Polyurethane Filament Research Articles

Creation and evaluation of a three-dimensional-printed synthetic vas deferens for microsurgical training

ABSTRACT Introduction: Individuals choose to undergo vasectomy reversal for a variety of reasons, including remarriage or due to the death of a child. To be proficient in this procedure, the surgeons need to be high volume and the trainees require a safe environment to develop their microsurgical skills. To overcome this challenge, we used three-dimensional (3D) printing to create a synthetic model of the vas deferens with properties similar to the human vas deferens. We distributed this model to experienced microsurgeons for evaluation. Methods: The vas deferens model was created using thermoplastic polyurethane filament. The filament was then infused with a foaming agent to allow for temperature-dependent tuning of the material’s stiffness. The model’s outer diameter was 1 mm and the inner lumen was 0.5 mm. Fellowship-trained male reproductive urologists were recruited from the Society for the Study of Male Reproduction website. They used our model and judged it on several factors by completing a 13-question survey. Results: We received completed evaluations from five microsurgeons. Eighty percent of the surgeons were able to complete a full anastomosis on the model using 9-0 and 10-0 sutures. The majority of the completed anastomoses were performed using the one-layer technique. The average responses for the model’s usefulness as a practice tool, a training tool, and overall assessment ranged from 72 to 79 out of 100. Comments for the improvement included the need for a more flexible and softer model. Conclusions: We created a 3D-printed synthetic vas deferens that serves as a valuable training and practice tool.

Compressive behavior of thermoplastic polyurethane with an active agent foaming for 3D-printed customized comfort insoles

The primary objective of this study was to investigate the compressive behavior of 3D-printed specimens made of a thermoplastic polyurethane filament, specifically colorFabb varioShore TPU, which incorporates a foaming agent. The foaming technology makes it possible to manipulate 3D prints' properties by adjusting process parameters that affect the level of expansion, such as printing temperature, printing speed or flow ratio. This capability opens new possibilities for 3D-printed personalized foot orthotics or for static comfort-oriented applications by tailoring the stiffness of the print based on the application requirements. Since infill density and infill pattern also affect the compressive characteristics of 3D prints, this research took these two parameters into account as independent variables, alongside the printing temperature. Thus, the specimens with printing temperatures set at 190 °C, 220 °C, and 240 °C, gyroid and honeycomb patterns, and infill variations from 10 % to 35 % in 5 % increments were experimentally investigated in compression testing. The evaluation was conducted to determine the influence of these factors on the stiffness of prints at 10 % and 20 % strains, in accordance with established standard. The findings had an important practical value as they provide data for adjusting the variable stiffness based on peak plantar pressure measurement data when developing tailored foot orthoses (insoles), which was the second objective of the research. The most influential factor affecting the compressive strength was the printing temperature, followed by infill density and pattern type. The difference in compression modulus between 10 % and 20 % strains did not exhibit statistical significance. Moreover, the main effects plots indicated minimal variations in compression modulus effects at 220 °C and 240 °C, whereas an important difference was observed at 190 °C printing temperature, which was confirmed by scanning electron microscopy investigations showing foamed layers at 220 °C and unfoamed layers at 190 °C. Furthermore, interaction plots revealed no significant interaction effect among the studied variables. Additionally, a comparison of samples’ sizes and densities before and two months after testing indicated no observable modifications When applied to custom orthotics (five pairs of insoles were customized and tested), the experimental findings documented variations in the reduction and distribution of peak plantar pressure based on the infill variability.

Advanced Fabrication and Characterization of Hydrothermal Responsive Fabric from Microcrystalline Cellulose-Reinforced Shape Memory Polyurethane Filament

