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 ...
Scientists at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD), have reported a unique polymeric material that disassembles when exposed to low levels of near infrared (NIR) irradiation, is well-tolerated by cells, and could be used for in vivo medical and biological applications.
“To the best of our knowledge, this is the only polymeric material specifically designed to break down [into] small fragments in response to very low levels of NIR irradiation,” said research team leader Adah in a statement from the university. In addition, “we think there is great potential for use in human patients, allowing previously inaccessible targets sites to be reached for both treatment and diagnosis,” she said.
The milestone research also indicates that cells can tolerate both the polymer and its breakdown products. Biomaterials that were previously developed were difficult to clear out of the body.NIR irradiation penetrates up to 10 cm deep into tissues with more precision and less damage, absorption, and scattering in comparison with visible light. Though a few materials could respond to high-level NIR irradiation, no material has responded to low-level NIR irradiation, according to the statement.
The new biomaterial is considered a “smart” polymer because it responds when its environment changes. Scientists and engineers envision using them for applications including tissue engineering, wound healing, drug delivery, and biosensors.
The researchers reported in a journal article how this smart polymer works:
The design relies on the photolysis of the multiple pendant 4-bromo7-hydroxycoumarin protecting groups to trigger a cascade of cyclization and rearrangement reactions leading to the degradation of the polymer backbone.
The UCSD researchers are currently working on synthetic and engineering strategies to create biomaterials that are even more sensitive to NIR irradiation.
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