There is, I think, something ethereal about i —the square root of minus one. I remember first hearing about it at school. It seemed an odd beast at that time—an intruder hovering on the edge of reality.

Usually familiarity dulls this sense of the bizarre, but in the case of i it was the reverse: over the years the sense of its surreal nature intensified. It seemed that it was impossible to write mathematics that described the real world in …

I and i

Propulsion system development requires new, more affordable manufacturing techniques and technologies in a constrained budget environment, while future in-space applications will require in-space manufacturing and assembly of parts and systems. Marshall is advancing cuttingedge commercial capabilities in additive and digital manufacturing and applying them to aerospace challenges. The Center is developing the standards by which new manufacturing processes and parts will be tested and qualified. Rapidly evolving digital tools, such as additive manufacturing, are the leading edge of a revolution in the design and manufacture of space systems that enables rapid prototyping and reduces production times. Marshall has unique expertise in leveraging new digital tools, 3D printing, and other advanced manufacturing technologies and applying them to propulsion systems design and other aerospace materials to meet NASA mission and industry needs. Marshall is helping establish the standards and qualifications “from art to part” for the use of these advanced techniques and the parts produced using them in aerospace or elsewhere in the U.S. industrial base.

Additive manufacturing

3D printing: Principles and pharmaceutical applications of selective laser sintering.

Advances in powder bed fusion 3D printing in drug delivery and healthcare.

Currently, the emergence of a novel human coronavirus disease, named COVID-19, has become a great global public health concern causing severe respiratory tract infections in humans. Yet, there is no specific vaccine or treatment for this COVID-19 where anti-disease measures rely on preventing or slowing the transmission of infection from one person to another. In particularly, there is a growing effort to prevent or reduce transmission to frontline healthcare professionals. However, it is becoming an increasingly international concern respecting the shortage in the supply chain of critical single-use personal protective equipment (PPE). To that scope, we aim in the present work to provide a comprehensive overview of the latest 3D printing efforts against COVID-19, including professional additive manufacturing (AM) providers, makers and designers in the 3D printing community. Through this review paper, the response to several questions and inquiries regarding the following issues are addressed: technical factors connected with AM processes; recommendations for testing and characterizing medical devices that additively manufactured; AM materials that can be used for medical devices; biological concerns of final 3D printed medical parts, comprising biocompatibility, cleaning and sterility; and limitations of AM technology.

https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/13/15/3339/pdf

3D printing to support the shortage in personal protective equipment caused by COVID-19 pandemic

Additive Manufacturing Technologies for Drug Delivery Applications.

Origami structures have attracted attention in biomedical applications due to their ability to develop surgical tools that can be expanded from a minimal volume to a larger and functional device. On the other hand, four-dimensional (4D) printing is an emerging technology, which involves 3D printing of smart materials that can respond to external stimuli such as heat. This short communication introduces the proof of concept of merging origami and 4D printing technologies to develop minimally invasive delivery of functional biomedical scaffolds with high shape recovery. The shape-memory effect (SME) of the PLA filament and the origami designs were also assessed in terms of deformability and recovery rate. The results showed that herringbone tessellation origami structure combined with internal natural cancellous bone core satisfies the design requirement of foldable scaffolds. The substantial and consistent SME of the 4D printed herringbone tessellation origami, which exhibited 96% recovery compared to 61% for PLA filament, was the most significant discovery of this paper. The experiments demonstrated how the use of 4D printing in situ with origami structures could achieve reliable and repeatable results, therefore conclusively proving how 4D printing of origami structures can be applied to biomedical scaffolds.