Demands for smart textiles have recently increased quickly in terms of functionality and responsiveness to wearers and environmental changes. This paper explores the development of hydrothermal responsive shape memory woven fabric from Microcrystalline Cellulose Reinforced Shape Memory Polyurethane Microcomposite Filament. The concentration of microcrystalline cellulose and drawing ratio of the filaments were first optimized according to the tensile strength and shape recovery ratio and taken as 15 wt% and 2.0 respectively. Hydrothermal responsive shape memory micro-composite filaments were then produced from shape memory polyurethane (SMPU) and microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) with optimized concentration and draw ratio by wet spinning process. The physical, mechanical, thermal and shape memory performances of the filaments were studied. The optimized filament was found to have a tensile strength of 0.91 cN/dtex and elongation of 385.2% in which the strength is much more improved when compared to a pure SMPU filament of strength 0.72 cN/dtex. The shape fixity and shape recovery results of the micro-composite filament were found to be 71.2% and 93.6% respectively. A woven fabric was manufactured from pure polyester, cotton as warp and SMPU-MCC filaments as weft and its breathability and shape memory properties were investigated. The air permeability of SMPU-PE fabrics was found to be 172.9 mm/s and 155.1 mm/s in its fixed temporary shape and recovered shape respectively. The water vapour permeability of SMPU-CT fabric was found to be 612.01 g/m2.h and 540.28 g/m2.h in its fixed temporary and recovered shape respectively which shows smart breathable fabrics can be made and adopted with enhanced properties.

Exploring a Novel Material and Approach in 3D-Printed Wrist-Hand Orthoses

This article proposes the integration of two novel aspects into the production of 3D-printed customized wrist-hand orthoses. One aspect involves the material, particularly Colorfabb varioShore thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) filament with an active foaming agent, which allows adjusting the 3D-printed orthoses’ mechanical properties via process parameters such as printing temperature. Consequently, within the same printing process, by using a single extrusion nozzle, orthoses with varying stiffness levels can be produced, aiming at both immobilization rigidity and skin-comfortable softness. This capability is harnessed by 3D-printing the orthosis in a flat shape via material extrusion-based additive manufacturing, which represents the other novel aspect. Subsequently, the orthosis conforms to the user’s upper limb shape after secure attachment, or by thermoforming in the case of a bi-material solution. A dedicated design web app, which relies on key patient hand measurement input, is also proposed, differing from the 3D scanning and modeling approach that requires engineering expertise and 3D scan data processing. The evaluation of varioShore TPU orthoses with diverse designs was conducted considering printing time, cost, maximum flexion angle, comfort, and perceived wrist stability as criteria. As some of the produced TPU orthoses lacked the necessary stiffness around the wrist or did not properly fit the palm shape, bi-material orthoses including polylactic acid (PLA) inserts of varying sizes were 3D-printed and assessed, showing an improved stiffness around the wrist and a better hand shape conformity. The findings demonstrated the potential of this innovative approach in creating bi-material upper limb orthoses, capitalizing on various characteristics such as varioShore properties, PLA thermoforming capabilities, and the design flexibility provided by additive manufacturing technology.

Flexural behaviour of cementitious composites embedded with 3D printed re-entrant chiral auxetic meshes

3D printed auxetic metamaterials can be used to make high performing cementitious composites to strengthen existing structures and elements due to their negative Poisson’s ratio behaviour and high energy absorbing characteristics. In this paper, three different re-entrant chiral auxetic (RCA) meshes of various cell geometries and orientations were developed by 3D printing them using poly-lactic acid (PLA) and thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) filament. The developed meshes were tested under out-of-plane flexure to study their load carrying capacity, ductility and energy absorption characteristics, especially to characterise the best cell orientation. The horizontal cells provided enhanced load carrying and energy absorption characteristics for all three cell geometries for both materials. These RCA meshes were then embedded into low and high strength premix cement mortar matrices to develop auxetic cementitious composites (ACCs). In total, 42 ACC specimens were casted and tested under flexural loading. The results were studied in terms of their failure patterns, load-displacement responses, flexural capacities, ductility and energy absorption. The RCA meshes made of PLA filament showed limited capacity and energy absorption as compared to RCA meshes made of TPU filament due to extended flexibility and resilience provided by TPU meshes. The RCA meshes with a denser cell structure exhibited highest flexural capacity and effective energy absorption of 14 700 kJ m−2 for TPU-RCA mesh embedded into high strength cement mortar matrix. The results obtained in this study have enabled to understand the flexural behaviour of cementitious composites embedded with 3D printed auxetic lattices and to strengthen the existing structures.

