3D printing method using ultrasound shows success

Researchers are highlighting their approach to 3D printing, which uses ultrasound waves to create objects from sonically cured inks. Their results were published December 7 in Science. A team led by Xiao Kuang, PhD, from Harvard Medical School found that its ultrasonic 3D printing method -- deep-penetrating acoustic volumetric printing --successfully created anatomical structures such as the liver, kidney, and vessel networks. “The deep penetration of focused ultrasound waves allows the volumetric fabrication of opaque [nano]composites and printing through centimeter-thick tissues that are not attainable through state-of-the-art light-based printing techniques,” the Kuang team wrote. Volumetric printing is a 3D-printing technique that the researchers noted can build objects faster and with better surface quality than layer-by-layer printing methods. Light is typically used to trigger the combining of molecules for material building in optically transparent inks, a process called photopolymerization. However, the researchers pointed out that material choices are limited here due to several factors. These include light scattering by the inks, the presence of functional additives within the inks, and light-blocking by already cured portions of built materials. Kuang and colleagues suggested that ultrasound could be the key to overcoming these limitations since ultrasonic waves can penetrate deeper into materials. They developed their method by using focused ultrasound w...
Source: AuntMinnie.com Headlines - Category: Radiology Authors: Tags: Ultrasound 3D Printing Source Type: news