Medical devices from the 3D printer

Additive manufacturing directly from the granules
(c) DITF

DITF show new applications at MEDICA.

The German Institutes of Textile and Fiber Research Denkendorf (DITF) will be exhibiting at the medical technology trade fair MEDICA in Düsseldorf from November 14 to 17 2022. At the joint Baden-Württemberg International Booth, the DITF will be presenting new developments in the field of 3D printing, such as for bone replacements.

Textile ankle-foot orthosis with footbed printed into the sock
(c) DITF

In their research, the DITF also work with the Arburg Freeformer 300-3X 3D printer, which can process up to three meltable polymers of different hardness in one component. This enables hard-soft transitions, which are required, for example, in implants for body tissue replacement and in combinations with textiles. The 3D printer processes thermoplastics directly as granules without the detour via printing filaments or powders, so that even very soft or delicate materials can be processed.

One application of additive manufacturing on textiles by applying thermoplastic layers is the production of textile orthoses. Together with the Dynamic Competence Center Claudia Eisert (Mühltal), the DITF are developing a novel foot orthosis with an integrated footbed for patients with cerebral palsy. Unlike previous orthoses made of plastic, this dynamic ankle-foot orthosis consists of a tight-fitting sock that encloses the foot and ankle joint without gaps. The corrected alignment of the foot and depth-sensory feedback enable patients to better perceive the position and movement of their own body.

At the booth, the DITF will also be demonstrating new processes for producing porous materials, such as needed for cell cultures. For this purpose, fused filaments are used in the so-called FFF process to create highly porous fine fiber fleece structures by applying additional high voltage between the nozzle and the collector plate. Pores of different sizes and shapes and a variety of properties can thus be produced.

Contact for scientific information:

Carsten Linti
Head of Technology Center Biomedical Engineering
T +49 (0)711 93 40-365
E carsten.linti@ditf.de

https://www.ditf.de/de/

Media Contact

Sabine Keller Presse- und Öffentlichkeitsarbeit
Deutsche Institute für Textil- und Faserforschung Denkendorf

All latest news from the category: Medical Engineering

The development of medical equipment, products and technical procedures is characterized by high research and development costs in a variety of fields related to the study of human medicine.

innovations-report provides informative and stimulating reports and articles on topics ranging from imaging processes, cell and tissue techniques, optical techniques, implants, orthopedic aids, clinical and medical office equipment, dialysis systems and x-ray/radiation monitoring devices to endoscopy, ultrasound, surgical techniques, and dental materials.

Back to home

Comments (0)

Write a comment

Newest articles

Bringing bio-inspired robots to life

Nebraska researcher Eric Markvicka gets NSF CAREER Award to pursue manufacture of novel materials for soft robotics and stretchable electronics. Engineers are increasingly eager to develop robots that mimic the…

Bella moths use poison to attract mates

Scientists are closer to finding out how. Pyrrolizidine alkaloids are as bitter and toxic as they are hard to pronounce. They’re produced by several different types of plants and are…

AI tool creates ‘synthetic’ images of cells

…for enhanced microscopy analysis. Observing individual cells through microscopes can reveal a range of important cell biological phenomena that frequently play a role in human diseases, but the process of…

Partners & Sponsors