RE: [rp-ml] Biodegradable polymers in RP?

From: Good, Jim (Jim.Good@tbe.com)
Date: Mon May 16 2005 - 17:47:53 EEST


Hey Tim!

I know that Joe Cesarano, from the Sandia Labs in Albuquerque, has worked
with HA in making lattice-type structures for medical purposes. He
developed the robocasting procedure which is an additive process using a
ceramic slurry or other slurries using powder materials. He has some
impressive parts made from different types of ceramics as well as some
ceramic/metal composites.

Here is an excerpt from an article
(http://www.mse.uiuc.edu/biomaterials/research.html)

Robotic Deposition of Hydroxyapatite Structures with Controlled Porosity for
the Improvement of Porous Bone Grafts

"Hydroxyapatite, the main mineral constituent of bone, has been used
successfully as a bone substitute material. Porous forms of hydroxyapatite
(HA) have shown excellent stability in vivo if pores are of an appropriate
size for bone cell ingrowth and vascularization.

The versatility of robocasting, a freeform fabrication technique that
robotically deposits ceramic suspensions, allows the fabrication of HA
structures with highly controlled novel internal architectures. Structures
with controlled pores on the size range of 100mm to 1000mm have been
produced with two different types of internal architecture. In contrast,
traditional methods of creating pores in HA offer limited control of the
pore architecture. The most common methods of porous HA are produced from
polymer spheres mixed with the HA powder or by the conversion of coral to
HA."

Jim Good

Muniz Engineering
In Situ Fabrication and Repair (ISFR)
256-726-1199

jim.good@tbe.com

-----Original Message-----
From: Timothy J Gornet [mailto:tim.gornet@louisville.edu]
Sent: Sunday, May 15, 2005 4:41 PM
To: stach58_2@hotmail.com; rp-ml@rapid.lpt.fi
Subject: Re: [rp-ml] Biodegradable polymers in RP?

Stacey,
There has also been work done with HA (hydroxyapetate sp?) in the past in
the SLS process.

Tim Gornet Manager, RP Operations
email: tim.gornet@louisville.edu
Rapid Prototyping Center
 Vogt Bldg. Rm 101, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY 40292
Phone: (502)852-0714 FAX: (502)852-8890
http://www.louisville.edu/speed/rpc/
>>> "Stacey Russell" <stach58_2@hotmail.com> 05/14/05 11:41 AM >>>
Does anyone use biodegradable polymers in any RP process? I think they are
using polycaprolactone (PCL) in Asia at the National Technological U. Is
anyone in the U.S. doing anything comparable?

Stacey Russell
Biomedical Engineering & Biotechnology
University of Massachusetts Lowell
One University Avenue
Lowell, MA 01854
phone: 978-458-0759
fax: 978-452-5711
cell: 508-843-0116



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