital slicing of the CAD design. 3D printing allows the printing of objects with various functionalities at pre-designed locations in the object, so it is important to investigate these phenomena. This paper provides an overview of several studies that were conducted to achieve superhydrophobicity through the 3D printing process. The following section of the manuscript includes an introduction, literature review, methods of increasing surface roughness for superhydrophobicity, market-available 3D printing materials, and their applications, discussion on 3D printing technologies and concluding remarks.

Challenges in the design and regulatory approval of 3D-printed surgical implants: a two-case series