Biocompatible 3D printing resins for medical applications: A review of marketed intended use, biocompatibility certification, and post-processing guidance

Abstract

Over the last thirty years, there has been an increase in the adoption of 3D printing by the medical community to create devices for patients that require custom and rapid solutions. In turn, a demand has been created for a variety of specifically engineered biocompatible materials. The aim of this study was to review the information provided with biocompatible photosensitive resins with regards to their intended uses, cited biocompatibility certifications, and post-processing technique, and arising from this, detail challenges for users when making an informed and safe decision regarding material selection.A primary level search was performed collecting information from the grey literature available from the websites of manufacturers marketing biocompatible photosensitive resins for 3D printing. Only materials that were stated as biocompatible were included in the study.The results presented a large range of biocompatible materials with varying intended uses. The majority of materials were specifically for dental applications, followed by general medical use, then specific medical applications. A lack of standardisation was noted with regards to the amount and quality of information that is provided with the materials, therefore, due diligence should be performed by the user when selecting a material for their specific application.

Keywords

• Biocompatibility
• Certification
• Post-processing
• Intended uses
• Medical device
• 3D printing