O2 permeability of additively manufactured silicone
Additive manufacturing of silicone is particularly interesting for biomedical devices with complex internal structures. We studied the O2 permeability of additively manufactured silicone because in many biomedical applications oxygen exchange is important.
AM enables complex parts to be fabricated from silicone. One application where AM of silicone has a big potential is fluid handling systems for body fluids such as blood; for example, extracorporeal blood oxygenators or hemodialysis machines. In addition, bioreactors for cell growth could be printed in silicone to integrate several functions in one part, such as perfusion, gas exchange, and mechanical stimulation. Each interface of a fluid system is a weak spot, where its failure can lead to critical consequences such as leakage or contamination. The use of AM allows to increase the system integration, hence, reducing the number of interfaces.
Together with external pageEmpa and external pageHSLU, we investigated the permeability of additively manufactured silicone membranes. The membranes were additively manufactured by external pageSpectroplast AG and compared with conventionally manufactured membranes from external pageWacker Chemie AG. It was shown that the permeability is comparable. This is an intriguing result for the future use of AM of silicone in the medical field. More details can be found in our open access publication "O2 permeability of additively manufactured silicone membranes". external pageView Full Paper
For more information, please contact Marcel Gort or Mirko Meboldt.