The invention relates to an installation (1) for the three-dimensional printing of a medical device directly at a location where the medical device is to be used.

According to the invention, the installation comprises a container (2) comprising inside it: a production module (3) comprising a 3D printer (6); a clean room (4) comprising means (12) for washing and disinfection of the printed medical device, and a machine (13) for packaging the washed and disinfected medical device.

A static mixer is disclosed. The static mixer comprises a housing (22) defining an internal mixing cavity (36) that longitudinally extends along a central axis between an inlet (38) and an outlet (40) and is adapted for axial flow of a fluid therethrough. The static mixer also comprises a mixing element (42) disposed within the mixing cavity (36). The mixing element (42) is configured to be free from an impingement surface oriented substantially perpendicular to a main direction of fluid flow through the internal mixing cavity (36). The mixing element (42) comprises an elongated mixing blade that is oriented longitudinally within the mixing cavity (36) and comprises a nose axially oriented toward the inlet (38). The static mixer may comprise a heat-exchanging jacket integrally formed with the housing (22). An additive manufacturing system comprising the static mixer, and methods of making and using the same, are also disclosed.

A static mixer is disclosed. The static mixer comprises a housing (22) defining an internal mixing cavity (36) that longitudinally extends along a central axis between an inlet (38) and an outlet (40) and is adapted for axial flow of a fluid therethrough. The static mixer also comprises a mixing element (42) disposed within the mixing cavity (36). The mixing element (42) is configured to be free from an impingement surface oriented substantially perpendicular to a main direction of fluid flow through the internal mixing cavity (36). The mixing element (42) comprises an elongated mixing blade that is oriented longitudinally within the mixing cavity (36) and comprises a nose axially oriented toward the inlet (38). The static mixer may comprise a heat-exchanging jacket integrally formed with the housing (22). An additive manufacturing system comprising the static mixer, and methods of making and using the same, are also disclosed.

A method for producing a 3D-printed tissue substitute is disclosed, utilizing a 3D printing device including a tank including a yield stress fluid in which the material is printed, the printing material delivered by the cartridge includes polyvinyl alcohol and gelatin, the method including a step following which, after printing the material in the yield stress fluid, a printed intermediate device is solidified in the yield stress fluid by lowering the temperature of the tank. The intermediate device is removed from the tank, rinsed and dried in order to obtain the tissue substitute.

A three-dimensional (3D) printing system is configured to manufacture a three-dimensional 3D article in a layer-by-layer manner. The 3D printing system includes a resin vessel, a tank agitation subsystem, a fabrication subsystem, and a controller. The resin vessel is configured to contain photocurable resin and has a lower region within a distance H of a bottom surface of the resin vessel. The agitation subsystem includes (a) a grating disposed within the lower region of the resin vessel and (b) an agitation movement mechanism coupled to the grating. The fabrication subsystem is configured to form the 3D article by a layer-by-layer selective curing of the photocurable resin. The controller is configured to operate the agitation movement mechanism to oscillate the grating along a lateral Y-axis to remix filler particulates within the photocurable resin.

A three-dimensional (3D) printing system is configured to manufacture a three-dimensional 3D article in a layer-by-layer manner. The 3D printing system includes a resin vessel, a tank agitation subsystem, a fabrication subsystem, and a controller. The resin vessel is configured to contain photocurable resin and has a lower region within a distance H of a bottom surface of the resin vessel. The agitation subsystem includes (a) a grating disposed within the lower region of the resin vessel and (b) an agitation movement mechanism coupled to the grating. The fabrication subsystem is configured to form the 3D article by a layer-by-layer selective curing of the photocurable resin. The controller is configured to operate the agitation movement mechanism to oscillate the grating along a lateral Y-axis to remix filler particulates within the photocurable resin.

In one example, a process for loading a build material powder supply container for 3D printing includes, with a floor of the supply container at or near a top of the supply container, dispensing build material powder into a loading chamber surrounding the top of the supply container and on to the floor, compacting powder in the loading chamber, and lowering the floor with the compacted powder into the supply container.

A material delivery device includes: a plasticization unit having a screw and configured to plasticize a material by rotation of the screw to produce a plasticized material; a flow path through which the plasticized material flows; a nozzle having a nozzle opening that communicates with the flow path and delivers the plasticized material to an outside; a cylinder coupled to the flow path; a rod inserted into the cylinder; and a first pressure detection unit configured to detect a pressure of the plasticized material in the flow path via the rod. In a longitudinal direction of the rod, the rod has a rod end surface facing the flow path and a transmission unit at an opposite side of the rod end surface, and transmits a force due to the pressure received at the rod end surface to the first pressure detection unit via the transmission unit.

A method is disclosed for additively manufacturing a structure. The method may include discharging a composite material, including a reinforcement and a matrix, from a print head, and moving the print head during discharging to form the structure from the composite material. The method may further include exposing the composite material during discharging to a cure energy to trigger the matrix to harden, and selectively adding a filler to the composite material to cause the composite material to increase a temperature achieved when the composite material is exposed to the cure energy.

The present disclosure provides a light curing non-transparent material for 3D printing and a preparation method thereof, a 3D printed product and a 3D printer. The light curing non-transparent material for 3D printing provided by the present disclosure can be used to print non-transparent 3D printed products without adding white pigments such as white pigments powder, and therefore has the characteristic of high stability, and also ensures fluency of the 3D printing process, good quality of the 3D printed products, as well as good performances of the 3D printer that containing light curing non-transparent material for 3D printing.