Development of a customised 3D printer as a potential tool for direct printing of patient-specific facial prosthesis

Abstract

This study demonstrates a cost-effective portable fabrication system for 3D printing complex structures from polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS). Material development and characterisation allowed for the design and production of a 3D printer that is capable of fabricating PDMS structures using a photo-initiator and a LED curing process. A 3D model of a participant’s ear was captured using a handheld scanner. These data were used to directly 3D print an ear. Micro-extrusion direct deposition of PDMS at room temperature is demonstrated via a custom designed 3D printer, with in situ UV cross-linking to facilitate curing of the PDMS during the 3D printing process. This 3D printer has great potential to be used as a fast and facile fabrication approach to create facial and other prosthesis. Future developments will also focus on other application areas such as microfluidics, flexible electronics, and other biomedical applications.

A statistical shape model for estimating missing soft tissues of the face in a black South African population

“…Our research represents the initial stage in developing user‐friendly software for 3D printing of a prosthetic model that fits the patient before the final silicone prosthesis is molded and cured. Indeed, given the rapid advancements in 3D printing technology, the prospect of directly printing the 3D prosthesis using silicone is becoming increasingly feasible 59,60 …”

“…Indeed, given the rapid advancements in 3D printing technology, the prospect of directly printing the 3D prosthesis using silicone is becoming increasingly feasible. 59,60…”

Implementation of Cone Beam Computed Tomography, Digital Sculpting and Three-Dimensional Printing in Facial Epithesis—A Technical Note

“…Furthermore, the biggest problem is that the silicone 3D printers for this type of epithesis production are not widely available and are still expensive. The solution to this problem might be prostheses printed with medically certified, flexible resins using widely available SLA printers [24]. However, research on this problem still requires further development.…”

Viscoelastic Properties of Human Facial Skin and Comparisons with Facial Prosthetic Elastomers

“…However, these are mostly single composition materials that focus solely on hard or soft tissue replacement, and often without direct comparison to known properties of healthy tissues. Furthermore, advancements in 3D printer development that permit the layering of rigid and flexible polymers that coincide with future material development are needed [47]. For filled PDMS, continued strategies to lower stiffness and increase deformability that include copolymerizing comonomers that widely differ in molecular weight, altering the monomer: crosslinker ratios, exploring combinations of nano-and submicron-sized fillers at various loading levels, and developing filler coatings that promote superior filler dispersion within polymer are needed.…”