SYSTEMS, DEVICES, AND METHODS FOR DEPOSITION-BASED THREE-DIMENSIONAL PRINTING

• US 20170165908A1
• Filed: 12/12/2016
• Published: 06/15/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/11/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
• Original Assignee: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
• Inventors: Pattinson, Sebastian William, Hart, Anastasios John
• Granted Patent: US 10,696,034 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/0063 Implantable repair or support meshes, e.g. hernia meshes
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/06 Blood vessels
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/90 characterised by a net-like or mesh-like structure
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2210/0057 stretchable
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2240/002 Designing or making customized prostheses
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2250/0012 for adjusting elasticity, flexibility, spring rate or mechanical tension
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2250/0023 differing in porosity
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/106 using only liquids or viscous materials, e.g. depositing a continuous bead of viscous material
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/118 using filamentary material being melted, e.g. fused deposition modelling [FDM]
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/20 Apparatus for additive manufacturing; Details thereof or accessories therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/209 Heads; Nozzles
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/232 for motion along the axis orthogonal to the plane of a layer
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/236 for motion in a direction within the plane of a layer
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/264 Arrangements for irradiation
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2023/12 PP, i.e. polypropylene
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2067/046 PLA, i.e. polylactic acid or polylactide
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/726 Fabrics nets B29L2028/00
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/7534 Cardiovascular protheses
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 80/00 : Products made by additive manufacturing

Abstract

Methods, systems, and devices for extrusion-based three-dimensional printing are provided. The methods, systems, and devices allow for the printing materials such as fabrics, clothing, and wearable and/or implantable devices. A number of different enhancements are provided that allow for this improved form of three-dimensional printing, including: (1) printing using a polymer (e.g., cellulose acetate) dissolved in a solvent (e.g., acetone); (2) selectively bonding portions of a deposited filament onto one or more surfaces and/or one or more previously deposited filaments; (3) using particular toolpaths to create a fabric or similar material by creating a woven pattern; and (4) printing across multiple layers even when previous layers are not complete. Other aspects of the present disclosure, including other enhancements and various printer configurations, are also provided.

Claims

1. A method for printing in three dimensions, comprising:

depositing a filament onto at least one of a surface and one or more previously deposited filaments; and

modulating adhesion of the filament to the at least one of the surface and the one or more previously deposited filaments across a length of the filament to form a fabric.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the filament contacts but is unbonded with respect to the at least one of the surface and the one or more previously deposited filaments in one or more locations along a length of the at least one of the surface and the one or more previously deposited filaments.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein modulating adhesion of the filament further comprises performing photopolymerization on a bonding agent that is in contact with the filament.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein modulating adhesion of the filament further comprises at least one of:

(1) bringing the filament into contact with the at least one of the surface and the one or more previously deposited filaments;

(2) controlling a rate at which a solvent associated with the filament evaporates prior to the filament coming into contact with at least one of the surface and the one or more previously deposited filaments;

(3) selectively exposing regions before, during, or after depositing the filament to light able to cure a photopolymer, or a material having light-responsive bonding agents associated therewith;

(4) selectively exposing regions to heat before, during, or after depositing the filament;

(5) selectively using an adhesive at regions before, during, or after depositing the filament; and

(6) selectively using an adhesive to provide bonding between the filament and the one or more previously deposited filaments.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

depositing one or more additional filaments onto at least one of a surface and one or more previously deposited filaments; and

modulating adhesion of the one or more additional filaments to the at least one of the surface and the one or more previously deposited filaments across a length of the one or more additional filaments.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising locally adjusting at least one of an orientation, thickness, and composition of at least one of:

(a) the one or more deposited filaments, and (b) one or more adhesives used in conjunction with the one or more deposited filaments, such that the fabric has a varied mechanical response to application of an outside force across a surface area of the fabric.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein locally adjusting at least one of an orientation, thickness, and composition of at least one of:

(a) the one or more deposited filaments, and (b) one or more adhesives used in conjunction with the one or more deposited filaments further comprises at least one of;

(1) modulating shear stress of the fabric by changing interfilament bonding;

(2) modulating out-of-plane extension of the fabric in response to in-plane compression or tension of the fabric;

(3) modulating tensile stiffness of the fabric through localized filament slack; and

(4) modulating Poisson'"'"'s ratio through filament and bonding patterns.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the fabric has a varied mechanical response that results from a configuration of the fabric in which a first region across the surface area of the fabric has smaller pores formed between one or more deposited filaments than pores formed between one or more deposited filaments of a second region across the surface area of the fabric.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein modulating adhesion of any filament includes controlling one or more of the following fabric properties:

deformation, electrical conductivity, thermal conductivity, and toughness.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the material of one or more of the filaments, or one or more adhesives used in conjunction with the one or more of the filaments, comprises at least one of a thermoplastic polymer and a thermoset polymer.

11. The method of claim 1, the filament and an adhesive used in conjunction with the filament comprise the same material.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

dissolving at least one of a polymer and a in a solvent to form a viscous fluid,

wherein depositing a filament onto at least one of a surface and one or more previously deposited filaments further comprises extruding the viscous fluid through a nozzle to form the filament.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein extruding the viscous fluid through a nozzle to form the filament further comprises:

positioning the nozzle at a first location with respect to the at least one of a surface and one or more previously deposited filaments;

depositing an initial portion of the filament from the nozzle at a first site on the at least one of a surface and one or more previously deposited filaments;

moving the nozzle to a second location with respect to the at least one of a surface and one or more previously deposited filaments while depositing an additional portion of the filament from the nozzle towards the at least one of a surface and one or more previously deposited filaments to stretch the additional portion of the filament;

positioning the nozzle at a third location with respect to the at least one of a surface and one or more previously deposited filaments; and

depositing an end portion of the filament from the nozzle at a second site on the at least one of a surface and one or more previously deposited filaments.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein moving the nozzle to a second location further comprises raising the nozzle to the second location with the second location being above the first location with respect to the at least one of a surface and one or more previously deposited filaments.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein raising the nozzle to the second location further comprises accelerating the nozzle.

16. The method of claim 13, further comprising accelerating the nozzle after positioning the nozzle at the third location to straighten the additional portion of filament.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein the first and third locations are proximate to the surface.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein modulating adhesion of the filament controls a shear modulus of the fabric.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one surface is an adhesive surface.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein the filament is comprised of at least one of:

a continuous, pre-made filament, an adhesive-coated filament, and an adhesive filament.

21. A garment, medical textile, or medical implant, comprising:

a plurality of filaments disposed with respect to each other to form a non-woven fabric while having a plurality of intersection locations at which a portion of one filament of the plurality of filaments intersects another filament of the plurality of filaments,

wherein filaments at one or more intersection locations of the plurality of intersection locations are bonded together,

wherein filaments at one or more other intersection locations of the plurality of intersection locations are not bonded together, and

wherein the one or more intersection locations of the plurality of intersection locations that are bonded together are non-stochastically and rationally distributed with respect to a volume of the garment, medical textile, or medical implant.

22. The garment, medical textile, or medical implant of claim 21, wherein the garment, medical textile, or medical implant is configured such that when it is laid out with no folds or wrinkles onto a non-planar surface, the garment, medical textile, or medical implant conforms to the non-planar surface.

23. The garment, medical textile, or medical implant of claim 21, wherein the non-woven fabric is devoid of interstices between the filaments of the plurality of filaments that are bonded together.

24. The garment, medical textile, or medical implant of claim 21, wherein properties of the non-woven fabric are impacted by changing a patterning of at least one of the filaments of the plurality of filaments and an adhesive used in conjunction with the plurality of filaments, with respect to other filaments of the plurality of filaments or other adhesives used in conjunction with the plurality of filaments.

25. The garment, medical textile, or medical implant of claim 21, wherein properties of the non-woven fabric are impacted by changing a composition of at least one of the filaments of the plurality of filaments and an adhesive used in conjunction with the plurality of filaments in a first region of the fabric while not necessarily changing a composition of at least one of the filaments of the plurality of filaments and an adhesive used in conjunction with the plurality of filaments in a second region of the fabric.

26. The garment, medical textile, or medical implant of claim 21, wherein a first region across a surface area of the non-woven fabric has smaller pores formed between one or more filaments than pores formed between one or more filaments of a second region across the surface area of the garment, medical textile, or medical implant.

27. The garment, medical textile, or medical implant of claim 21, wherein a diameter of filament of the plurality of filaments is at least about 200 microns.

28. The garment, medical textile, or medical implant of claim 21, wherein the garment, medical textile, or medical implant is a medical implant and the medical implant is a stent that is configured to change to a predetermined and customized shape based on a configuration of at least one of the plurality of filaments and any adhesive of the non-woven fabric.

29-39. -39. (canceled)