Next Generation Manufacturing of 3D Active Surface Coatings

我们生活在一个令人兴奋的历史时刻，技术正以惊人的速度发展，精密制造在现代产品中发挥着重要作用。在过去的十年中，利用3D打印机的增材制造已经被开发到这样的仪器被认为是其技术生命周期的高峰。尽管最先进的制造设备可以同时支持多种材料，但由于整个结构由材料组件定义的限制，3D打印机发挥了最大的潜力，可以生产高分辨率的结构。任何材料的表面性能对整个物体的性能都至关重要——一个简单的例子是，防水表面剂为用于开放元素的设备增加了大量与性能相关的价值。先进的医疗设备现在正在使用增材制造技术制造，具有明确的孔隙支持生长中的组织，并且制造表面粗糙度以增强可植入设备与骨骼的整合。最近的例子包括制造下颌假体、设计头骨和面部板。当我们开始了解如何利用表面特性来释放干细胞再生治疗的潜力时，这些例子中的每一个设备都缺乏特定的表面化学模式，无法在植入过程中促进所需的细胞反应。因此，我们正在寻找新的制造方法，将实验室的研究成果转化为可用的设备。在过去的十年里，包括我们自己在内的研究人员已经认识到，生物生态位是高度复杂的，许多蛋白质物种和谐地控制着细胞粘附在材料上的方式，以及（生物）材料界面如何决定细胞反应的进展。我们已经扩展了我们目前的能力，用简单的化学物质进行表面涂层，开发了一种工具，用于在表面上绘制（生物）化学物质的图案。在这里，我们将进一步开发这项技术，以允许在2D和3D中修改表面，将仪器仪表推进到可以与当前3D打印机的优点相结合的程度。我们建议下一代3D打印机在生产过程中包括化学模式的能力，允许在3D结构上和内部定义表面特征。这项技术将为将表面科学转化为三维空间铺平道路，推动增强型设备的发展。我们给出了通过医疗设备制造产生影响的例子，其他部门也直接受益于开发仪器的扩展制造能力。这些将包括电子精密制造，能量收集和能量存储设备，其中薄膜化学（和导电）材料的直接写入将实现小型化和增强性能。在整个项目中，我们将与多学科社区合作，推广这项技术，并在可能的情况下允许其他人使用该设备制造与他们自己领域相关的产品。

We live in an exciting point in history where technology is advancing at a phenomenal rate, with precision manufacture playing a major part in modern day products. Additive manufacturing, making use of 3D printers, has been exploited over the past decade to a point where such instrumentation is considered to be at a peak in its technology life cycle. Reaching their maximum potential, 3D printers enable high resolution structures to be produced, although suffer from the limitation that the entire structure is defined by the material components, albeit that the most advanced manufacturing devices can support many materials simultaneously. The surface properties of any material are of key importance to the performance of the overall object - a simple example being that a waterproofing surface agent adds massive performance-related value to devices intended for use in the open elements. Advanced medical devices are now being fabricated using additive manufacturing techniques, with defined pores supporting tissue in-growth, and surface roughness being fabricated to enhance integration of implantable devices into bone. The most recent examples include manufacture of a jaw prosthesis, designer skull and facial plates. At a time when we are beginning to understand how to use surface properties to unlock the potential of stem cells for regenerative therapies, each of these example devices lacks the specific surface chemical patterns that could promote desired cellular responses during implantation. Thus, we are looking for novel manufacturing methods to pull research findings from the laboratory into usable devices.In the last decade, researchers, including ourselves, have understood that the biological niche is highly complex, with many proteinatious species harmoniously controlling the way cells adhere to materials, and how the (bio)materials interface dictates the progression of cellular response. We have extended our current ability to surface coat with simple chemicals, developing a tool for the patterning of (bio)chemicals onto surfaces. Here we will further develop this technology to allow modification of surfaces in both 2D and 3D, advancing the instrumentation to a point where it can be combined with the benefits of current 3D printers. We propose the next generation of 3D printers to include the ability to chemically pattern during production, allowing defined surface characteristics on and within a 3D structure. This technology will pave the way for translation of surface science into 3-dimensions, driving the development of enhanced devices. We give the example of impact through medical device manufacture, with other sectors also directly benefiting from the extended manufacturing capabilities of the developed instrumentation. These will include precision manufacture within electronics, energy harvest and energy storage devices, where direct-writing of thin film chemical (and electrically conductive) materials will enable miniaturization and enhanced performance. Throughout the project we will engage with multidisciplinary communities to promote the technology, and where possible allow other to use the equipment to manufacture products related to their own field.