Three-dimensional printing apparatus and methods of manufacture including sterilization or disinfection, for example, using ultraviolet light

• US 20050061241A1
• Filed: 07/14/2004
• Published: 03/24/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 07/14/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Theken Spine LLC (Orthofix Medical Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Therics Inc.
• Inventors: Gaylo, Christopher M., Liu, Qing, Materna, Peter A., Litwak, Alfred Anthony, West, Thomas George
• Granted Patent: US 7,445,441 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 118/620
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2/10 Ultraviolet radiation
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2/206 Ethylene oxide
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2/208 Hydrogen peroxide
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2035/0827 using UV radiation
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2791/005 Using a particular environment, e.g. sterile fluids other than air
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/165 using a combination of solid and fluid materials, e.g. a powder selectively bound by a liquid binder, catalyst, inhibitor or energy absorber
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 10/00 Processes of additive manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 30/00 Apparatus for additive manufacturing; Details thereof or accessories therefor

Abstract

The invention includes a three-dimensional printing (3DP) machine that has at least one ultraviolet (UV) light source directed at powder or slurry being processed by the 3DP machine and/or directed at any of various surfaces or machine components, in a manner suitable to kill or damage microorganisms to a desired extent. The UV light sources may be either stationary or movable, and may be either pulsed or substantially continuous, and may operate in any desired sequence and timing with respect to other operations performed by the machine. The invention may include ultraviolet illumination in such a way as to interact with powder to sterilize or disinfect powder either while the powder is stationary or, alternatively, as powder is being moved from one place to another within the 3DP machine, or both. The invention also includes methods of performing three-dimensional printing using such illumination. The invention also includes the combination of other methods of sterilization or disinfection with the use of ultraviolet light. The invention also includes the use of ultraviolet light sources for a combination of polymerization/cross-linking in addition to sterilization/disinfection.

Claims

1. A three-dimensional printing machine comprising at least one ultraviolet light source suitable to kill or damage microorganisms.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least one ultraviolet source is a source suitable to operate substantially continuously for a time period of at least 1 second.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the continuous ultraviolet source is suitable to operate during substantially all portions of a three-dimensional printing process.

4. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the continuous ultraviolet source is suitable to operate during only certain portions of a three-dimensional printing process.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least one ultraviolet source is a pulsed source suitable to operate for periods of less than a millisecond at any individual pulse.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the pulsed ultraviolet source is suitable to operate during substantially all portions of a three-dimensional printing process.

7. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the pulsed ultraviolet source is suitable to operate during only certain portions of a three-dimensional printing process.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least one ultraviolet source is substantially stationary.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least one ultraviolet source is suitable to be moved into a position substantially over a feed bed, illuminated, and then moved out of the position that was substantially over the feed bed.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least one ultraviolet source is suitable to be moved into a position substantially over a build bed, illuminated, and then moved out of the position that was substantially over the build bed.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least one ultraviolet source is suitable to be moved while it is illuminated.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein at least one ultraviolet source is suitable to translate as a powder-spreading roller translates.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least one ultraviolet source is suitable to be directed at powder that is stationary.

14. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least one ultraviolet source is suitable to be directed at powder that is moving.

15. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least one ultraviolet source is located underneath a transparent platen over which powder travels as it moves between a feed bed and a build bed.

16. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least one ultraviolet source is located inside an at least partially transparent roller which is suitable to move powder from a feed bed to a build bed.

17. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least one ultraviolet light source is directed or is capable of being directed at components of the machine that contact powder at least some time during normal operation of the machine.

18. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least one ultraviolet light source is directed or is capable of being directed at a powder feed bed.

19. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least one ultraviolet source is capable of provided a total energy, integrated over a period of time of interest, of at least approximately 1 Joule/cm{circumflex over ( 

)}2.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the period of time of interest is one cycle of a three-dimensional printing process.

21. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least one ultraviolet source is capable of killing or damaging microorganisms in a powder bed to a depth of at least approximately 300 micrometers.

22. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the three-dimensional printing machine defines a thickness of layer used in performing three-dimensional printing, and at least one ultraviolet source is capable of killing or damaging microorganisms in a powder bed to a depth at least as large as the layer thickness.

23. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least one ultraviolet source is also suitable to polymerize or cross-link a substance.

24. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the polymerization or cross-linking ultraviolet source is the same as the sterilization or disinfection ultraviolet source.

25. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the polymerization or cross-linking ultraviolet source is different from the sterilization or disinfection ultraviolet source.

26. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising an optical filter disposed to filter light from at least one ultraviolet source.

27. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a shield in proximity to at least one ultraviolet source.

28. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least one ultraviolet source is directed at an at least partially transparent conduit that carries liquid to a dispenser in the three-dimensional printing machine.

29. A three-dimensional printing machine comprising at least one ultraviolet light source that is directed or is capable of being directed at components of the machine.

30. The apparatus of claim 29, wherein at least some of the components are components that contact powder at least some time during normal operation of the machine.

31. A three-dimensional printing machine comprising at least one ultraviolet light source that is or is capable of being directed at a powder feed bed.

32. A method of manufacturing a sterile or disinfected article, the method comprising:

exposing powder to ultraviolet light suitable to kill or damage microorganisms of interest;

depositing a layer of the exposed powder;

causing appropriate portions of the deposited powder to adhere to themselves or to earlier-deposited powder or both; and

repeating these steps as many times as necessary to manufacture the article.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein causing portions of the deposited powder to adhere comprises dispensing onto the powder a binder liquid.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein dispensing the binder liquid comprises dispensing binder liquid which has been exposed to ultraviolet light.

35. The method of claim 33, wherein the binder liquid contains a binder substance that can be cured or polymerized by exposure to the ultraviolet light.

36. The method of claim 32, wherein the exposing to ultraviolet light is performed in pulses of duration less than one millisecond.

37. The method of claim 36, wherein the exposing to ultraviolet light is performed during substantially all portions of the method.

38. The method of claim 36, wherein the exposing to ultraviolet light is performed during only certain portions of the method.

39. The method of claim 32, wherein the exposing to ultraviolet light is performed substantially continuously for durations greater than one second.

40. The method of claim 39, wherein the exposing to ultraviolet light is performed during substantially all portions of the method.

41. The method of claim 39, wherein the exposing to ultraviolet light is performed during only certain portions of the method.

42. The method of claim 32, wherein exposing to ultraviolet light is performed as the powder is stationary.

43. The method of claim 32, wherein exposing to ultraviolet light is performed as the powder is moving.

44. The method of claim 32, wherein exposing to ultraviolet light is performed suitably to kill or damage microorganisms to a depth of at least approximately 300 micrometers in a powder bed.

45. The method of claim 32, wherein exposing to ultraviolet light is performed suitably to kill or damage microorganisms to a depth of at least a thickness of the layer.

46. The method of claim 32, further comprising directing ultraviolet light at machine components that come into contact with the powder.

47. The method of claim 32, further comprising, after exposing the layer to ultraviolet light, dispensing onto the layer a biological substance.

48. The method of claim 32, wherein the manufacturing is performed by a three-dimensional printing machine, and further comprising exposing the three-dimensional printing machine to a gaseous or vapor sterilant or disinfectant.

49. The method of claim 32, further comprising, after all other steps, terminally sterilizing the article using another sterilization method.

54. An article manufactured by the method of claim 32.

50. A method of manufacturing a sterile or disinfected article, the method comprising:

depositing a layer of powder;

exposing the deposited powder to ultraviolet light suitable to kill or damage microorganisms of interest;

causing appropriate portions of the deposited powder to adhere to themselves or to earlier-deposited powder or both; and

repeating these steps as many times as necessary to manufacture the article.

55. An article manufactured by the method of claim 50.

51. A method of manufacturing a sterile or disinfected article, the method comprising:

depositing a layer of the article;

sterilizing or disinfecting the deposited layer by exposing the deposited layer to ultraviolet light suitable to kill or damage microorganisms of interest; and

repeating these steps as many times as necessary to manufacture the article.

56. An article manufactured by the method of claim 51.

52. A method of sterilizing or disinfecting portions of a three-dimensional printing machine, the method comprising exposing the portions of the three-dimensional printing machine to ultraviolet light suitable to kill or damage microorganisms of interest.

53. The method of claim 52, wherein at least some of the portions of the machine contact powder during the normal operation of the machine.

57. An article manufactured by the method of claim 52.