Light-based additive manufacturing system, manufacturing method thereof, and products formed therefrom

Abstract

A light-based additive manufacturing system, a method for manufacturing the same, and products formed therefrom are provided. The additive manufacturing system comprises a material deposition area (102), an optical emitter (104), a conduit (106), a carriage assembly (108), and a processor (110). The material deposition area is capable of holding a first material that is at least partially photoactivatable. The conduit is capable of transmitting light from the optical emitter to its end and is capable of being positioned within the material deposition area. The carriage assembly is capable of moving, rotating, or combining the conduit within the material deposition area. The processor signals to the optical emitter, conduit, carriage assembly, or combination thereof in order to selectively photoactivate the first material using the end of the conduit according to a first computer model in order to additively form an object made of the first material.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] <Related Applications> This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 459,958, filed on April 17, 2023, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

Background Art

[0002] Recently, three-dimensional (3D) bioprinting has emerged as a viable platform for engineering tissues, with dramatic applications as a platform for drug discovery and disease modeling, and as a new therapy for tissue regeneration. However, it has been difficult to transfer these technologies from the laboratory to industry and clinics.

Summary of the Invention

[0003] In one general aspect, the present disclosure provides an additive manufacturing system comprising a material deposition area, a light emitter, a conduit, a carriage assembly, and a processor. The material deposition area is capable of holding a first material that is at least partially photoactivatable. The conduit is in optical communication with the light emitter. The conduit is capable of transmitting light from the light emitter to an end of the conduit and is capable of being disposed within the material deposition area. The carriage assembly is operably coupled to the conduit. The carriage assembly is capable of moving, rotating, or a combination thereof, the conduit within the material deposition area. The processor signal communicates with the light emitter, the conduit, the carriage assembly, or a combination thereof, to selectively photoactivate the first material using the end of the conduit in accordance with a first computer model to additionally form an object made of the first material.

[0004] In another general embodiment, the present disclosure provides a method for additive manufacturing of an object. The method comprises depositing a first material in a material deposition area. The first material is at least partially photoactivatable. The ends of conduits are positioned in the first material. The first material is selectively photoactivated using the ends of conduits by emitting light into the first material according to a first computer model to additively form an object.

[0005] Products can be manufactured by methods and / or systems for additive manufacturing described herein.

[0006] Various embodiments and implementations of the present invention offer numerous advantages and improvements compared to conventional additive printing techniques, such as improved process reliability and enhanced spatial accuracy of complex objects. For example, using conduits to emit light into a material can improve the spatial accuracy and quality of printed objects. These and other advantages, potentially achievable through various implementations of the present invention, will become apparent from the following description.

[0007] It should be understood that the invention described herein is not limited to the embodiments summarized in this summary. Various other embodiments are described and illustrated herein. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] The features and advantages of the embodiments, as well as the methods by which they are achieved, will become clearer and the embodiments will be better understood by referring to the following description in conjunction with the attached drawings.

[0009] [Figure 1] This is a schematic diagram illustrating the additive manufacturing system described herein.

[0010] [Figure 2] This is a schematic diagram illustrating the additive manufacturing system described herein.

[0011] [Figure 3] A schematic diagram illustrating a conduit according to the present disclosure.

[0012] [Figure 4] A schematic diagram illustrating a coaxial conduit according to the present disclosure.

[0013] [Figure 5] A flowchart illustrating a method for additive manufacturing according to the present disclosure.

[0014] [Figure 6] A schematic diagram of an optical emitter coupled to a conduit according to the present disclosure.

[0015] [Figure 7] A CAD drawing of a structure according to the present disclosure.

[0016] [Figure 8] An optical coherence tomography image of a printed structure according to the present disclosure.

[0017] [Figure 9] A schematic diagram illustrating an additive manufacturing system according to the present disclosure.

[0018] [Figure 10] An image of a conduit positioned within a material in a material deposition region according to the present disclosure.

[0019] The examples described herein illustrate a particular embodiment in one form, and such examples should not be construed as limiting the scope of the appended claims in any way.

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0020] As used herein, "additive manufacturing" refers to a process of joining materials to make objects from 3D model data, usually by layering, as opposed to subtractive manufacturing methodologies. For example, additive manufacturing can include fused deposition modeling (FDM) and freeform reversible embedding (FRE). FDM can include extruding a material by heating it to a temperature above its melting temperature and depositing the extruded material in a pattern to form a layer of the object. Subsequent layers can be deposited on top of the previous layer as needed to form the object.