Study on CNT/TPU cube under the 3D printing conditions of infill patterns and density

In this study, to develop soft pressure sensor applicable to wearable robots using stretchable polymers and conductive fillers, 3.25 wt% carbon nanotubes/thermoplastic polyurethane filament with shore 94 A were manufactured. Three infill densities (20%, 50%, and 80%) and patterns (zigzag (ZG), triangle (TR), honeycomb (HN)) were applied to print cubes via fused filament fabrication 3D printing. Most suitable infill conditions were confirmed based on the slicing images, morphologies, compressive properties, electrical properties, and electrical heating properties. For each infill pattern, ZG and TR divided the layers into lines and figures, and the layers were stacked by rotation. For HN, the same layers were stacked in a hexagonal pattern. Consequently, TR divided layer in various directions, showed the strongest compressive properties with toughness 1.99 J for of infill density 80%. Especially, the HN became tougher with increased infill density. Also, the HN laminated with the same layer showed excellent electrical properties, with results greater than 14.7 mA. The electrical heating properties confirmed that ZG and HN had the high layer density, which exhibited excellent heating characteristics. Therefore, it was confirmed that performance varies depending on the 3D printing direction, and it was confirmed that HN is suitable for manufacturing soft sensors.

Additive Manufacturing of Composite Foam Metamaterial Springs for Vibration Isolation

This research introduces a novel approach for reducing the vibrations experienced by passengers in vehicles using metamaterials embedded in polyurethane foam to improve the existing vibration isolation capacity of car seats. An exploration of quasizero and negative stiffness metamaterials is conducted to develop metamaterial springs that exhibit a region of high‐static and low‐dynamic stiffness to achieve vibration isolation. Metamaterials are developed using low‐cost open‐source additive manufacturing methods and thermoplastic polyurethane filament. This investigation follows a process of determining the geometric, material, and systemic design requirements, to identify the quasizero and negative‐stiffness force–displacement regions. Small‐scale models of a car seat are developed by embedding the designed metamaterials into different grades of polyurethane foam and completing static and dynamic testing. The results demonstrate practical applications for implementing metamaterial springs into polyurethane foam to enhance vibration isolation under dynamic loading. The developed material library and the key geometric variables in the metamaterial design allow for application‐specific solutions where the selection of the appropriate metamaterial and foam combination can be tailored to suit the system requirements.

Acrylic Finished Leather Upgraded with Thermoplastic Polyurethane Filament using 3D Printing – A New Generation Hybrid Leather of Synthetic and Natural Polymer

Leather manufacturing process involves a lot of waste disposal which pollutes environment, some of the processes are inevitable. In the present investigation, 3D printing technology was used to reduce the wastage and to cover defective regions in leather. The present study focuses on synthesis of acrylic binder using emulsion polymerization technique. These binders were analysed for solid content for better optimisation of the amount of binder to be utilised for finishing operation. The experimental binder was prepared with 26% solids. Particle size and thermogravimetric analyses were carried out to understand the size and shape of the particles and their thermal resistance. These binders were used for leather finishing and the performance of leather was studied. Surface morphology changes of leathers were studied using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). Wet and dry rub fastness, finish film adhesion, light fastness and organoleptic properties were studied and found to be superior compared with control leathers. The acrylic finished leather with minor defects was taken for 3D printing and designed using Thermoplastic Polyurethane (TPU) as filament. The acrylic finished leather shows good adhesion for TPU and it results in numerous designs in short duration. The new additive was added to leather using 3D printing technology to produce a tailor-made valuable design without any waste disposal and chemical discharge. This invention may convert the rejected waste leather into valuable material and lead to the new generation hybrid leather for use.

Osteogenic Differentiation Capacity of Dental Pulp Stem Cells on 3D Printed Polyurethane/Boric Acid Scaffold.

Additive manufacturing is growing in the area of dentistry and orthopedics due to the potential for the fabrication of individual implants. In this study, fused deposition modeling which is the most popular method was used to produce 3D scaffolds having a grid pattern from the polyurethane (PU) filament. Then, this scaffold was coated with boric acid (BA) with the thermionic vacuum arc technique. The microstructure analysis showed the macro-pores having a dimension of ~ 0.16 mm2. The BA coating increased the roughness in adverse decreased the wettability. The presence of BA on the scaffold before and after cell culture was confirmed by FESEM-EDS and ATR-FTIR. The Cell proliferation and osteogenic differentiation capacity of dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs) on uncoated and coated printed 3D PU scaffolds were also investigated. On the third day, cell viability was found to be higher (1.3-fold) in the groups containing BA. However, on the seventh day, the increase in cell proliferation in the PU+BA group was found to be less than in the other groups. According to Ca deposition analysis and Alizarin Red staining, PU+BA increased the calcium accumulation in the cells in both osteogenic induced and non-induced conditions at day 14. According to gene expression analysis, the Runx2 expression was not detected in PU+BA groups with and without differentiation medium (p ≤0.05). The expression of OCN was persistently increased up to 21-fold and 48-fold in cells on PU and PU+BA in osteogenic differentiation medium group after 14 days compared to control group (p ≤0.05). DSPP expression was observed only in PU+BA in osteogenic differentiation medium group. In line with the results that we have obtained, our 3D printed scaffolds have properties to trigger the differentiation of DPSCs cells in terms of osteogenicity.

