{"id":180603,"date":"2021-04-09T03:01:26","date_gmt":"2021-04-09T03:01:26","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/facfox.com\/news\/?p=180603"},"modified":"2021-04-06T03:17:31","modified_gmt":"2021-04-06T03:17:31","slug":"micro-3d-printed-needles-and-the-market-for-%ce%bc-resolution-3d-printing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/facfox.com\/news\/micro-3d-printed-needles-and-the-market-for-%ce%bc-resolution-3d-printing\/","title":{"rendered":"Micro 3D Printed Needles and The Market for \u03bc-Resolution 3D Printing"},"content":{"rendered":"

Last month, researchers at Carnegie Mellon University\u2019s College of Engineering and the University of Pittsburgh\u2019s School of Medicine demonstrated a 3D print<\/a>ed microneedle array platform capable of delivering vaccines directly into the skin, with the part<\/a>icular goal of improving COVID-19 vaccine delivery in the developing world. The study was conducted using micro-stereolithography P\u03bcSL 3D print<\/a>ing<\/a> technology developed by Boston Micro Fabrication and is the latest effort in a race to the most precise 3D print<\/a>s to produce objects used in our macroscopic world.<\/p>\n

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BMF<\/h2>\n

Leaving out for one second the technologies for nano 3D print<\/a>ing<\/a>, which deserve a dedicated art<\/a>icle and are capable of achieving nanometric (1\/1,000,000th of a meter) resolution, for a large and growing number of technical application<\/a>s, here we zoom in on companies using advanced and ultra-precise stereolithography to make part<\/a>s with a resolution of just a few microns (1\/1,000th of a meter).<\/p>\n

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For the Carnegie Mellon-led project, Professor Ozdoganlar\u2019s team used stereolithography-based (P\u03bcSL) micro 3D print<\/a>ers from Bostom Micro Fabrication (BMF). Using polymer and composite additive manufacturing, BMF is able to produce high-precision\/high-tolerance industrial part<\/a>s (2\u03bcm printing resolution and +\/- 10\u00b5m tolerance).<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are thrilled to collaborate with Professor Ozdoganlar and Carnegie Mellon on such an important and impactful project. Our micro-precision 3D print<\/a>ing<\/a> technology allows for the rapid and precise fabrication of microneedle arrays, resulting in time and cost savings that far exceed traditional manufacturing methods,\u201d said John Kawola, CEO of Boston Micro Fabrication.<\/p>\n

Common medical<\/a> application<\/a>s for BMF\u2019s P\u03bcSL technology include endoscopes, cardiovascular stents, and blood heat exchangers. P\u03bcSL technology has already been used to 3D print<\/a> a spiral syringe needle for minimally invasive surgery, a 3D print<\/a>ed valve for a gene sequencer, and lab-on-a-chip (LOC) devices.<\/p>\n

BMF\u2019s ultra-high-resolution 3D print<\/a>ers are part<\/a> of the company\u2019s microArch series, which includes systems capable of anywhere between 25\u03bcm to just 2\u03bcm resolutions. The microArch P-130 and microArch S-130 are the highest resolution 3D print<\/a>ers, developed for application<\/a>s that require tight tolerances, with BMF\u2019s range of materials. The idea behind achieving such a high-resolution is actually to compete with injection molding level tolerances.<\/p>\n

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Nanofabrica<\/h2>\n

Nanofabrica is one of BMF\u2019s leading competitors in the micro 3D print<\/a>ing<\/a> segment. The Israeli company is leading the field of precision digital manufacturing with its additive manufacturing systems, the TERA 250, based on innovative Micro Adaptive Projection technology.<\/p>\n