New technique for 3D printing medical implants

University of Melbourne and RMIT researchers alongside clinicians at St Vincent’s Hospital Melbourne, have improved 3D printing to create some incredibly intricate biomedical structures, advancing the development of new technologies for regrowing bones and tissue.

3D Printing Team

Pictured (left to right):  Dr Carmine Onofrillo (DoS UoM), Steph Doyle (RMIT), Cathl O'Connell (RMIT) & Dr Serena Dunchi  (Dos UoM)

University of Melbourne and RMIT researchers alongside clinicians at St Vincent’s Hospital Melbourne, have improved 3D printing to create some incredibly intricate biomedical structures, advancing the development of new technologies for regrowing bones and tissue.

The study led by Dr. Cathal O’Connell and PhD student Steph Doyle from RMIT University with Prof. Elena Pirogova, have been able to create fingernail-sized bioscaffolds full of elaborate structures that, until now, were considered impossible with standard extrusion 3D printers. This method relies upon readily available technology and is therefore cost-effective and easily scalable.

This indirect approach involves creating 3D printed moulds with intricately-patterned cavities and then filling them with biocompatible materials, before dissolving the moulds away.

You can read about this fantastic research, which features the Department of Surgery’s very own Dr Serena Duchi, Dr Carmine Onofrillo and A/Prof. Claudia Di Bella, via Advanced Materials Technologies.

The research was supported by the St Vincent’s Hospital Melbourne Research Endowment Fund, Victorian Medical Research Acceleration Fund, NHMRC-MRFF Investigator Grant and Australian Technology Network of Universities Industry Doctoral Training Centre.

Article:

Doyle, S. E., Duchi, S., Onofrillo, C., Quigley, A., Di, C., Pirogova, E., O'Connell, C. D., Printing between the Lines: Intricate Biomaterial Structures Fabricated via Negative Embodied Sacrificial Template 3D (NEST3D) Printing. Adv. Mater. Technol. 2021, 2100189. https://doi.org/10.1002/admt.202100189

RMIT Press Release: https://www.rmit.edu.au/news/all-news/2021/may/3d-printing-implants