IN-VISION's Light Engines used to revolutionize of the fabrication of microscopic particles
Recently a publication was released in nature journal that describes Joseph DeSimone's (department of Chemical Engineering and Radiology from Stanford University) work on particle fabrication using the continuous liquid interface production with IN-VISION's Light Engines.
Expert Joseph DeSimone, Sanjiv Sam Gambhir Professor of Translational Medicine and Chemical Engineering at Stanford University, worked on particle fabrication using continuous liquid interface production with IN-VISION's Light Engines. The publication of the new microscale 3D-printing method was recently published in the journal “Nature”.
Mouldable to non-mouldable particle geometries, fabricated via r2rCLIP, visualized under a scanning electron microscope (Scale bars 250 µm; Image from Nature).
The DeSimone laboratory recognized that traditional methods of particle fabrication have limitations in terms of speed, scalability, geometric control, and material properties. They developed a new method to overcome these limitations by using high-resolution optics and a continuous roll of film instead of a static platform.
“Roll-to-roll, high-resolution 3D printing of shape-specific particles” published in “Nature” in March 2024 introduces a novel approach to particle fabrication called roll-to-roll continuous liquid interface production (r2rCLIP), which is a 3D printing technique with applications in various fields including bioengineering, drug delivery, microfluidics, and microelectronics.
2D slices describing a 3D particle are projected from an IN-VISION light engine up into a vat of photopolymerizable resin to cure hundreds of particles per batch, moved subsequently along the film to post-processing. (Image from Nature: News and Views).
This technique enables the rapid production of shape-specific particles with complex geometries, including those that cannot be achieved with existing mould-based techniques. The technique demonstrates the production of microscopic particles with voxel sizes as small as 2.0 × 2.0 µm² in the print plane and 1.1 ± 0.3 µm unsupported thickness at speeds of up to 1,000,000 particles per day.
Two 385 nm UV DLP light engines were used in these groundbreaking studies – a 2.00 µm lens Firebird and a 6.00 µm lens Helios projector.
The r2rCLIP setup in the DeSimone lab runs from right to left. The printing occurs in the area below the red piece. The Helios light engine can be seen at the bottom right of the image, projecting up into the vat containing photopolymerizable resin. (Image from Stanford News).
“The tools that most researchers use are tools for making prototypes and test beds, and to prove important points. My lab does translational manufacturing science – we develop tools that enable scale. This is one of the great examples of what that focus has meant for us.”
Joseph DeSimone
Jason Kronenfeld is a PhD candidate in chemistry at Stanford University; his paper highlights the potential applications of these particles in biomedical, analytical, and advanced materials fields. Co-authors also include Lukas Rother, Max Saccone, and Maria Dulay.
Joseph DeSimone is well known in areas including green chemistry, medical devices, nanomedicine, and 3D printing. Recognized by the National Medal of Technology and Innovation, DeSimone was co-founder, Board Chair, and former CEO of the additive manufacturing company, Carbon. In 2020, DeSimone joined Stanford University and now holds appointments in the departments of Radiology and Chemical Engineering with courtesy appointments in the Department of Chemistry and in Stanford’s Graduate School of Business.
Together we shape tomorrow’s industries, and this project is a fantastic evidence!
