Simulated anatomical components, such as simulated vascular vessels, produced by a method that includes forming an anatomical component mold from a soluble polymer such that the mold defines an interior void of the simulated anatomical component. One or more layers of an elastomeric material is applied around the anatomical component mold and the material is allowed to cure to form a wall of the simulated anatomical component. At least a portion of the mold is dissolved to form a passage for liquid within the simulated anatomical component. Simulated anatomical components are connectable to other components of a surgical simulation system and can be modularized.

A method of forming a three-dimensional object comprised of a silicone polymer is carried out by: (a) providing a silicone dual cure resin; (b) forming a three-dimensional intermediate from that resin, where the intermediate has the shape of, or a shape to be imparted to, the three-dimensional object, and where the resin is solidified in that intermediate object by irradiating with light; and then (c) further reacting the three-dimensional intermediate to form the three-dimensional object. The silicone dual cure resin includes: (i) a light polymerizable first reactant; (ii) a photoinitiator; (iii) at least one additional reactant(s), and (iv) optionally a catalyst. At least one of the first reactant and the additional reactant(s) contains a siloxane linkage.

Methods and compositions for additive manufacturing of silicone parts are provided. The methods can use SLA printing techniques to print silicone parts that exhibit excellent hardness, tear strength and elongation at break. The parts can be produced by using low dosages of radiation. In various embodiments, the silicone compositions include a mercapto-derivatized polysiloxane having two or more functional groups, an alkenyl-derivatized polysiloxane, and a photo-initiator.

A technique of manufacturing an elastomeric container closure or plunger with embedded functional components to avoid thermal damage to the components is described. The technique includes molding a drug-contacting part from a first material at a first temperature and for a first length of time defining a first thermal exposure; after molding the drug-contacting part, inserting ancillary components into the drug-contacting part, where the ancillary components have an operational thermal budget less than the first thermal exposure; and overmolding the drug-contracting part and the ancillary components with a second material at a second temperature for a second length of time to form a non-drug-contacting part that mechanically connects the non-drug-contacting part and the drug-contacting part to form the elastomeric container closure and seals the ancillary components inside the elastomeric container closure. The overmolding defines a thermal exposure less than the operational thermal budget of the ancillary components.

A three-dimensional (3D) printing methodology is disclosed for freeform fabrication of hydrophobic structures without the use of printed support structures. The build material is directly printed in and supported by a fumed silica-containing yield-stress support bath to form an intermediate article in the support bath material. The intermediate article may be liquid or only partially solidified after being printed into the support bath material. The intermediate article is then heated or irradiated with ultraviolet radiation to initiate cross-linking to solidify the printed intermediate article, forming a finished article.

Disclosed is a silicone dipped glove, comprising a glove core and a dipping layer. The dipping layer is a silicone mixed compound layer, and the silicone mixed compound layer is composed of the following components at the following proportions by weight: 70-90% of silicone, 5-20% of a curing agent, 5-20% of a diluent, and 0-10% of a color paste. The silicone mixed compound layer of the present invention is composed of silicone, a curing agent and a diluent.

This disclosure presents a streamer filler material that is a low density gel formed from a two-part, mix-curable polymer, and methods of making streamers using such materials. One embodiment of the filler material features a two-part silicone gel mixed with a paraffinic oil. The two-part silicone gel can make up 15% to 25%, by weight or volume, of the mixture. Methods of making such materials include forming a first unreactive mixture having a first reactant, promoter, and/or catalyst and a second unreactive mixture having a second reactant, promoter, and/or catalyst and mixing the first and second mixtures in a paraffinic oil system to make a gel. The streamer can be loaded with the filler by pumping or extruding the mixture.

A membrane for an electro-acoustic transducer comprised of at least one elastomer layer made using spray coating of a liquid elastomer solution is provided. The at least one layer of elastomer is made by spraying a liquid elastomer solution, which may comprise a silicone, onto a mold having the desired membrane geometry, allowing the solution to cure and remove the membrane from the mold. The mold can be configured to hold other components of an electro-acoustic transducer that will be attached to the membrane after the curing step.

Described are methods for making three dimensional objects. A nozzle is positioned within a gel inside a container of gel. The position of the nozzle within the gel is changed while depositing solidifying material through the nozzle. The gel supports the solidifying material at the position at which the solidifying material is deposited. The solidifying material is solidified to form a solid material, which is a three-dimensional object.

The invention relates to a feeding apparatus for feeding pasty masses, in particular silicone, to an injection molding machine, having a pressing cylinder which receives the pasty mass, and a pressing plunger which is arranged axially in said pressing cylinder and presses the pasty mass out of a squeezing nozzle of the pressing cylinder. It is an object of the invention to avoid operational interruptions for cleaning work in the case of a feeding apparatus of this type and to avoid material losses within the feeding apparatus in the case of the successive use of different pasty masses. In order to achieve said object, the invention proposes that the pressing cylinder is configured as a cartridge (3) which contains the pasty mass, consists of a polymer, and can be inserted exchangeably into a supporting housing (2) which supports the cartridge on all sides and is connected to an axial actuating drive (5) for the pressing plunger (3d) which is situated in the cartridge.