Design and finite element analysis of a 3D-printed packaging insert

Packaging inserts play a crucial role in protecting products during transportation. However, their design and production processes often rely on conventional methods limiting equipment capabilities. Moreover, the empirical nature of their design can result in a lack of reliability in the final product. To address these challenges, this study aimed to validate the design of a packaging insert using the finite element method and subsequently create it using 3D printing. The chosen material is a thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) filament commonly used in fused deposition filament printers for 3D printing. This process demonstrates the feasibility of using 3D printing to create cushioning inserts for packaging and employing finite element analysis to simulate the insert behavior. The main findings of this research highlight the potential benefits of numerical simulation, revealing the areas where the insert is primarily impacted by weight. Furthermore, the forces load and displacement simulation results confirm that the TPU elastic limit (3.9x106 MPa) is sufficient to handle the weight this insert intends to hold. These tools determine the viability of the proposed design for its intended application. Therefore, this study verifies that 3D printing is a reliable option for producing packaging inserts, offering significant advantages over traditional methods. These advantages include increased design flexibility and the ability to create custom inserts on demand.

Tuning mechanical properties of 3D printed composites with PLA:TPU programmable filaments

Polylactic acid (PLA) filament is widely used for desktop 3D printing purposes due to its exceptional mechanical properties such as high strength; however, its brittleness restricts its use for producing flexible objects. Thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) filament which is also widely used for desktop 3D printing, on the other hand, is flexible and commonly used in printing compliant objects with relatively low load-bearing performance. This study investigates the ability to tune the mechanical properties of specimens that are printed using programmable filaments composed of PLA and TPU filaments with different volume ratios of PLA and TPU. Two types of PLA and TPU filament arrangements, i.e., series and parallel, are considered. The PLA:TPU programmable filaments are used to print dogbone specimens for tensile testing. In printing the dogbone specimens, the raster angle is varied, i.e., 0, 45, and 90° with respect to the transverse direction of the specimen. To examine their mechanical behaviors based on different PLA and TPU filament arrangements, compositions, and raster angles, tensile tests are conducted on both programmable filaments and dogbone specimens. This study demonstrates the ability to tune the mechanical properties of printed objects by designing programmable filaments and varying raster angles during printing.

Characterization of Conductive 3D Printed Fingertips Manufactured by Fused Filament Fabrication.

This study purposed to develop conductivity 3D printed (3DP) fingertips and confirm their potential for use in a pressure sensor. Index fingertips were 3D printed using thermoplastic polyurethane filament with three types of infill patterns (Zigzag (ZG), Triangles (TR), Honeycomb (HN)) and densities (20%, 50%, 80%). Hence, the 3DP index fingertip was dip-coated with 8 wt% graphene/waterborne polyurethane composite solution. The coated 3DP index fingertips were analyzed by appearance property, weight changes, compressive property, and electrical property. As results, the weight increased from 1.8 g to 2.9 g as infill density increased. By infill pattern, ZG was the largest, and the pick-up rate decreased from 18.9% for 20% infill density to 4.5% for 80% infill density. Compressive properties were confirmed. Compressive strength increased as infill density increased. In addition, the compressive strength after coating was improved more than 1000 times. Especially, TR had excellent compressive toughness as 13.9 J for 20%, 17.2 J for 50%, and 27.9 J for 80%. In the case of electrical properties, the current become excellent at 20% infill density. By infill patterns at 20% infill density, TR has 0.22 mA as the best conductivity. Therefore, we confirmed the conductivity of 3DP fingertips, and the infill pattern of TR at 20% was most suitable.

Predicting the Bending of 3D Printed Hyperelastic Polymer Components

The advancement of 3D printing has led to its widespread use. NinjaFlex®, a thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) filament, is a highly durable and flexible material that has been used to create flexible parts. While this material has been available for nearly two decades, the mechanical properties of 3D printed NinjaFlex® parts are not well-understood, especially in bending. The focus of this research was predicting the behavior of small 3D printed NinjaFlex® components. Three-dimensionally printed rectangular specimens of varying lengths and aspect ratios were loaded as cantilevers. The deflection of these specimens was measured using a computer. The experimental results were compared to a modified form of the Euler-Bernoulli Beam Theorem (MEB), which was developed to account for nonlinearities associated with large deflection. Additionally, experimental results were compared to the finite element analysis (FEA). The results showed that both modeling approaches were overall accurate, with the average difference between experimental deflection data and MEB predictions ranging from 0.6% to 3.0%, while the FEA predictions ranged from 0.4% to 2.4%. In the case of the most flexible specimens, MEB underestimated the experimental results, while FEA led to higher retraction.

Highly sensitive temperature-independent FBG-based sensor embedded in thermoplastic polyurethane using 3D printing technology for the measurements of torsion

A new design of optical Fiber Bragg Grating (FBG)-based sensor for the measurement of torsion (twist) has been developed, which, while offering a high level of accuracy, can be fabricated inexpensively using 3D printing technology. In this sensor design, an FBG is embedded inside the thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) filament, which acts as the sensing pad for the FBG, taking advantage of its highly elastic properties and excellent sensitivity to variations in local strain. Experiments conducted have shown that the embedded FBG-based sensor can be used effectively in the measurements of torsion or rotation, at a bonding angle of 45°, giving an average responsivity of 0.95 pm/deg in both the clockwise and anticlockwise direction over the range of − 100° to + 100°, with good linearity of up to 99%. Furthermore, the device has been developed to allow for the effects of any temperature changes to be compensated by including an additional but 'untwisted' FBG in the sensor design. It provides a temperature sensitivity of 18.90 pm/°C. This design of twist measurement sensor described in this work also shows a good response in the underground soil movement, giving an average responsivity of 0.95 pm/deg in both the clockwise and anticlockwise direction over the range of − 100° to + 100°, with good linearity of up to 99%. This proves that this fabricated device can be made applicable to a wide range of engineering applications reliably and inexpensively.

Precision control of polyurethane filament drafting and winding based on machine vision.

In the biomedical field, polyurethane (PU) is widely used in interventional catheters, artificial hearts, artificial blood vessels, orthopedic materials, medical adhesives, and other medical devices. In this paper, a method based on machine vision was proposed to control the drafting and winding accuracy of PU filament in order to solve the problem of centrifugal runout when the mold rotates. The centrifugal runout of the mold directly affected the preparation efficiency and quality of long artificial blood vessel by wet spinning. Through non-contact real-time detection of the filament diameter and the angle between the axis of filament and the axis of mold, the motion parameters of the two motors driving the moving platform and the drafting roller could be adjusted in real time to achieve the purpose of online real-time control of filament drafting and winding accuracy. The vision control method proposed in this paper was used to carry out the PU tube preparation experiment. The visual measurement results of the filament diameter and the included angle were compared with the manual measurement results. The average value of the diameter error is 0.0096mm, and the average value of winding angle is 0.4777°. The results proved the accuracy of the visual measuring method and testified it feasible to using machine vision instead of manual method to detect filament diameter and winding angle. Properties of the prepared PU tube were tested and analyzed. The filament diameter measured by the 3D microscope was about 0.87 mm and significantly smaller than the filament diameter before winding. This indicated that the winding was uniform, the extrusion was tight, and the adhesion was good.

