Development of a “Small Contractions” Sensor for Practical Work in Biology Using 3D Printing Technology

Abstract

This article presents the development of a “small contraction” sensor fabricated using 3D printing and intended for practical works of biology; with the aim to replace the traditionally used system. This fabricated sensor is then integrated into a Computer Assisted Experiment (CAE) environment. CAE is a teaching technology that allows the students to carry out the acquisition and the processing of their data on computer (saving, adding comments, amplification…). The combination of these two technologies (CAE and 3D printing) has made it possible to equip low-cost multipurpose labs requiring minimal maintenance and where the work space is standardized. The result of a survey conducted with the students at the end of the lab sessions shows that 79.1% of them prefer the use of the new system, given the advantages it offers in terms of better understanding of the practical works objectives, time saving and the data processing functionalities it provides.

A Review of Material, Design, and Techniques in 3D Printing for Medical Applications

“…Models and building components have been produced using 3D printing in architecture and construction [49]. One previous paper uses 3D printing technology to fabricate a "small contraction" sensor for practical biology work, achieving high-quality and affordable fabrication compared to other technologies [50]. Figure 1 shows a few of the popular 3D printing techniques, which are selective laser sintering (SLS), stereolithography (SLA), fused deposition modeling (FDM), and binder jet printing (BJ) [51].…”