Printability of External and Internal Structures Based on Digital Light Processing 3D Printing Technique.

Yan Yang,Xiao Lin,Gengshen Yang,Yanjun Zhou,Qingliang Yang

doi:10.3390/pharmaceutics12030207

Yan Yang, Xiao Lin + Show 3 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3390/pharmaceutics12030207

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Journal: Pharmaceutics	Publication Date: Feb 28, 2020
Citations: 63	License type: CC BY 4.0

Affiliation: Zhejiang University of Technology

Abstract

The high printing efficiency and easy availability of desktop digital light processing (DLP) printers have made DLP 3D printing a promising technique with increasingly broad application prospects, particularly in personalized medicine. The objective of this study was to fabricate and evaluate medical samples with external and internal structures using the DLP technique. The influence of different additives and printing parameters on the printability and functionality of this technique was thoroughly evaluated. It was observed that the printability and mechanical properties of external structures were affected by the poly(ethylene glycol) diacrylate (PEGDA) concentration, plasticizers, layer height, and exposure time. The optimal printing solutions for 3D external and internal structures were 100% PEGDA and 75% PEGDA with 0.25 mg/mL tartrazine, respectively. And the optimal layer height for 3D external and internal structures were 0.02 mm and 0.05 mm, respectively. The optimal sample with external structures had an adequate drug-loading ability, acceptable sustained-release characteristics, and satisfactory biomechanical properties. In contrast, the printability of internal structures was affected by the photoabsorber, PEGDA concentration, layer height, and exposure time. The optimal samples with internal structures had good morphology, integrity and perfusion behavior. The present study showed that the DLP printing technique was capable of fabricating implants for drug delivery and physiological channels for in vivo evaluation.

Highlights

Digital light processing (DLP) is a 3D printing technique, in which photopolymer monomers are crosslinked layer by layer
Unlike the stereolithography apparatus technique, which is based on a point laser, the DLP technique uses a digital projector as a light source, leading to significantly reduced printing time [1]
DLP printing has been successfully used in biomedical fields, such as dental prothesis and tissue engineering [2], revealing its feasibility for developing a digital workflow for personalized medicine

Summary

Introduction

Digital light processing (DLP) is a 3D printing technique, in which photopolymer monomers are crosslinked layer by layer. Unlike the stereolithography apparatus technique, which is based on a point laser, the DLP technique uses a digital projector as a light source, leading to significantly reduced printing time [1]. It is noteworthy that the DLP technique is capable of fabricating samples with predetermined specific external structures for personalized implants. The DLP technique could produce samples with predetermined internal structures for highly complex organs, including the trachea, heart, lung, and vasculatures [5]. Samples with external and internal structures had different requirements on morphology and function (e.g., drug dissolution and biomechanical properties). It is necessary to further study the printability of different structures based on DLP printing

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