Pharma Link™ Biocompatible SLA 3D Printing Resin
Intellectual Polymer Design Enters the Biocompatible 3D Printing Resin Marketplace with the Launch of Pharma Link™ Biocompatible SLA 3D Printing Resin!
What does biocompatible mean?
There are few SLA/DLP resins in the marketplace which are not cytotoxic and which meet ISO 10993-5:2009 Standards. When components are printed with 3D printing resins, the printed component may seem safe to use in the mouth or in contact with tissues. However, many 3D printing resins still contain precarious small molecules after printing, which can leach into an organism’s tissues, membranes, and internal cavities. This may lead to absorption of toxic chemicals by the organism, causing ill effects. These small molecules consist of unreacted monomers, photoinitators, and other chemicals used to facilitate the printing process.
There are many factors to take into account when formulating a resin which does not leach small molecules. First, the degree of conversion is an important factor. Degree of conversion is the extent to which the reactive monomers and oligomers have crosslinked. High degree of conversion means that most of the monomers and oligomers have undergone a photopolymerization reaction. One may study the degree of conversion via FTIR spectroscopy: “It is based on the monitoring of changes in the absorption intensity of several bands resulting from vibrations of the C=C double bond, present in the methacrylate group. They include: (i) twisting vibrations (816 cm−1), (ii) wagging vibrations (948 cm−1), and (iii) stretching vibrations (1637 cm−1)” (Chrószcz, et al.).¹ The appearance of these absorption bands indicates the presence of unreacted (meth)acrylate functional groups, which are the reactive functional groups responsible for intramolecular and intermolecular crosslinking between monomers and oligomers. If one were to measure a neat photopolymer resin prior to 3D printing, these (meth)acrylate functional groups would all be present on all of the reactive monomers and oligomers. After 3D printing, there should be no remaining (meth)acrylate functional groups present. Many 3D printing resins achieve a degree of conversion in the range of 65 - 98%. The higher the percentage of the degree of conversion, the lower the possibility there is that these monomers may leach, as they are no longer free to migrate. Any monomers or oligomers which have not undergone crosslinking are somwhat free to move around and may enter an organism’s mucosa.
Another important factor is stability of the 3D printing resin. Higher stability means that the 3D printed components do not break down when in contact with bodily enzymes, acids, or endogenous chemicals. Degradation of the 3D printed components may lead to the uptake and metabolism of molecules in the printed component. The organism may be able to metabolize these molecules into harmful intermediates which disrupt metabolic function and important pathways. It is important that the 3D printed components remain inert when in contact with any organism’s mucosa membranes.
Finally, there is great need to balance the photoinitiator and any accompanying photo-modifying agents. Higher concentrations of a photoinitator in a 3D printing resin can result in faster cure times and higher degrees of conversion. However, an abundance of photoinitator can render the printed components labile to leaching the excess photoinitator into bodily tissues. Balancing the photoinitiator type and concentration is crucial to achieving a high degree of conversion while remaining present in low enough concentrations to produce safe 3D printed components. Likewise, it is important to carefully choose or exclude any photo-modifying agents, such as UV blockers. UV blockers modify the penetration depth of the UV light source used in the 3D printer; UV blockers assist in producing high resolution 3D prints. UV blockers can also be easily leached into the mucosa membranes that the 3D printed components may come in contact with. Therefore, one must utilize UV blockers which are non-toxic or exclude them entirely. All of these factors must be taken into consideration when crafting a biocompatible 3D printing resin.
Pharma Link™ Meets ISO 10993-5:2009 Standards
Pharma Link™ Biocompatible SLA 3D Printing Resin is an ultra-pure resin designed for usage in the dental and bio-medical industries. Meets ISO 10993-5:2009 Standards (Biological evaluation of medical devices — Part 5: Tests for in vitro cytotoxicity). This means that components printed with Pharma Link™ are not toxic to mammalian cells and can be placed in contact with mucosa membranes.
Pharma Link™ is recommended for the following uses:
Dental Prosthesis
Surgical Guides
Biocompatible Medical Devices
Medical Models & Devices
Auditory Prosthesis
Bones & Cutting Guides
Pharma Link™ Specifications and Material Properties
Pharma Link™ resin offers a wide range of uses, such the manufacturing of medical devices and components. Compatible with all commercial SLA/DLP resin printers, including the FormLabs series printers.
Biocompatible 3D Printing Resin demonstrates superior performance in all domains: superior tensile strength, elongation, flexibility, impact resistance, and chemical resistance.
Meets ISO 10993-5:2009 Standards (Biological evaluation of medical devices — Part 5: Tests for in vitro cytotoxicity).
Ultimate Tensile Strength = 33.5 Mpa / 4858.8 psi (ASTM D638)
Young's Modulus = 11.1 Mpa / 1609.9 psi (ASTM D638)
Elongation at Failure = 12.79% (ASTM D638)
Dynamic Viscosity = 447.5 mPa*s @25°C / 0.00935 lb·s/ft2 @25°C (ASTM D4402/4402M)
Click the link below to view the raw data!
Pharma Link Technical Specifications - Raw Data
Pharma Link™ vs. Other Brands
Unlike other biocompatible 3D printing resins, Pharma Link™ is completely open source and can be used on any SLA/DLP 3D printer. Unlike Formlabs BioMed resins, Pharma Link™ has a low viscosity and does not require a heated vat, vat wiper, or any special accessories for exceptional prints.
In Our Head-To-Head Testing, Pharma Link™ Demonstrated a Higher Ultimate Tensile Strength and Elongation at Failure Than Formlabs BioMed Clear Resin!
See Raw Data Comparison Below!
Pharma Link™ - Raw Data
Formlabs BioMed Clear - Raw Data
Purchase Options
Pharma Link™ is available in two variations:
LE (Low Energy) variant for SLA/DLP 3D printers with older light sources and for usage with Formlabs series printers.
HE (High Energy) variant for SLA/DLP printers with newer, stronger light sources: 2K-8K Mono LCD light sources.
Purchase Pharma Link™ from Our Website by Clicking on the Link Below!
https://www.tetragrowth.solutions/products/biocompatible-3d-printing-resin
References:
I. Sideridou, V. Tserki, G. Papanastasiou, Effect of chemical structure on degree of conversion in light-cured dimethacrylate-based dental resins, Biomaterials, Volume 23, Issue 8, 2002, Pages 1819-1829, ISSN 0142-9612, https://doi.org/10.1016/S0142-9612(01)00308-8.