[0021] FRE is similar to FDM, but instead of depositing material on top of previous deposits or supports, FRE relies on the triggering assembly or rearrangement of materials using targeted heating, photopolymerization, crosslinking, slow kinetics, binder application, and / or other curing techniques by embedding the printing material near other embedded deposits within the support material. For example, the support material can provide divalent cations for ionic crosslinking so that when the printing material contacts the support material, the printed material can begin to cure. In certain embodiments, the printing material may not cure and can retain its shape based on thixotropic and / or yield stress properties.

[0022] In additive manufacturing techniques such as FDM, the support material is typically as rigid as the printing material, printed as part of the previous layer, and placed only under or adjacent to the printed layer to prevent deformation. In FRE, the support material can surround the extrusion nozzle and the printing material can be deposited within the support material. The support material can enable the deposition of various materials while maintaining buoyancy, which is physical support for the deposits of the already embedded printing material. If two embedded deposits of the printing material are in contact with each other within the support material with a predetermined distance, they can be dissolved. After printing, the support material can be removed from the deposited printing material to form a fully assembled object from the deposited printing material.

[0023] With FRE, objects can be printed in any direction in 3D space and are not limited to layer-by-layer printing. For example, structures can also be printed layer by layer in the XY plane, or in non-XY planes such as the XZ plane, or in planes offset at any angle from the XY plane. Objects can be printed non-planar using FRE, for example, in curved paths such as spirals. By using FRE, it is possible to print objects with different mechanical properties in planes of print that are perpendicular to the plane of print or at other angles to the plane of print. Further details relating to the FRE process can be found in U.S. Patent Application No. 10,150,258, filed on 29 January 2016, entitled ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING OF EMBEDDED MATERIALS; U.S. Patent Application No. 17 / 754,115, entitled MODIFICATION OF RHEOLOGY AND MACHINE PATHING FOR IMPROVED 3D PRINTING OF SOFT MATERIALS; and U.S. Patent Application No. 18 / 246,225, filed on 22 March 2023, entitled TRANSPARENT SUPPORT BATH FOR EMBEDDED 3D PRINTING AND SYSTEM FOR IN PROCESS MONITORING, each of which is incorporated herein by reference.

[0024] As the demand for donor tissues and organs continues to outpace supply, clinicians are turning to regenerative medicine and tissue engineering strategies to create new tissues. 3D bioprinting using FRE is emerging as a method of constructing these tissues using robotic control to precisely pattern cells and biological hydrogels. However, this technology is lagging behind due to the difficulty of printing these flexible, deformable materials into complex 3D architectures that summarize anatomical structures from micro to macro length scales, and the lack of the ability to control the growth of patterned cells after printing. In addition, achieving the spatial heterogeneity of native tissues can be challenging, hindering the formation of fully functional tissue analogs.

[0025] This disclosure provides methods, systems, and materials that can improve the reliability of processes in FRE processes, other 3D bioprinting processes, or other additive manufacturing processes, and improve the spatial accuracy of complex objects. For example, this disclosure provides additive manufacturing methods and additive manufacturing systems. A method for additive manufacturing of an object comprises depositing a material into a material deposition area. The material is at least partially photoactivatable. The ends of conduits are positioned within the material. The first material is selectively photoactivated using the ends of conduits by emitting light into the first material according to a first computer model to additively form an object. By selectively photoactivating the material within the material deposition area using conduits, improved spatial accuracy can be enabled.

[0026] SLA printing typically requires the vat material to be transparent to the laser beam and cures the vat material only in a single plane near the build plate and / or near the interface between the uncured vat material and the cured object. Similarly, DLP printing projects an image of the entire layer in a single plane near the build plate and / or near the interface between the uncured material and the cured object. According to this disclosure, by providing an optical conduit, it becomes possible to use different materials in the material deposition area that can be at least partially opaque to the light emitted from the conduit. By increasing the opacity of the material in the material deposition area, spatial accuracy according to this disclosure can be improved. In various embodiments, the material may not need to be opaque, and the additive manufacturing system according to this disclosure can be further configured according to the transparency of the material. Furthermore, by utilizing an optical conduit, it becomes possible to print outside the single plane, for example, so that all three dimensions (X, Y, and Z) can be retraced as needed. In addition, while SLA and DLP may not be suitable for the use of biocompatible materials, this disclosure allows for the use of biocompatible materials. Furthermore, when cells are added to a vat during an SLA or DLP printing process, the cells may settle at the bottom of the vat, causing uneven cell concentrations in the printed construct. However, in this disclosure, cell sedimentation can be prevented by altering the density of the supporting material within the material deposition area containing the cells.

