No abstract

PMMA, PC, and PEEK are thermoplastic polymers that possess favorable properties for biomedical applications. These polymers have been used in fields of maxillo-facial, orthopedic, intraocular surgery, and bio-implant, due to their excellent mechanical properties, osteoinductive potential, and antimicrobial capabilities. In this study, the effect of heat treatment on the mechanical properties of 3D printed polymers was characterized. By modifying printing temperature and post heat treatment process, the mechanical properties were specifically tailored for different applications, correlating with the properties of the implants that are commonly made using molding processes.

Using 3D food printing with the Internet of Things (IoT) technology, patients can receive diagnoses and prescriptions from their doctors while in the comfort of their homes. The patient-specific prescription has been innovated by converging 3D food printing technology with drug delivery systems (DDSs). Quantitative drug dosages can be incorporated into the composition of food and produced in any shape within a short time. Automating food and DDSs makes promising implications for healing patients remotely, as well. Each of these aspects, along with IoT technology, have contributed to increased health care for patients, no matter their location. The quantitative discharge of vitamin C melted in water, mayonnaise, ketchup, and peanut butter has been verified using the Piston Typed Extrusion (PTE) method. Designs with different curves and shapes were repeatedly printed with a head speed of 1.6×10-2 m/s, and it was confirmed that effective control while printing the shapes was possible. The Hagen-Poiseuille (HP) formula was utilized to simulate the overall printing time. This simulation affirmed that increasing the head speed from 1.6×10-2 m/s to 4.0×10-2 m/s had reduced the printing time consistently, but the time was not reduced continuously after 4.0×10-2 m/s, depending on the materials’ viscosities and how much curvature exists in the designs. The precision of printing was adjusted within 5% of the theoretical value during printing, and the IoT technology allowed printing of the materials within five minutes, regardless of the patient’s location.   Article Type: Original Research

Extracellular Matrix (ECM), a natural biomaterials, have recently garnered attention in tissue engineering for their high degree of cell proliferative capacity, biocompatibility, biodegradability, and tenability in the body. Decellularization process offers a unique approach for fabricating ECM-based natural scaffold for tissue engineering application by removing intracellular contents in a tissue that could cause any adverse host responses. The effects of Supercritical carbon dioxide (Sc-CO2) treatment on the histological and biochemical properties of the decellularized extracellular matrix (de-ECM) were evaluated and compared with de-ECM from conventional decellularization process to see if it offers significantly reduced treatment times, complete decellularization, and well preserved extracellular matrix structure. The study has shown that a novel method of using supercritical fluid extraction system indeed removed all unnecessary residues and only leaving ECM. The potential of Sc-CO2 de-ECM progressed as a promising approach in tissue repair and regeneration.