Using Vitamin B2 to Print Medical Implants

Oct-26-13 By using B2 to 3D print bio-compatible tissue scaffolds, researchers have developed a way to create non-toxic medical implants tailor-made for the patient.

The current method of printing complex tissue scaffolds features two-photon polymerization, during which a block of precursor liquid is selectively solidified by a targeted light source. However, the toxicity level of the photosensitive chemicals used to make the liquid causes them to be unsuitable for medical applications.

As an alternative, a team at North Carolina University developed a technique that uses the naturally light-sensitive, and bio-compatible, riboflavin (B2) instead of toxic chemicals to create the precursor liquid. According to Dr. Roger Narayan, “This opens the door to a much wider range of biocompatible implant materials, which can be used to develop customized implant designs using 3-D printing technology.”

More Info about this Invention:

[MEDGADGET.COM]
[NORTH CAROLINA UNIVERSITY]

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