Digital fabrication of multi-material biomedical objects

Biofabrication. 2009 Dec;1(4):045001. doi: 10.1088/1758-5082/1/4/045001. Epub 2009 Oct 30.

Abstract

This paper describes a multi-material virtual prototyping (MMVP) system for modelling and digital fabrication of discrete and functionally graded multi-material objects for biomedical applications. The MMVP system consists of a DMMVP module, an FGMVP module and a virtual reality (VR) simulation module. The DMMVP module is used to model discrete multi-material (DMM) objects, while the FGMVP module is for functionally graded multi-material (FGM) objects. The VR simulation module integrates these two modules to perform digital fabrication of multi-material objects, which can be subsequently visualized and analysed in a virtual environment to optimize MMLM processes for fabrication of product prototypes. Using the MMVP system, two biomedical objects, including a DMM human spine and an FGM intervertebral disc spacer are modelled and digitally fabricated for visualization and analysis in a VR environment. These studies show that the MMVP system is a practical tool for modelling, visualization, and subsequent fabrication of biomedical objects of discrete and functionally graded multi-materials for biomedical applications. The system may be adapted to control MMLM machines with appropriate hardware for physical fabrication of biomedical objects.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Biocompatible Materials
  • Biomedical Technology / methods*
  • Computer Graphics
  • Computer Simulation
  • Computer-Aided Design*
  • Humans
  • Intervertebral Disc / anatomy & histology
  • Models, Anatomic*
  • Prosthesis Design / methods*
  • Software*
  • Spine / anatomy & histology

Substances

  • Biocompatible Materials