Discovery allows 3D printing of sensors directly on expanding organs
Technology could help diagnose and monitor patients with COVID-19

Date:
June 17, 2020
Source:
University of Minnesota
Summary:
Mechanical engineers and computer scientists have developed a 3D
printing technique that uses motion capture technology, similar
to that used in Hollywood movies, to print electronic sensors
directly on organs that are expanding and contracting.



FULL STORY ==========================================================================
In groundbreaking new research, mechanical engineers and computer
scientists at the University of Minnesota have developed a 3D printing technique that uses motion capture technology, similar to that used in Hollywood movies, to print electronic sensors directly on organs that
are expanding and contracting. The new 3D printing technique could have
future applications in diagnosing and monitoring the lungs of patients
with COVID-19.


==========================================================================
The research is published in Science Advances, a peer-reviewed scientific journal published by the American Association for the Advancement of
Science (AAAS).

The new research is the next generation of a 3D printing technique
discovered two years ago by members of the team that allowed for printing
of electronics directly on the skin of a hand that moved left to right or rotated. The new technique allows for even more sophisticated tracking
to 3D print sensors on organs like the lungs or heart that change shape
or distort due to expanding and contracting.

"We are pushing the boundaries of 3D printing in new ways we never even imagined years ago," said Michael McAlpine, a University of Minnesota mechanical engineering professor and senior researcher on the study. "3D printing on a moving object is difficult enough, but it was quite a
challenge to find a way to print on a surface that was deforming as
it expanded and contracted." The researchers started in the lab with
a balloon-like surface and a specialized 3D printer. They used motion
capture tracking markers, much like those used in movies to create special effects, to help the 3D printer adapt its printing path to the expansion
and contraction movements on the surface.

The researchers then moved on to an animal lung in the lab that was artificially inflated. They were able to successfully print a soft
hydrogel- based sensor directly on the surface. McAlpine said the
technique could also possibly be used in the future to 3D print sensors
on a pumping heart.

"The broader idea behind this research, is that this is a big step forward
to the goal of combining 3D printing technology with surgical robots,"
said McAlpine, who holds the Kuhrmeyer Family Chair Professorship in
the University of Minnesota Department of Mechanical Engineering. "In
the future, 3D printing will not be just about printing but instead
be part of a larger autonomous robotic system. This could be important
for diseases like COVID-19 where health care providers are at risk when treating patients." Other members of the research team included lead
author Zhijie Zhu, a University of Minnesota mechanical engineering
Ph.D. candidate, and Hyun Soo Park, an assistant professor in the
University of Minnesota Department of Computer Science and Engineering.

The research was supported by Medtronic (for sensor development) and
the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering of the
National Institutes of Health under Award Number DP2EB020537. Additional support was provided by a University of Minnesota Doctoral Dissertation Fellowship awarded to Zhijie Zhu.


========================================================================== Story Source: Materials provided by University_of_Minnesota. Note:
Content may be edited for style and length.


========================================================================== Related Multimedia:
* YouTube_video:_3D_Printed_Deformable_Sensors ========================================================================== Journal Reference:
1. Zhijie Zhu, Hyun Soo Park, Michael C. McAlpine. 3D printed
deformable
sensors. Science Advances, 2020; 6 (25): eaba5575 DOI: 10.1126/
sciadv.aba5575 ==========================================================================

Link to news story: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/06/200617150045.htm

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