DIGITAL DENTISTRY


The field of digital dentistry has expanded rapidly with the availability of 3D-printing equipment with the capabilities to provide the accuracy required in the various materials that are used. Now, clinics and laboratories involved in dentistry are using 3D printers


worldwide and Envisiontec has installations in such diverse companies as a veneer producer in China, a dental alignment device manufacturer in Russia and a dental model producer in the UK. Using 3D printing, the dental industry has access to faster and more


accurate production of partial dentures, splints, guards, crown wax-ups and models with removable dies. This method of production has led to the formation of new “mail order” style dental companies that specialise in such treatment as aligners.


demonstrated the mechanical accuracy of 3D- printed spine models compared with cadaver spines. The study was able to demonstrate that the 3D-printed models of lumbar vertebrae accurately represented the range of motion compared to published literature on human spines.


MEDICAL DEVICE PRINTING


Optomec is also making advances in the healthcare market with an emphasis more aligned to medical devices and implants rather than replicating the human structure. The company has recently installed an industrialised 3D Printed Electronics system to a major medical device manufacturer in the USA, the delivery of which includes a large “menu” of printed products that can be produced without customisation. Medical device manufacturing currently makes up around one-fifth of the functions performed by Optomec’s equipment in the field in companies making products such as continuous glucose monitors (CGMs), functionalised catheters, surgical needles, assays for drug discovery and even a rapid test kit for COVID that can be used at home. The Aerosol Jet process is capable of printing


In the past, the medical industry used human bone, which is expensive, difficult to obtain and hard to acquire with the precise pathology characteristics needed, such as with tumours or reflecting different ages. Now, specific bone types can be produced and medical professionals can expect haptic feedback from the Stratasys Digital Anatomy models that is very realistic, and each model can be created from an actual patient scan.


ROBUST TESTING YIELDS RESULTS With something as crucial as healthcare, the software, materials and final models have had to undergo years of careful scrutiny and testing before becoming available for the market. Due to this testing and research, the complexity of the human structure can be replicated in fine detail. The joints between vertebrae can be printed in varying degrees of stiffness. The denser structure of skull bone is differentiated from general bones. Long bones can be printed with varying amounts of marrow. Different combinations of materials are produced to ensure the right biomechanical properties.


Researchers at the Computational Mechanics and Experimental Biomechanics Lab at Tel Aviv University conducted a clinical evaluation of the characteristics of bone models that were 3D printed on the Stratasys Digital Anatomy system, specifically focusing on how accurately they replicated screw pull-out force and driving torque using cortical and cancellous screws. The 2020 study concluded that orthopedic screws pull-out force in the 3D-printed models had a similar haptic response to human cadaver bone. A second study conducted by researchers at the


Technion Institute of Technology’s Materials Science and Engineering Laboratory in Israel


❱❱ Dentistry enters a new model of remote consultations thanks to 3D printing (above); the Stratasys Digital Anatomy 3D printer enables doctors to practice inserting screws (below) for orthopedic applications


conductive, insulating, adhesive and biological materials in 3D with dimensions as small as 10 microns. The platform is equipped with high precision 4-axis motion of 250 x 250 x 300mm and supports a work envelope that is sufficient for relatively large medical electronics, as well as batch production of other smaller devices such as wearables and implants. According to Optomec’s product manager, Bryan


Germann, the opportunities in healthcare arose from the company’s abilities to accurately 3D-print complex circuitry. “Medical device manufacturers asked us to eliminate the use of traditional circuit boards and flex circuitry in their products, opening up a whole new set of design possibilities for wearables and implants,” he says. By printing circuit components directly onto the


device, size can be reduced by as much as 50 per cent while making the device more comfortable to wear.


BIO-FABRICATION Amongst its large portfolio of 3D printing equipment, EnvisionTEC has a number of products aligned to healthcare, some of which have specific application in dental and hearing aid applications. The company also produces the 3D Biofabrication printer, which is available in three models for use by academic researchers, for product development and for full-scale production runs. As well as producing artificial bone, biopsy guides and other devices, the 3D Biofabrication printer has a prominent role in the production of medical hydrogel scaffolds. These devices can be implanted and are designed to act as a catalyst for tissue growth and are good for tissue regeneration. T&TH


March 2021 /// Testing & Test Houses /// 21


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