Visijet m3 x

Five biocompatible 3D printing materials including: two surgical guide resins (FormLabs, Somerville, MA and NextDent by 3D Systems, Soesterberg, the Netherlands), a photopolymer (VisiJet M3-X, 3D Systems, Rock Hill, SC), an elastomer (VisiJet ENT, 3D Systems, Rock Hill, SC), and a thermoplastic elastomer filament (DSM Arnitel, DSM, Herleen, Netherlands) were 3D printed and underwent post-processing using appropriate 3D printing technologies to form C-shaped discs (15 mm in height, 20 mm in diameter, and 3 mm in thickness), designed using Tinkercad (Autodesk, San Rafael, CA), exported as stereolithography (STL) files for printing, and printed using 3D printers specific to each material (Table 1). For comparison, Shiley™ laryngectomy tubes (size 6LGT) made from polyvinyl chloride (PVC) (MedTronic, Minneapolis, MN) were obtained and cut using a handsaw into C-shaped discs with similar dimensions as those of the printed discs.

Custom 3D-printed microfluidic connectors facilitated interfacing the inlets of individual probes to PE-50 tubing (Braintree Scientific, Braintree, MA, USA), and Alzet osmotic pumps (model 2006; Alzet, Cupertino, CA, USA) to make a completed device [52 (link)]. The 3D-printed connectors were made using ABS-based plastic (VisiJet M3-X, 3D Systems, Rock Hill, SC, USA) with a wax base, as detailed in previous publications [52 (link)]. The probes were aligned to the connectors and then bonded by heating at 60 °C for 1 min and 30 s. Two-part epoxy was used to seal the joint between the PE-50 tubing and the 3D 3D-printed microfluidic connector. Packaged devices were sterilized using cold ethylene oxide gas, to be connected to the Alzet osmotic pumps in a sterile environment for in vivo implantation.