[0027] Referring to Figure 1, a schematic diagram illustrating an example of a system 100 for additive and / or subtractive manufacturing according to the present disclosure is provided. For example, system 100 can be used for light-based FRE additive manufacturing and optional subtractive manufacturing. System 100 comprises a material deposition area 102, an optical emitter 104, a conduit 106, a carriage assembly 108, and a processor 110. In various embodiments, an extruder 232, an extruder 234, a detector 236, or a combination thereof may be added to system 100 to increase the printing capability of system 100, as illustrated in Figure 2.

[0028] Referring again to Figure 1, the material deposition region 102 can hold a material 118 that is at least partially photoactivatable. For example, the material deposition region 102 can be configured to mechanically support the support material 118 during FRE additive manufacturing. In various embodiments, the material deposition region 102 may comprise a vessel in which the support material 118 is placed, and a platform on which the vessel is supported. The material deposition region 102 may include motors and / or actuators that can move the platform in 3D space (e.g., only in Z space, or in XYZ space) as needed.

[0029] The optical emitter 104 may be capable of emitting light with wavelengths in the range of 200 to 1500 microns, such as 250 to 1400 microns, 300 to 1400 microns, 300 to 900 microns, 300 to 700 microns, 300 to 500 microns, or 325 to 475 microns. The optical emitter 104 may comprise a metal halide light source, a light-emitting diode, a laser diode, an incandescent bulb, or a combination thereof.

[0030] The conduit 106 communicates optically with the optical emitter 104. For example, the conduit 106 can be physically attached to the optical emitter 104, or the conduit 106 is in the path of light emitted from the optical emitter 104 and cannot be physically attached there. For example, components 124 such as collimators, filters, lenses, adapters, or combinations thereof can be positioned between the conduit 106 and the optical emitter 104.

[0031] The conduit 106 can be an optical pipe, an optical guide, or a combination thereof. For example, referring to Figure 3, the conduit 106 may comprise an optical fiber cannula 306a and optionally a cover 306b on the optical fiber cannula 306a. The cover 306b can be a metal (e.g., stainless steel), a polymer, a composite material (e.g., carbon fiber), or a combination thereof. The cover 306b can protect the optical fiber cannula 306a and prevent damage to the optical fiber cannula 306a while traversing the material 118. For example, the cover 306b can be rigid and / or have a tensile strength greater than the tensile strength of the optical fiber cannula 306a.

[0032] Referring again to Figure 1, the conduit 106 is capable of receiving light from the optical emitter and transmitting the light from the optical emitter 104 to the end 106a of the conduit 106. The conduit 106 may be provided with shielding and / or other configurations so that a substantial portion of the light transmitting through the conduit 106 reaches the end 106a and otherwise does not escape from the conduit 106 before the end 106a.

[0033] The transmitted light can be emitted as light 126 from the conduit 106 into a portion 118a of the material 118 adjacent to the end 106a of the conduit 106. The light 126 emitted from the conduit 106 can selectively photoactivate the material 118 in portion 118a during a first period. The light 126 may not be substantially emitted to the rest of the material 118 during the first period, and therefore may not photoactivate the rest of the material 118 during the first period. For example, the light 126 emitted by the conduit 106 may be localized at the end 106a of the conduit 106. The conduit 106 can enable localized photoactivation of the material.

[0034] The end 106a of the conduit 106 can be positioned within the material 118 and below the surface 118d of the material 118, as shown in Figures 1 and 10. In various embodiments, the end 106a can be positioned on the surface 118d of the material 118. By positioning the end 106a of the conduit 106 within the material 118, the formation of the object 120 within the material deposition region 102 becomes possible. The remaining portion 118c of the non-photoactivated material 118 can support the rest of the object 120 to be printed.

[0035] The end 106a of the conduit 106 can be configured to emit light in the form of a point, a slit, a focused beam, a defocused beam, or a combination thereof, as required by the application. For example, the end 106a of the conduit 106 can be configured to emit light in the form of a point. The end 106a of the conduit 106 can be substantially flat, and the conduit 106 can be cylindrical.

