3D Printing Improved Testicular Prostheses: Using Lattice Infill Structure to Modify Mechanical Properties
Patients often opt for implantation of testicular prostheses following orchidectomy for cancer or torsion. Recipients of testicular prostheses report issues regarding firmness, shape, size, and position, aspects of which relate to current limitations of silicone materials used and manufacturing meth...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2021-04-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Surgery |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fsurg.2021.626143/full |
| _version_ | 1818640876257148928 |
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| author | Jacob Skewes Michael Y. Chen Michael Y. Chen Michael Y. Chen David Forrestal David Forrestal Nicholas J. Rukin Nicholas J. Rukin Nicholas J. Rukin Maria A. Woodruff |
| author_facet | Jacob Skewes Michael Y. Chen Michael Y. Chen Michael Y. Chen David Forrestal David Forrestal Nicholas J. Rukin Nicholas J. Rukin Nicholas J. Rukin Maria A. Woodruff |
| author_sort | Jacob Skewes |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Patients often opt for implantation of testicular prostheses following orchidectomy for cancer or torsion. Recipients of testicular prostheses report issues regarding firmness, shape, size, and position, aspects of which relate to current limitations of silicone materials used and manufacturing methods for soft prostheses. We aim to create a 3D printable testicular prosthesis which mimics the natural shape and stiffness of a human testicle using a lattice infill structure. Porous testicular prostheses were engineered with relative densities from 0.1 to 0.9 using a repeating cubic unit cell lattice inside an anatomically accurate testicle 3D model. These models were printed using a multi-jetting process with an elastomeric material and compared with current market prostheses using shore hardness tests. Additionally, standard sized porous specimens were printed for compression testing to verify and match the stiffness to human testicle elastic modulus (E-modulus) values from literature. The resulting 3D printed testicular prosthesis of relative density between 0.3 and 0.4 successfully achieved a reduction of its bulk compressive E-modulus from 360 KPa to a human testicle at 28 Kpa. Additionally, this is the first study to quantitatively show that current commercial testicular prostheses are too firm compared to native tissue. 3D printing allows us to create metamaterials that match the properties of human tissue to create customisable patient specific prostheses. This method expands the use cases for existing biomaterials by tuning their properties and could be applied to other implants mimicking native tissues. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-16T23:18:14Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-c58e2a4913ce4d3f9c02884d49107372 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2296-875X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-16T23:18:14Z |
| publishDate | 2021-04-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Surgery |
| spelling | doaj.art-c58e2a4913ce4d3f9c02884d491073722022-12-21T22:12:15ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Surgery2296-875X2021-04-01810.3389/fsurg.2021.6261436261433D Printing Improved Testicular Prostheses: Using Lattice Infill Structure to Modify Mechanical PropertiesJacob Skewes0Michael Y. Chen1Michael Y. Chen2Michael Y. Chen3David Forrestal4David Forrestal5Nicholas J. Rukin6Nicholas J. Rukin7Nicholas J. Rukin8Maria A. Woodruff9Engineering Faculty, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD, AustraliaEngineering Faculty, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD, AustraliaHerston Biofabrication Institute, Metro North Hospital and Health Service, Brisbane, QLD, AustraliaRedcliffe Hospital, Metro North Hospital and Health Service, Brisbane, QLD, AustraliaEngineering Faculty, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD, AustraliaHerston Biofabrication Institute, Metro North Hospital and Health Service, Brisbane, QLD, AustraliaHerston Biofabrication Institute, Metro North Hospital and Health Service, Brisbane, QLD, AustraliaRedcliffe Hospital, Metro North Hospital and Health Service, Brisbane, QLD, AustraliaSchool of Medicine, University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, AustraliaEngineering Faculty, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD, AustraliaPatients often opt for implantation of testicular prostheses following orchidectomy for cancer or torsion. Recipients of testicular prostheses report issues regarding firmness, shape, size, and position, aspects of which relate to current limitations of silicone materials used and manufacturing methods for soft prostheses. We aim to create a 3D printable testicular prosthesis which mimics the natural shape and stiffness of a human testicle using a lattice infill structure. Porous testicular prostheses were engineered with relative densities from 0.1 to 0.9 using a repeating cubic unit cell lattice inside an anatomically accurate testicle 3D model. These models were printed using a multi-jetting process with an elastomeric material and compared with current market prostheses using shore hardness tests. Additionally, standard sized porous specimens were printed for compression testing to verify and match the stiffness to human testicle elastic modulus (E-modulus) values from literature. The resulting 3D printed testicular prosthesis of relative density between 0.3 and 0.4 successfully achieved a reduction of its bulk compressive E-modulus from 360 KPa to a human testicle at 28 Kpa. Additionally, this is the first study to quantitatively show that current commercial testicular prostheses are too firm compared to native tissue. 3D printing allows us to create metamaterials that match the properties of human tissue to create customisable patient specific prostheses. This method expands the use cases for existing biomaterials by tuning their properties and could be applied to other implants mimicking native tissues.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fsurg.2021.626143/full3D printingtesticular prosthesismeta-materialsbio-fabricationimplantssoft prostheses |
| spellingShingle | Jacob Skewes Michael Y. Chen Michael Y. Chen Michael Y. Chen David Forrestal David Forrestal Nicholas J. Rukin Nicholas J. Rukin Nicholas J. Rukin Maria A. Woodruff 3D Printing Improved Testicular Prostheses: Using Lattice Infill Structure to Modify Mechanical Properties Frontiers in Surgery 3D printing testicular prosthesis meta-materials bio-fabrication implants soft prostheses |
| title | 3D Printing Improved Testicular Prostheses: Using Lattice Infill Structure to Modify Mechanical Properties |
| title_full | 3D Printing Improved Testicular Prostheses: Using Lattice Infill Structure to Modify Mechanical Properties |
| title_fullStr | 3D Printing Improved Testicular Prostheses: Using Lattice Infill Structure to Modify Mechanical Properties |
| title_full_unstemmed | 3D Printing Improved Testicular Prostheses: Using Lattice Infill Structure to Modify Mechanical Properties |
| title_short | 3D Printing Improved Testicular Prostheses: Using Lattice Infill Structure to Modify Mechanical Properties |
| title_sort | 3d printing improved testicular prostheses using lattice infill structure to modify mechanical properties |
| topic | 3D printing testicular prosthesis meta-materials bio-fabrication implants soft prostheses |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fsurg.2021.626143/full |
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