GOALI: Collaboration on Novel Materials and Methods for 3D Printing of Microscale Medical Devices

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Minimally invasive surveillance of locally recurrent rectal cancer remains a challenge for physicians and their patients. Results of this research will enable use of a multi-photon absorption process for 3D printing of microscale medical devices with appropriate chemical, biological, mechanical, and functional properties for use in the body, in particular for detecting locally recurrent rectal cancer. Research into 3D printing with naturally-occurring photosensitive materials will be conducted to determine if these materials possess better biocompatibility than existing 3D printed materials. Research into increasing the output of the multi-photon absorption-based 3D printing process will be performed to understand how modifications to the 3D printing process may enable more rapid manufacturing of microscale structures than conventional 3D printing processes. The research will make scientific contributions that will (a) enable innovation in 3D printing technologies for microscale medical device applications and (b) facilitate development of a new type of medical sensor for detecting a type of cancer that affects more than 40,000 Americans each year. This award also supports several events at a local science museum for the research team to disseminate results and examples from this research to young people and others in the community.The objective of this Grant Opportunity for Academic Liaison with Industry (GOALI) research is to use 3D printing of microscale medical devices as a case study to better understand (a) improvements to the 3D printing process and (b) use of naturally-occurring precursor materials for 3D printing. The plan for this research contains three overlapping eight month phases, which will be conducted over two years. Phase I will involve understanding the chemical and physical characteristics of materials that are processed with naturally-occurring photosensitive materials using 3D printing. Interactions between cells and the 3D printed materials will be examined to understand the biocompatibility of these materials. Phase II will involve mechanical characterization of the 3D printed materials and the 3D printed microscale sensors and will partially occur at the industrial partner's site. Phase III will involve in vitro studies with commercially-obtained tissue to examine the functionality of the 3D printed microscale sensors for rectal cancer detection and will occur at industrial partner's site. The industrial partner will provide guidance regarding 3D printing and sensor characterization. The intellectual significance of this research is that it will provide the scientific community with better understanding of (a) a novel 3D printing process for more rapid manufacturing of microscale structures and (b) novel 3D printing materials based on naturally-occurring photosensitive materials.