TY - JOUR
T1 - An alternative filament fabrication method as the basis for 3D-printing personalized implants from elastic ethylene vinyl acetate copolymer
AU - Brandl, Bianca
AU - Eder, Simone
AU - Hirtler, Andreas
AU - Khinast, Gloria
AU - Haley, Jeffrey
AU - Schneider, Christian
AU - Theissl, Samuel
AU - Bramboeck, Andreas
AU - Treffer, Daniel
AU - Heupl, Sarah
AU - Spoerk, Martin
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© The Author(s) 2024.
PY - 2024/12
Y1 - 2024/12
N2 - In this work, a novel tool for small-scale filament production is presented. Unlike traditional methods such as hot melt extrusion (HME), the device (i) allows filament manufacturing from small material amounts as low as three grams, (ii) ensures high diameter stability almost independent of the viscoelastic behavior of the polymer melt, and (iii) enables processing of materials with rheological profiles specifically tailored toward fused filament fabrication (FFF). Hence, novel materials, previously difficult to process due to HME limitations, become easily accessible for FFF for the first time. Here, we showcase the production of highly flexible drug-free, and drug-loaded filaments based on ethylene-vinyl acetate polymers with a vinyl acetate content of 28 w% (EVA28) and unprecedented high melt flow rates of up to 400 g/10 min. Owing to their low viscosity, FFF with low print nozzle sizes of 250 μm was achieved for the first time for EVA28. These small nozzle diameters facilitate 3D-printing of high-resolution structures in small-dimensional dosage forms such as subcutaneous implantable drug delivery systems, which can later be used for personalization. Consequently, the material portfolio for FFF is tremendously broadened, allowing material and formulation optimization toward FFF, independent of a preliminary extrusion process.
AB - In this work, a novel tool for small-scale filament production is presented. Unlike traditional methods such as hot melt extrusion (HME), the device (i) allows filament manufacturing from small material amounts as low as three grams, (ii) ensures high diameter stability almost independent of the viscoelastic behavior of the polymer melt, and (iii) enables processing of materials with rheological profiles specifically tailored toward fused filament fabrication (FFF). Hence, novel materials, previously difficult to process due to HME limitations, become easily accessible for FFF for the first time. Here, we showcase the production of highly flexible drug-free, and drug-loaded filaments based on ethylene-vinyl acetate polymers with a vinyl acetate content of 28 w% (EVA28) and unprecedented high melt flow rates of up to 400 g/10 min. Owing to their low viscosity, FFF with low print nozzle sizes of 250 μm was achieved for the first time for EVA28. These small nozzle diameters facilitate 3D-printing of high-resolution structures in small-dimensional dosage forms such as subcutaneous implantable drug delivery systems, which can later be used for personalization. Consequently, the material portfolio for FFF is tremendously broadened, allowing material and formulation optimization toward FFF, independent of a preliminary extrusion process.
KW - High-resolution printing
KW - Highly flexible 3D-printing filaments
KW - Implantable drug delivery systems
KW - Low-viscosity material filaments
KW - Small-scale filament production
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85205527445&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1038/s41598-024-73424-6
DO - 10.1038/s41598-024-73424-6
M3 - Article
C2 - 39354037
AN - SCOPUS:85205527445
SN - 2045-2322
VL - 14
JO - Scientific Reports
JF - Scientific Reports
IS - 1
M1 - 22773
ER -