Multimodal 3D Printing of Phantoms to Simulate Biological Tissue
January 11th, 2020
Spin coating, polyjet printing, and fused deposition modeling are integrated to produce multilayered heterogeneous phantoms that simulate structural and functional properties of biological tissue.
Overview
This article discusses the integration of spin coating, polyjet printing, and fused deposition modeling to create multilayered heterogeneous phantoms. These phantoms are designed to simulate the structural and functional properties of biological tissue.
Key Study Components
Area of Science
- Biomedical Engineering
- 3D Printing Technology
- Biomaterials
Background
- There is a lack of traceable phantom standards for simulating biological tissue.
- This gap hinders the development and validation of biomedical optical devices.
- Heterogeneous phantoms can improve the accuracy of these devices.
- Multiple additive manufacturing processes can be combined for effective fabrication.
Purpose of Study
- To demonstrate the layer-by-layer fabrication of tissue-simulating phantoms.
- To showcase the integration of various 3D printing techniques.
- To address the need for standards in biomedical optical device testing.
Methods Used
- Integration of spin coating, PolyJet printing, and FDM.
- Automatic printing of skin-simulating phantoms.
- Preparation of materials, including titanium dioxide in photopolymer resin.
- Layering to create structures that mimic epidermis, dermis, and tumors.
Main Results
- Successful fabrication of multilayered phantoms.
- Demonstrated technical capabilities of the production line.
- Phantoms accurately simulate the structural and functional properties of biological tissue.
- Potential applications in testing biomedical optical devices.
Conclusions
- The integration of multiple 3D printing techniques is effective for phantom fabrication.
- These phantoms can serve as valuable tools for biomedical research.
- Further development of standards is essential for advancing optical device validation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Executive Industry Relevance
Accurate calibration and validation of biomedical optical imaging devices are constrained by the lack of heterogeneous, traceable phantom standards that mimic the complexity of biological tissues. The integration of multimodal 3D printing technologies enables the fabrication of phantoms with layered structural and optical properties, directly supporting device development and qualification. This capability enhances predictive confidence and standardization at critical inflection points in the imaging device pipeline.
Strategic Applications in Biopharma R&D
Early Discovery & Target Validation
- Enables rigorous testing of imaging device performance against tissue-mimicking standards.
- Supports mechanistic de-risking by simulating complex tissue heterogeneity.
- Facilitates functional validation of device sensitivity and specificity in biologically relevant contexts.
Screening & Assay Development
- Provides reproducible, multimodal phantoms for assay calibration and device benchmarking.
- Enables quantitative assessment of imaging outputs across standardized test conditions.
- Supports scalable production of phantoms for high-throughput device evaluation.
Translational & Preclinical Research
- Aligns phantom properties with disease-relevant tissue structures for translational continuity.
- Improves risk-adjusted advancement of imaging platforms by simulating clinical tissue complexity.
- Enables preclinical validation of device performance in controlled, reproducible environments.
Pipeline & Workflow Integration
This multimodal 3D printing workflow bridges early device prototyping, assay calibration, and preclinical validation by providing customizable, heterogeneous phantoms throughout the discovery-to-validation continuum.
- Discovery Biology: Supports hypothesis testing and pathway clarification by simulating layered tissue structures.
- Screening: Delivers reproducible, quantitative outputs for device and assay standardization.
- Analytics: Enables measurement of device accuracy, reproducibility, and sensitivity using defined phantom parameters.
- Translational Research: Facilitates alignment of device validation with clinically relevant tissue models.
- Enterprise Reuse: Establishes a scalable platform for ongoing device calibration and cross-study comparability.
Operational & Enterprise Impact
- Scientific Value: Increases predictive confidence and reduces mechanistic ambiguity in device validation.
- Operational Value: Standardizes calibration processes and enhances reproducibility across imaging platforms.
- Strategic Value: Improves go/no-go decisions and capital efficiency by enabling robust device qualification.
- Portfolio Impact: Supports risk-adjusted prioritization of imaging technologies for advancement.
Implementation Considerations
- Requires expertise in multimodal 3D printing and material formulation.
- Demands access to integrated spin coating, polyjet, and FDM instrumentation.
- Necessitates cross-team standardization of phantom design and production parameters.
- Adaptation may be needed for different tissue models or imaging modalities.
- Phantom complexity and material compatibility may limit certain applications.
Biopharma FAQs
Chapters in this video
0:00
Title
0:50
Material Preparation for 3D Printing
1:44
Preparation of the Computer Models for Multimodal 3D Printing
2:53
Print the Phantom Component that Simulates Skin Epidermis Layer by Spin Coating
3:18
Print the Phantom Component that Simulates Skin Dermis Layer by Polyjetting
3:48
Print the Phantom Component that Simulates Subcutaneous Tissue by FDM
4:21
Representative Results and Conclusion