Synthesis and fabrication of biobased thermoplastic polyurethane filament for FDM 3D printing

AbstractThis study describes a soft‐actuator grade thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) with 73 ~ 86 shore A, the method of its fabrication and selected properties. The TPU was produced using bio‐based synthesized TPU (HP 2.5, HP 3.0, HB 2.5, and HB 3.0) pellets with bio‐based polyether‐biol (PO3G‐1000), and dicyclohexylmethane diisocyanate (H12MDI) and bio‐based 1,3 propanediol (PDO) and 1,4 butanediol (BDO) as a chain extender. The TPU was formed into a filament for fused deposition modeling (FDM) 3D printers during a melt‐extrusion process at 180 ~ 220°C. The manufactured TPU filaments were characterized by rheological, chemical, thermal, and mechanical analyses. The equivalence ratio 3.0 with a relatively large amount of HS with BDO as a chain extender, more hydrogen‐bonding peaks occurred. The transition temperature and mechanical properties increased depending on the [NCO]:[OH] ratio, and for BDO as the chain extender. However, it was found that when PDO derived from natural material was used, the thermal stability was better. From these results, samples of auxetic re‐entrant TPU were printed with the filaments with reference to the melt flow index. The results showed that the bio‐synthesized HP 3.0 with a hardness of (82 ± 1) shore A was most suitable for FDM 3D printing.

Polyurethane shape memory filament yarns: Melt spinning, carbon-based reinforcement, and characterization

The aim of this work was to develop and characterize polyurethane-based shape memory polymer filament yarns of a suitable diameter and thermo-mechanical performance for use in tailored multi-sectorial applications. Different polymer compositions – pure shape memory polyurethane and shape memory polyurethane composites with 0.3 and 0.5 wt.% of multi-walled carbon nanotubes or carbon black as additives – were studied. Filaments were obtained using a melt spinning process that allowed the production of the permanent and temporary shape of the shape memory polyurethane filament. Two drawing speeds (20 and 32 m/min) were studied. Characterization techniques such as the tensile test, differential scanning calorimetry, and dynamic mechanical analysis were used to investigate the shape-memory effect of the filaments. Pure and additive shape memory polyurethane filament yarns of a controlled diameter were produced. The results indicated that the pure shape memory polyurethane on the temporary shape had the highest tensile strength (234 MPa). Filaments with carbon black revealed a significant strain (335%) in the permanent shape with respect to the other filaments. The melt spinning process influenced the soft segment glass transition temperature (Tgs) significantly, with a decrease in the temporary shape (first heating) as compared to the permanent shape (second and third heating). However, only the 0.5% multi-walled carbon nanotubes additive clearly influenced the filament, increasing the Tgs by 10°C. The additives also influenced the shape-memory effect, obtaining an increased fixity ratio (up to 97%) with the multi-walled carbon nanotubes additive and an increased recovery ratio (up to 86%) with the carbon black additive.

Electro-induced tensile deformation of over-braiding composite tube with carbon fiber reinforced shape memory polyurethane filament

2D shape memory composite tubes, which has excellent flexibility and high durability, have been widely used in intelligent material design. Here we report fabrication of an over-braiding pure shape memory polyurethane (SMPU) and continuous carbon fiber reinforced SMPU (CCF/SMPU) braided tubes with different braided layers (L1, L2, L3). The dynamic thermomechanical behaviors, tensile properties, shape memory behaviors and tensile recovery forces had been investigated. Tensile shape recovery force was recorded to find effects of recovery temperature, applied voltage on the shape memory behaviors. We found that the tensile load, shape recovery ratio and recovery force increase with the braided layers increased. The maximum shape recovery ratio could be reached to 98.8% and shape recovery force of over-braiding CCF/SMPU composite tube was up to 14.825 N. The infilling of carbon fibers could improve the tensile strength and shape memory behaviors simultaneously. Such an effect could be benefit to explore applications of braided composite structures both with high strength and deformation recovery capacity.

Fabrication and characteristics of flexible thermoplastic polyurethane filament for fused deposition modeling three‐dimensional printing

AbstractIn the era of artificial intelligence (AI), materials with soft and strong properties are becoming increasingly important. Various three‐dimensional (3D) fused deposition modeling (FDM) filaments have been developed as soft actuator materials. In the present study, a soft actuator‐grade thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) was developed and then processed into a filament for FDM 3D printers during a melt‐extrusion process using commercial (65, 75, 80, and 85 Shore A) pellets. Rheological, chemical, thermal, and mechanical properties of the manufactured TPU filaments were characterized. Auxetic re‐entrant TPU samples were then printed with the manufactured filament. Results showed that the 75 Shore A pellet was the most suitable for auxetic re‐entrant FDM 3D printing.

