การออกแบบวัสดุที่มีรูพรุนจากกระบวนการพิมพ์สามมิติเพื่อเพิ่มประสิทธิภาพผลตอบสนองเชิงกลและเชิงชีวภาพสำหรับวัสดุทดแทนกระดูกประเภทโลหะ

With the emergence of an aging society, tooth and bone losses are considered a significant issue, experienced by 80 % of the aging population. As a result, overall health concerns are rising due to insufficient nutrient intake and impaired physical mobility. In addition, tooth loss may result in socializing difficulty due to deformed face shape and inept vocal communication. Even though traditional implants with screw and bulk structures can replace missing teeth and bones, there is evidence that bones around implants may resorb over time due to stiffness mismatch between bones and implants, causing mechanical and biological instability. To alleviate implant failure, we aim to develop novel implants integrated with lattice structures using 3d-printing technology. Even though there are different scaffolds such as foams and struts-based lattices, recent studies show that a new class of geometry, Triply Periodic Minimal Surface (TPMS), provides a more superior bone ingrowth compared to the former structures. TPMS structures can be used to build 3d-printed titanium parts with similar stiffness to that of the actual bone, which can help reducing bone resorption. The advantages of TPMS-based implants were also from their implicit natures, allowing for precise geometric modification. As a result, many physical characteristics such as surface-to-volume ratio, pore size, elastic properties, and fluid flow behaviors became controllable parameters. Nevertheless, although the CAD software provides freedom in designing lattice architectures, 3d-printing technology exhibits several limitations, especially a challenge to fabricate parts with small features. Such problems raised concern over the mechanical and biological stability of 3d-printed medical implants. Therefore, this project will design, manufacture, and carry out several testing on TPMS-based implants. Geometrical accuracy, surface roughness, and mechanical properties would be evaluated for different TPMS structures. An in-vitro test would also be performed to provide insight into biological behaviors on cell attachment and proliferation. Ultimately, we hope to effectively design and prototype a new kind of medical implants and assess their potential to be pursued for a more thorough study in the future.