3D ice printing (3D-ICE) is a novel approach for creating micro-scale structures with precise internal voids and channels, addressing challenges in traditional additive manufacturing. Developed by Carnegie Mellon University professors Philip LeDuc and Burak Ozdoganlar, this method employs a drop-on-demand system where a piezoelectric inkjet nozzle ejects water droplets onto a platform below freezing temperature, forming ice structures upon contact.
This technique allows for controlled deposition of water droplets, creating smooth walls, transitions, and branches in the resulting ice structures. The geometry of these structures can be finely tuned by adjusting droplet deposition rate, surface temperature, and workspace conditions. By angling the build platform, the freeze front rotates, enabling the formation of complex branching, curved, and overhanging structures without additional support materials.
“When I first started my lab, I would never have imagined that we would be 3D printing ice, and using it to create tissues to help people,” said LeDuc.
“But our research has evolved. It has brought people like Burak and myself together, and everyone brings all sorts of different perspectives and capabilities to the table. It’s a wonderful thing to do this work together where the sum of the parts is definitely greater than the individual parts in this transdisciplinary science and engineering.”
The ongoing work aims to scale up 3D-ICE and explore its application in personalized tissue engineering, potentially enabling the creation of tissues that replicate a patient’s unique vascular structure. This could enhance the development of functional tissue constructs for medical research and therapeutics.
Source: eurekalert.org