When it comes to 3D printing, the sky is the limit. As 3D printing technology continues to advance, applications can be as far reaching as airplane and automobile parts to medical devices and even anatomically correct, biocompatible models. Although 3D printing technology is developing at a rapid pace, the technology itself is not new. It emerged in the 1980s as a means of creating rapid prototypes. In recent years the applications for 3D printed models have evolved with the available hardware, software, and printable materials. Evolving technology, paired with the creative and innovative minds of scientists, engineers, and physicians, has been the launching pad for developments within 3D printing technology specific to healthcare. One way 3D printing technology is poised to create better patient outcomes is in creating an anatomically and patient-specific models to aid in surgery and medical procedures. With the capability to 3D ...
Hmmmmmmm. Bzzzt. Hmmmmm. Zzzzt.
Thanks to some researchers at Wake Forest University, office workers won’t have to hear these noises coming from the lights overhead. That’s because the scientists have developed a polymer electroluminescent (FIPEL) technology that emits a quiet, soft, white light, rather than a humming, yellowish glow or a bluish tinge from light-emitting diodes (LEDs), according to a university press release.
“People often complain that fluorescent lights bother their eyes, and the hum from the fluorescent tubes irritates anyone sitting at a desk underneath them,” says David Carroll, professor of physics and director of the Center for Nanotechnology and Molecular Materials at Wake Forest. “The new lights we have created can cure both of those problems and more.”
The research team has created an entirely new light bulb. They use a nano-engineered polymer matrix to convert an electrical charge into light. Their work is summarized in an article in the journal Organic Electronics.
The developers say that the bulb produces a natural light, and it can be flexible in shape. The university press release explains further:
The device is made of three layers of moldable white-emitting polymer blended with a small amount of nanomaterials that glow when stimulated to create bright and perfectly white light similar to the sunlight human eyes prefer. However, it can be made in any color and any shape — from 2×4-foot sheets to replace office lighting to a bulb with Edison sockets to fit household lamps and light fixtures.
The university researchers claim that the new bulb is at least twice as efficient as compact fluorescent bulbs (CFLs) and about the same as LEDs. However, Carroll’s bulb will not break and contaminate a home or emit bluish light like the LEDs. They also are long-lasting; Carroll has had one that has worked for about 10 years.
“If you wanted blue lights, discos would still be popular,” Carroll says. “You want lights that have a spectral content that is appealing to us inside of a building. You want a light that won’t shatter and create a hazmat situation while your children are around.”
The team’s FIPEL can be manufactured on a large scale and replace office lighting with natural white light. Carroll also sees applications for large display lighting, from storefront windows to signs on buses and subway cars.
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