4D Printing of Origami Structures for Minimally Invasive Surgeries Using Functional Scaffold

The latest advancements in bone scaffold technology have introduced novel biomaterials that have the ability to generate oxygen when implanted, improving cell viability and tissue maturation. In this paper, we present a new oxygen-generating polylactic acid (PLA)/calcium peroxide (CPO) composite filament that can be used in 3D printing scaffolds. The composite material was prepared using a wet solution mixing method, followed by drying and hot melting extrusion. The concentration of calcium peroxide in the composite varied from 0% to 9%. The prepared filaments were characterized in terms of the presence of calcium peroxide, the generated oxygen release, porosity, and antibacterial activities. Data obtained from scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction showed that the calcium peroxide remained stable in the composite. The maximum calcium and oxygen release was observed in filaments with a 6% calcium peroxide content. In addition, bacterial inhibition was achieved in samples with a calcium peroxide content of 6% or higher. These results indicate that an optimized PLA filament with a 6% calcium peroxide content holds great promise for improving bone generation through bone cell oxygenation and resistance to bacterial infections.

https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8247/16/4/627/pdf?version=1682041769

Fabrication and Characterization of Oxygen-Generating Polylactic Acid/Calcium Peroxide Composite Filaments for Bone Scaffolds

Bone is a complex connective tissue that serves as mechanical and structural support for the human body. Bones' fractures are common, and the healing process is physiologically complex and involves both mechanical and biological aspects. Tissue engineering of bone scaffolds holds great promise for the future treatment of bone injuries. However, conventional technologies to prepare bone scaffolds cannot provide the required properties of human bones. Over the past decade, three-dimensional (3D) printing or additive manufacturing technologies have enabled control over the creation of bone scaffolds with personalized geometries, appropriate materials, and tailored pores. This article aims to review recent advances in the fabrication of bone scaffolds for bone repair and regeneration. A detailed review of bone fracture repair and an in-depth discussion on conventional manufacturing and 3D printing techniques are introduced with an emphasis on novel studies concepts, potentials, and limitations. 

Review on Engineering of Bone Scaffolds Using Conventional and Additive Manufacturing Technologies

Background: Porcelain combined with zirconia core substructure has low fracture toughness. Nanoparticles are incorporated into the porcelain to boost its mechanical properties. Aims: To evaluate the effect of the incorporation of silver oxide and titanium oxide nanoparticles into porcelain powder on the bond strength of porcelain veneer to zirconia core. The flexural strength of nanoparticles-modified porcelain was also evaluated. Materials and Methods: The flexural strength of feldspathic porcelain was measured (according to ISO specifications number 6872) after the incorporation of silver and titanium oxide nanoparticles. For measuring the bond strength at the porcelain-zirconia interface, 70 bars (4 × 4 × 12 mm) of zirconia were cut and fired in a furnace. The control and nanoparticles-modified porcelain powders were built up on the zirconia bars and fired to create veneers of 3 mm height, 4 mm width and 4 mm thickness. The porcelain veneers were de-attached from the zirconia core by the universal testing machine. The failure load was recorded to calculate the bond strength. Statistical Analysis: The data were analysed with one-way analysis of variance followed by Tukey's test. Results: The addition of 0.5–1.5% silver oxide nanoparticles to feldspathic porcelain increased the flexural strength. The addition of 1.0–4.0% titanium oxide nanoparticles to feldspathic porcelain increased the flexural strength. Either 0.5–1.0% silver oxide or 3.0–4.0% titanium oxide nanoparticles in feldspathic porcelain increased the shear bond strength to zirconia core. Conclusion: The flexural strength of porcelain veneer and the bond strength at porcelain-zirconia interface can be improved by adding either 0.5% silver oxide nanoparticles or 4% titanium oxide nanoparticles to porcelain powder.

Abdullah Mohammed

Papers

Additive Manufacturing Technologies for Drug Delivery Applications.

4D Printing of Origami Structures for Minimally Invasive Surgeries Using Functional Scaffold

Fabrication and Characterization of Oxygen-Generating Polylactic Acid/Calcium Peroxide Composite Filaments for Bone Scaffolds

Review on Engineering of Bone Scaffolds Using Conventional and Additive Manufacturing Technologies

The effect of adding nanoparticles to dental porcelain on the fracture resistance and bond strength to zirconia core