Adaptação de uma máquina de manufatura aditiva de baixo custo para deposição de biomateriais

Abstract

Additive manufacturing has revolutionized the manufacturing area in recent years. Using a 3D printer and from a virtual model of the object it is possible to fabricate complex geometries, eliminating the limitations of other processes such as machining where access points are required for the tool. In addition to freedom in the form of the object, additive manufacture provided the fabrication of objects with completely different geometries in the same machine without the need for any kind of machine preparation. Due to these characteristics, the possibility of using this technology in the medical area, for the printing of human tissues, bones and organs has arisen. Currently there is a great demand for patients who need transplants and the additive manufacture of human organs may be the solution to this problem. It has not yet been possible to print and transplant an entire organ into a patient, however everything points to a possible short-term future. For its accomplishment, studies are necessary in the area of the additive manufacture to enable the printing of biomaterials. In some research centers, there are already printers using syringes that are capable of printing such materials, however these machines have a prohibitive cost that makes their diffusion impossible. The purpose of this research is to adapt a low-cost additive manufacturing machine to be able to print biomaterial. This would allow the popularization of these machines in hospitals and laboratories, enabling and disseminating the use of biomaterials printing technology for use in the medical field.