[0036] The conduit 106 may have a diameter in the range of 5 microns to 1 millimeter, for example, 10 microns to 500 microns, 20 microns to 400 microns, 50 microns to 200 microns, or 50 microns to 150 microns.

[0037] The conduit 106 may have an aperture of 1 or less, for example, 0.4 or less, 0.37 or less, 0.25 or less, 0.22 or less, 0.18 or less, 0.17 or less, or 0.15 or less. For example, the conduit 106 may have an aperture in the range of 0.01 to 1, for example, 0.01 to 0.4, 0.01 to 0.37, 0.01 to 0.22, 0.01 to 0.2, 0.05 to 0.15, or 0.05 to 0.12.

[0038] The carriage assembly 108 is operably coupled to the conduit 106. The carriage assembly 108 is capable of moving, rotating, or a combination thereof, the conduit 106 within the material deposition area 102. For example, the carriage assembly 108 may include a motor assembly, gantry, gearing, or other moving assembly capable of translating and / or rotating the conduit 106 relative to the material deposition area 102.

[0039] The processor 110 signals (e.g., data communication) with the optical emitter 104, conduit 106, carriage assembly 108, extruder 232, extruder 234, detector 236, or a combination thereof (such as via a wired and / or wireless data bus or link) to selectively photoactivate the material 118 using the end 106a of the conduit 106, thereby additionally forming the object 120 fabricated from the material 118, according to the computer model 116. The processor 110 can be configured by programming to control the operation of the optical emitter 104, conduit 106, carriage assembly 108, extruder 232, extruder 234, detector 236, or a combination thereof. For example, the processor 110 can control the intensity of light emitted from the end 106a of the conduit 106 (for example, by controlling the power of filters present as optical emitters 104 and / or components 124), the wavelength of light emitted from the end 106a of the conduit 106 (for example, by controlling the power of filters present as optical emitters 104 and / or components 124), the duration of light emitted from the end 106a of the conduit 106 (for example, by controlling the power of filters present as optical emitters 104 and / or components 124), the flow rate of material through the extruders 232 and / or 234, the pauses of the conduit 106, extruders 232 and / or extruders 234 relative to the material deposition region 102, or a combination thereof.

[0040] The processor 110 may be part of a computer system 128. The computer system 128 may comprise the processor 110 operably coupled to non-temporary memory 112 and optionally additional processors. The processor 110 may comprise one or more processing cores. The computer system 128 may also receive data from the optical emitter 104, the conduit 106, the carriage assembly 108, the extruder 232, the extruder 234, the detector 236, or a combination thereof, and transmit data (e.g., control data). The components may communicate with the processor 110 via any preferred type of data bus (e.g., parallel or bit-serial connection).

[0041] Memory 112 may include primary storage (e.g., main memory directly accessible by the processor 110, such as RAM, ROM processor registers, or processor cache), secondary storage (e.g., an SSD or HDD not directly accessible by the processor), and / or offline storage. Memory 112 stores computer instructions (e.g., software) executed by the processor 110. The processor 110 may be configured to control the operation of the optical emitter 104, conduit 106, carriage assembly 108, extruder 232, extruder 234, detector 236, or a combination thereof (through the execution of software stored in memory 112), thereby controlling the formation of object 120. For example, the processor 110 may position the conduit 106 relative to a material deposition area, turn the optical emitter 104 on / off, and / or control the components 124 to selectively photoactivate the material by adjusting the light transmitted to the conduit 106 when required by the application.

[0042] Memory 112 can store a digital or electronic computer model 116 of an object 120 manufactured by an additive manufacturing process. The computer model 116 can be loaded locally into memory 112 or downloaded from another device (e.g., another computer device, cloud) that communicates data with the processor 110. For this purpose, a computer system with a processor may include a network interface controller (NIC) (not shown) that connects the computer system to a computer network. The computer model 116 can be in a variety of different digital or electronic formats, such as STL files, OBJ files, FBS files, Collada files, 3DS files, IGES files, step files, VRML / X3D files, point clouds, or other 3D model file format types. The computer model 116 can be generated from image data of biological structures, manipulated structures, computationally derived structures, other structures, or combinations thereof. In various embodiments, the computer model 116 may be a machine path instruction (e.g., G-code and / or M-code instruction) that can be directly input by an operator or downloaded from another device that communicates data with the processor 110.

