3D-Printing-Assisted Extraluminal Anti-Reflux Diodes for Preventing Vesicoureteral Reflux through Double-J Stents.

This paper presents novel umbrella-shaped flexible devices to prevent vesicoureteral reflux along double-J stents, which is a backward flow of urine from the bladder to the kidney and is a critical issue in patients with urinary stones. The anti-reflux devices were designed to mechanically attach to the stent and were manufactured using three-dimensional (3D) printing and polymer casting methods. Based on the umbrella shapes, four different devices were manufactured, and the anti-reflux efficiency was demonstrated through in vitro experiments using a urination model.

A biomimetic compound eye lens for photocurrent enhancement at low temperatures.

In this study, an artificial compound eye lens (ACEL) was fabricated using a laser cutting machine and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) solution. A laser cutter was used to punch micro-sized holes (500 m diameter-the smallest possible diameter) into an acrylic plate; this punched plate was then placed on the aqueous PVA solution, and the water was evaporated. The plate was used as the mold to obtain a polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) micro lens array film, which was fixed to a dome-shaped three-dimensional-printed mold for further PDMS curing, and a hemispherical compound eye lens was obtained.

Modeling and application of anisotropic hyperelasticity of PDMS polymers with surface patterns obtained by additive manufacturing technology.

Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) polymer has been widely used in the biomedical fields because of its bio-compatibility, being used as sensors, medical equipment and tissue implants. The present study aims to synthesize and characterize micro lane-type surface patterns of PDMS polymers and evaluate their effects on mechanical properties for various applications in the bio-engineering field. Fabrication of surface patterns is achieved using fused filament fabrication in additive manufacturing, and the mechanical properties of the polymer specimens with the surface patterns are measured using tensile test.