Biocompatibility of Photopolymers in 3D Printing

Abstract

The biocompatibility of photopolymers in additive manufacturing (AM) often referred to as 3D printing (3DP) is an issue of concern due to, among other things, the unique parameters of the manufacturing process, which can influence the physical, chemical, and biological properties of AM-produced devices. The quality of AM-produced devices may consequently vary when identical parts are built using different 3D printers or even when the same 3D printer, parameters, process steps, and materials are used. In this novel study, representative materials built with stereolithography and material jetting processes were subjected to biological evaluation using the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) fish embryo test designed to determine acute toxicity of chemicals on embryonic stages of fish. The study demonstrates that the AM materials are toxic in zebrafish assays; however, the adverse effects of toxicity in some materials were reduced significantly after treatment with ethanol. Within the limitations of the study, it is evident that material composition and cleaning method are significant parameters by which the biological risks of photopolymers in 3DP can be assessed. Furthermore, the zebrafish biocompatibility assay is a reliable assessment tool for quantifying the toxicity of leachates in AM materials.

Rapid Fabrication of Chip‐Based Physiometers for Neurobehavioral Toxicity Assays Using Rotifers Brachionus calyciflorus

“…Over the longer test duration, 0.5 μg/l did not significantly affect the locomotory activities of B. calyciflorus. Interestingly, during time-resolved behavioral analysis at concentrations close to LC 10 and LC 25 we observed 27% and 57% decrease in locomotory activity immediately after medium in the test chamber was spiked with copper chloride. The inhibition of swimming activity was progressively more pronounced with the duration of toxicant exposure (Fig.…”

“…More recently additive manufacturing (AM) and in particular stereolithography (SLA) technology has been proposed as an innovative technique to advance prototyping of chip-based devices with high aspect ratios (17)(18)(19)(20)(21). However, several most recent studies have identified that significant amounts of toxic photoinitiator residues may leach from proprietary AM materials (18,(22)(23)(24)(25). These studies highlight a potential obstacle in the use of proprietary AM resins for fabricating LOC devices intended for biological applications (26).…”

Nanomaterial Patterning in 3D Printing

“…Bulk methods : Bulk methods are generally limited to printing with a single material and have a limited material selection due to the curing, sintering, or binding mechanisms that are involved. Furthermore, most bulk methods use photopolymers or high‐temperature sintering of metals, both of which hinder the biocompatibility of the finished product 156. Binder jet 3D printing requires postprocessing (such as annealing) or addition of chemicals to consolidate the 3D structure.…”

Biocompatibility of 3D Printed Methacrylate for Hearing Aids and Inner Ear Devices

“…The capacity of the technologies to initiate speedy polymerization of solvent free resins primarily accounts for their utility in 3DP. Nonetheless, independent biological evaluation of the devices is highly recommended [2,3] due to the unique parameters of the manufacturing process, which can influence their physical, chemical, and biological properties [4]. In this study, E-Shell 450 material [5] indicated for hearing aid shells and inner ear devices is examined for biological safety using zebrafish bioassays adapted to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) fish embryo test [6].…”

“…Solutions, Münster, Germany). One batch was ethanol-treated as described in Alifui-Segbaya et al [4] while the other batch was tested 'as-received'. To initiate the test, newly fertilized (1.5hour postfertilized) zebrafish eggs (n=20) obtained from FishCore (Australian Regenerative Medicine Institute, Monash University) Australia were cultured on samples in glass petri dishes using ultrapure water as test medium.…”