A Biologically Degradable and BioseniaticTM Feedstock for the High-Quality 3D Printing of Anatomical Models

Joshua C Bledsoe; Brad E Gilleland; Austin F Wright; Evan M White; Grant H Crane; Christopher B Herron; Jason J Locklin; Branson W Ritchie

doi:10.5210/jbc.v47i2.13246

A Biologically Degradable and BioseniaticTM Feedstock for the High-Quality 3D Printing of Anatomical Models

J Biocommun. 2023 Dec 22;47(2):e5. doi: 10.5210/jbc.v47i2.13246. eCollection 2023.

Authors

Joshua C Bledsoe, Brad E Gilleland, Austin F Wright, Evan M White, Grant H Crane, Christopher B Herron, Jason J Locklin, Branson W Ritchie

Abstract

A Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyhexanoate) (PHBHHx) -based filament was evaluated as an alternative feedstock for Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) of instructional and clinical medical specimens. PHBHHx-based prints of domestic cat vertebrae, skull bone, and an aortic arch cast were found comparable to conventional materials. PHBHHx-based filament and extrudate samples were evaluated for biological degradability, to meet the BioseniaticTM standard, defined by the University of Georgia New Materials Institute. Both samples achieved more than 90% mineralization within 32 days in industrial composting conditions.

Keywords: 3-Dimensional (3D) printing; BioseniaticTM; anatomical models; biological degradability; educational; fused deposition modeling (FDM); polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA).