This technology employs a layered, rotated plywood pattern modeled on natural bone tissue. It features mineral-embedded microfibers arranged in multiple lamellae with controlled angular displacements derived from advanced imaging techniques such as micro-diffraction and X-ray micro-computed tomography. Using binder-jet 3D printing, the structure can be customized in shape and composition with metals, polymers, ceramics, or their blends. Its design incorporates concentric and sequential layers with alternating or spiral twist patterns, enhancing mechanical properties like elastic modulus, compressive strength, flexibility, and crack deflection while ensuring a smooth transition between elastic and plastic deformation.
Description
What differentiates this approach is its biomimetic replication of the natural bone’s hierarchical architecture achieved through precise quantitative analysis. By aligning layers at angles ranging from 0 to 90 degrees and integrating customizable material compositions, it surpasses conventional grid-like designs. The process, which draws directly from patient imaging data and CAD models, leads to uniform deformation profiles and superior resilience. This data-driven, additive manufacturing technique sets a new standard in tissue engineering by combining biological inspiration with advanced fabrication methods for enhanced mechanical performance.
Applications
- Bone tissue scaffold design
- Customized orthopedic implant fabrication
- Advanced 3D-printed bone structures
Advantages
- Replicates natural bone’s hierarchical, rotated plywood structure to achieve improved mechanical properties such as higher elastic modulus and compressive strength.
- Enhances structural performance with increased flexibility, uniform deformation, and effective crack deflection.
- Enables customizable scaffold shapes through additive manufacturing, allowing designs to be tailored from patient-specific imaging data.
- Offers versatility by accommodating various materials—metals, polymers, ceramics, or blends—to suit different tissue engineering requirements.
- Leverages advanced imaging techniques for a data-driven approach in determining precise layer orientations and angular displacements.
IP Status
https://patents.google.com/patent/US10806586B2
