Open AccessA Radiopaque Nanoparticle-Based Ink Using PolyJet 3D Printing for Medical Applications
Author(s) -
Alice Shan,
Aine O'Connell,
Aidan O’Sullivan,
Michael E. Byrne,
Seamus Clifford,
Kevin J. O’Sullivan,
Leonard O’Sullivan
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
3d printing and additive manufacturing
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.917
H-Index - 26
eISSN - 2329-7670
pISSN - 2329-7662
DOI - 10.1089/3dp.2019.0160
Subject(s) - radiodensity , 3d printing , materials science , 3d printed , biomedical engineering , inkwell , composite material , radiography , radiology , medicine
The aim of this study was to develop a 3D printable radiopaque ink and successfully print a finished artifact. Radiopaque 3D printing would be hugely beneficial to improve the visibility of medical devices and implants, as well as allowing more realistic phantoms and calibration aids to be produced. Most 3D printing technologies are polymer based. Polymers are naturally radiolucent, allowing X-rays to pass through, showing up as faint dark gray regions on X-ray detectors, as for soft tissues. During this study, a 3D printable ultraviolet (UV) curable resin containing zirconium oxide (ZrO 2 ) nanoparticles was developed. 5 wt.% ZrO 2 was dispersed in a base resin using a high-shear mixer. Particles remained in suspension for 6-8 h at room temperature, allowing time for 3D printing. A model of a hand including radiopaque bones and a test block demonstrating a range of internal radiopaque features were successfully 3D printed. Radiopacity was demonstrated in the 3D-printed models, and there was good dispersion of ZrO 2 within the resin matrix. The impregnated resin remained UV curable and viscosity was not compromised. In this study, 3D-printed radiopaque features demonstrated clear radiopacity under X-ray and microcomputed tomography imaging.