MP41-19 PHASE I NCT03738488. FEASIBLE 3D PRINTED MODELS OF RENAL CELL CARCINOMA WITH VENOUS THROMBUS EXTENSION FOR SURGICAL PLANNING AND SIMULATION

You have accessJournal of UrologyCME1 May 2022MP41-19 PHASE I NCT03738488. FEASIBLE 3D PRINTED MODELS OF RENAL CELL CARCINOMA WITH VENOUS THROMBUS EXTENSION FOR SURGICAL PLANNING AND SIMULATION Ines Rivero Belenchon, Carmen Belen Congregado Ruiz, Gorka Gomez Ciriza, Victoria Gomez Dos Santos, Cristina Asensio, Cristina Gonzalez Gordaliza, Ignacio Osman Garcia, Jose Manuel Conde Sanchez, Francisco Javier Burgos Revilla, and Rafael Antonio Medina Lopez Ines Rivero BelenchonInes Rivero Belenchon More articles by this author , Carmen Belen Congregado RuizCarmen Belen Congregado Ruiz More articles by this author , Gorka Gomez CirizaGorka Gomez Ciriza More articles by this author , Victoria Gomez Dos SantosVictoria Gomez Dos Santos More articles by this author , Cristina AsensioCristina Asensio More articles by this author , Cristina Gonzalez GordalizaCristina Gonzalez Gordaliza More articles by this author , Ignacio Osman GarciaIgnacio Osman Garcia More articles by this author , Jose Manuel Conde SanchezJose Manuel Conde Sanchez More articles by this author , Francisco Javier Burgos RevillaFrancisco Javier Burgos Revilla More articles by this author , and Rafael Antonio Medina LopezRafael Antonio Medina Lopez More articles by this author View All Author Informationhttps://doi.org/10.1097/JU.0000000000002607.19AboutPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissionsReprints ShareFacebookLinked InTwitterEmail Abstract INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVE: Renal Cell Cancer (RCC) accounts for 3-5% of all adults malignancies, and up to 10% are presented with venous thrombus extension (VTE). This worsens prognosis and represents a therapeutic challenge. 3D biomodels are printed copies of patients´ radiological images with visual and tactile components that enhance understanding of anatomy and may improve surgical planning, communication and training. This is a Multicenter Clinical Trial (NCT03738488), which aims to assess the efficacy and efficiency of surgery planning with 3D in RCC with VTE. The objective of the phase I is to obtain a feasible, affordable, accurate and suitable for surgical simulation 3D model. METHODS: A CT image in early arterial and nephrogenic phase was obtained. ITK-snap® and VirSSPA Software® were used for segmentation. The resulting 3D mesh was processed with MeshMixer®. Multiple models were printed using different 3D printers and materials. We evaluated: material, scale, thickness, accuracy, suitability for surgery, cost and printing time. 6 urologists completed a satisfaction questionnaire. RESULTS: 4 models were discarded (Table 1). The selected one was printed with BQ Witbox FDM printer in polyurethane filament with a 0.8 mm thickness and 100% scale. All anatomical structures could be correctly identified with a good accuracy compared to the CT (<5 mm deviation) and the surgery could be performed on it. Model cost was 15€ and whole processing and printing time 48 h. 100% of urologists thought that the obtained 3D model could be useful for surgery planning and simulation. CONCLUSIONS: A feasible and affordable 3D printed model of RCC with VTE was obtained. It was accurate compared to the CT and suitable for surgery simulation. Urologists thought it could be useful for surgery planning and simulation. Source of Funding: Funded by Pfizer © 2022 by American Urological Association Education and Research, Inc.FiguresReferencesRelatedDetails Volume 207Issue Supplement 5May 2022Page: e728 Advertisement Copyright & Permissions© 2022 by American Urological Association Education and Research, Inc.MetricsAuthor Information Ines Rivero Belenchon More articles by this author Carmen Belen Congregado Ruiz More articles by this author Gorka Gomez Ciriza More articles by this author Victoria Gomez Dos Santos More articles by this author Cristina Asensio More articles by this author Cristina Gonzalez Gordaliza More articles by this author Ignacio Osman Garcia More articles by this author Jose Manuel Conde Sanchez More articles by this author Francisco Javier Burgos Revilla More articles by this author Rafael Antonio Medina Lopez More articles by this author Expand All Advertisement PDF DownloadLoading ...