The technology relates to a method of producing a moulded polyurethane hydrogel, for example a condom. The method involves forming a solution of at least one polyurethane having a molecular weight of between about 40000 to about 500000 in a water:organic polar solvent comprising less than about 40% (v/v) water; applying a layer of the solution to a mould; drying the layer of the first solution to form a polyurethane film on the mould; and contacting the polyurethane film with a swelling agent under conditions such that the film forms a polyurethane hydrogel with a swelling agent content of between about 1% to about 95%.

There is provided a three-dimensional shaped object formed of a resin containing inorganic particles with improved external appearance quality by effectively removing an uncured photocurable resin composition in the three-dimensional shaped object. A three-dimensional shaped object includes a layered portion obtained by layering a plurality of resin layers, wherein the three-dimensional shaped object contains a number of inorganic particles, wherein a plurality of inorganic particles among the number of inorganic particles is dispersed into the layered portion, and wherein a layered and shaped surface shaped by each of the plurality of resin layers in the layered portion includes a projection formed of a resin film covering some of the number of inorganic particles, the projection corresponding to a shape of the some of the number of inorganic particles.

A powder removal apparatus includes an extraction housing comprising a sidewall that is sized and configured to extend around a powder bed of a build module and a top wall that is sized and configured to extend between opposite sides of the sidewall and over the powder bed. The sidewall and top wall are configured to form a chamber portion of a turbulence chamber. The top wall has a vacuum exit opening that is configured to fluidly connect to a vacuum source. The sidewall has a plurality of sidewall inlet flow channels that extend from an inlet opening at an exterior side of the sidewall to an outlet opening at an interior side of the sidewall. A side exit channel is configured to extend along the top wall from a collector opening in communication with the chamber portion toward the vacuum exit opening.

A method of cleaning residual resin from an additively manufactured object, includes: (a) enclosing an additively manufactured object in an inner chamber of a centrifugal separator, the additively manufactured object including a light polymerized resin with a surface coating of viscous, unpolymerized, residual resin; (b) flooding the chamber with a volatile organic solvent vapor without contacting liquid organic solvent to the object, the vapor present in an amount sufficient to reduce the viscosity of the residual resin; and (c) spinning the additively manufactured object in the chamber to centrifugally separate at least a first portion of the residual resin from the object.

Techniques herein include methods of patterning a substrate using surface energy differences found in some fluorinated polymers or polymers with long chain alkyl functionality that promotes surface or top layer segregation in a bilayer polymer system to facilitate overburden removal when the polymer mixture is deposited over a relief pattern. The method allows for fast removal of the overburden to expose the anti-spacer region which, after acid diffusion and subsequent deprotection, is also soluble in a developer. Incorporating the highly developer-soluble polymer at the top of the top layer removes the need for the remaining polymer to have a specific dissolution rate in developer.

A method for treatment of elements obtained by an additive manufacturing process comprises applying on the element a treating agent in liquid or gaseous form.

A system and method for cleaning and/or post-exposure of a body manufactured by using an additive manufacturing method from a substance curable by radiation, the system including a cleaning tank for cleaning the body and/or an exposure chamber for post-exposure of the body, the system further including a transport device having a drive for moving a build platform relative to the cleaning tank and/or to the exposure chamber. The transport device includes a force sensor, the force sensor captures a force acting on the build platform and provides a force signal, and is connected to a processing unit for controlling the drive and/or for outputting process parameters based on the force signal.

The disclosure provides microfluidic chips and systems for maintaining viability of biological sample, and methods for their production by direct 3-D printing of biocompatible UV-curable polymeric resins.

The present invention relates to photohardenable compositions and methods of forming an object, the method preferably including a photohardenable composition described herein. Preferred photohardenable compositions and methods include a photohardenable resin component, a first photoinitiator that is activatable by exposure to light at a first wavelength and light at a second wavelength, and a second photoinitiator that is activatable by exposure to light at a third wavelength, wherein the first, second, and third wavelengths are not the same, and the third wavelength is shorter than the first wavelength and the second wavelength. Preferred first photoinitators include photoswitchable photoinitiators. Preferably the second light-activated photoinitiator comprises a free-radical photoinitiator. Hardenable resin compositions and methods of forming an object including the hardenable resin composition are also disclosed.

A method is described in which a part is placed within a chamber. Vaporized solvent is provided within the chamber such that the solvent condenses onto and treats the part. A vacuum is then applied to the chamber to extract the solvent and stop the treatment. The vacuum is controlled such that a pressure within the chamber over time has a predefined profile to prevent defects in the part from occurring due to the extraction of solvent from the part.