Class
Article
Department
Biological and Irrigation Engineering
Presentation Type
Poster Presentation
Abstract
At $3.07 billion in 2013, the 3D printing industry was projected to reach $12.8 billion in 2018 and exceed $21 billion by 2020 (Wohlers and Caffrey, 2013). A lucrative part of this expanding industry includes printing biocompatible medical implants, devices, and tissue scaffolds. A common problem encountered with traditional devices, implants, and tissue scaffolds is that they are not unique to the patient and lack the necessary strength and biocompatibility. To answer these demands, customizable devices are being produced from patient medical scans and CAD designs using 3D printers. These printers traditionally use thermoplastics because of the ease with which they are printed. These plastics are typically regarded as biocompatible but can degrade to less biocompatible forms in the body and leave the implant site, causing inflammatory and foreign body responses. Because of these problems, there has been a focus on developing new biomaterials for medical 3D printers. Spider silk is a natural protein polymer that is stronger than steel or Kevlar and more elastic than nylon. It has also been shown to be more biocompatible than many materials currently used in 3D printers. In previous animal studies, spider silk has proven to not cause an inflammatory response upon degradation which makes it a desired resorbable implant material (Lewis, 2006). A 3D printer system comprised of a synthetic spider silk resin and a modified 3D printer was developed. A fused filament 3D printer, purchased for under $600, was modified with a custom syringe pump design. This syringe pump allowed for the extrusion of spider silk proteins through a needle, producing defined structures. Cell studies were performed on these structures which showed favorable cell attachment and growth. Capable of entering various emerging industries, spider silk offers an alternative in 3D printed biomaterials.
Start Date
4-14-2016 10:30 AM
End Date
4-14-2016 11:45 AM
Included in
ARAKNIPRINT: 3D Printing of Synthetic Spider Silk to Produce Biocompatible and Resorbable Biomaterials
At $3.07 billion in 2013, the 3D printing industry was projected to reach $12.8 billion in 2018 and exceed $21 billion by 2020 (Wohlers and Caffrey, 2013). A lucrative part of this expanding industry includes printing biocompatible medical implants, devices, and tissue scaffolds. A common problem encountered with traditional devices, implants, and tissue scaffolds is that they are not unique to the patient and lack the necessary strength and biocompatibility. To answer these demands, customizable devices are being produced from patient medical scans and CAD designs using 3D printers. These printers traditionally use thermoplastics because of the ease with which they are printed. These plastics are typically regarded as biocompatible but can degrade to less biocompatible forms in the body and leave the implant site, causing inflammatory and foreign body responses. Because of these problems, there has been a focus on developing new biomaterials for medical 3D printers. Spider silk is a natural protein polymer that is stronger than steel or Kevlar and more elastic than nylon. It has also been shown to be more biocompatible than many materials currently used in 3D printers. In previous animal studies, spider silk has proven to not cause an inflammatory response upon degradation which makes it a desired resorbable implant material (Lewis, 2006). A 3D printer system comprised of a synthetic spider silk resin and a modified 3D printer was developed. A fused filament 3D printer, purchased for under $600, was modified with a custom syringe pump design. This syringe pump allowed for the extrusion of spider silk proteins through a needle, producing defined structures. Cell studies were performed on these structures which showed favorable cell attachment and growth. Capable of entering various emerging industries, spider silk offers an alternative in 3D printed biomaterials.