Originally Published EMDM November 2005
INDUSTRY NEWS
Model Resin Aids Lung Research
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| A stereolithography resin has allowed researchers to create a model of the human lung to study the breathing process. |
A resin has afforded researchers at the University of Delaware (Newark, DE, USA) the opportunity to examine human lung performance using an anatomically correct model. DSM Somos (Heerlen, Netherlands) provided the researchers with the Watershed 11120 resin, a low-viscosity photopolymer capable of precise shaping by means of stereolithography.
Funded by Philip Morris, the project aims to acquire an accurate understanding of how air travels inside the lungs. It is hoped that insights culled from the study will enable the development of drugs and associated delivery systems to treat pulmonary afflictions such as asthma.
To fabricate a detailed and anatomically precise replica of the human lungs, researchers turned to stereolithography. This technique produces precise complex 3-D models that are often beyond the reach of traditional manufacturing processes. The lung model was created in several different pieces using this process, and then assembled.
Stringent specifications for the model limited the type of materials that could be used. Researchers chose the Watershed resin because of its waterresistant and ABS-like properties, in addition to its transparency.
Whereas other stereolithography resins often weaken or distort when exposed to water, the Watershed resin retains its dimensional accuracy and strength when exposed to fluids, according to DSM. This attribute is important because fluids are used to simulate inhalant flow in the lung model.
Similar to ABS, the resin features high stiffness and high elongation at break. These properties allow the different parts to snap together.
Transparency is vital to the research because the liquid is illuminated by a laser as it flows through the different regions and is recorded by a high-resolution camera.
The research project is slated to go through several more phases beyond data collection before final results are published.
For more information, contact DSM Somos, Het Overloon 1, 6411 TE Heerlen, Netherlands; phone: +31 45 5788111; fax: +31 45 5719753; Internet: www.dsm.com.
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