[0043] Referring to Figure 2, the extruders 232 and / or 234 can be configured to deposit the material 118 according to the computer model 116. The extruders 232 and / or 234 may include motor assemblies, gantry, gearing, or other moving assemblies configured to translate and / or rotate each of the extruders 232, 234 relative to the material deposit area 102.

[0044] Extruders 232 and / or 234 may be syringe-based extruders that include a reservoir (e.g., a syringe barrel) for receiving and storing material, and a nozzle (e.g., a needle) that is in fluid communication with the reservoir and can receive material from the reservoir. For example, the reservoir may contain material, the material may be extruded through the nozzle, and the nozzle may be configured to deposit the extruded structural material into a material deposition area 102.

[0045] The conduit 106, extruder 232, and / or extruder 234 can move in two or three dimensions, similar to FDM, i.e., simultaneously in the X, Y, and Z directions. Furthermore, the conduit 106, extruder 232, and / or extruder 234, and / or material deposition area 102 can be made rotatable. The mechanical path command for object 120 can be defined according to both Cartesian and polar coordinates, which makes it possible to produce objects with complex geometric shapes or very specific mechanical properties.

[0046] In various embodiments, system 100 can form objects at various printing speeds. For example, system 100 can operate at printing speeds of at least 0.001 mm / min, such as at least 1 mm / min, at least 10 mm / min, at least 0.5 mm / min, at least 15 mm / min, at least 20 mm / min, or at least 25 mm / min. System 100 can operate at printing speeds of 1000 mm / min or less, such as 100 mm / min or less, 75 mm / min or less, 50 mm / min or less, or 40 mm / min or less. For example, an additive manufacturing system can operate at printing speeds in the range of 0.001 mm / min to 1000 mm / min, such as 25 mm / min to 40 mm / min.

[0047] Selective photoactivation of material 118 can be repeated as needed to additionally form object 120. For example, the processor 110 can control the photoemitter 104 and / or conduit 106 to photoactivate the material in portions 118a, 118b to additionally form object 114 based on a computer model 116. Portions 118a, 118b may occur in layers, different planes, and / or non-planar movements. Portions 118a, 118b can be deposited in various orders as desired and may optionally be beneath the surface 118d of material 118 during printing. In various embodiments, object 120 may include one or more layers on the surface 118d during printing, in addition to layers printed beneath the surface 118d during printing.

[0048] Material 118 can maintain the intended geometric shape of object 120 and suppress deformation of each material during the FRE additive manufacturing process. Material 118 may exhibit shear thinning. Material 118 may be a viscoplastic material with Bingham plastic-like rheological behavior. Material 118 may demonstrate remarkable shear thinning behavior, such that when the conduit 106 is stationary, material 118 acts like a solid material to support object 120, and then acts like a fluid when the conduit 106 is moved through material 118 so that the movement of the conduit 106 does not disturb the previously formed portion of object 120. The decrease in viscosity of material 118 under shear stress can make material 118 suitable for FRE. For example, in FRE, dynamic loading can be caused by forces in the conduit 106 through material 118 and affect material 118 in several ways. The carriage assembly 108 can be configured to alter the material 118 by applying mechanical loads via shear, pressure, or vibration. The carriage assembly 108 can be configured to thin the material 118 by irradiating or heating it. In various embodiments, the material 118 can have its viscosity reduced under vibration, heating, or irradiation that occurs locally on the carriage assembly 108.

[0049] Material 118 can be photoactivated in response to light reception from conduit 106. For example, material 118 can be photoconjugated, photocleave, or a combination thereof. Photoactivation can include photocrosslinking, photopolymerization, photodegradation, photoablation, photoheating, photogenetic manipulation, photouncaging, or a combination thereof. Photoconjugation can construct additional regions of an object, while photocleave can remove regions of an object.

[0050] Material 118 may include gelatin materials, collagen materials, alginate materials, decellularized extracellular matrix materials, fibrinogen materials, fibrin materials, hyaluronic acid materials, protein materials, polysaccharide hydrogel materials, synthetic gel materials, elastomer polymer materials, rigid polymer materials, Matrigel, or combinations thereof. In various embodiments, Material 118 may include hydrogels, microspheres in an aqueous medium (e.g., water, water-alcohol (e.g., ethanol) mixture), and / or gelatin methacryloyl (GelMA). Material 118 may include various additives such as light absorbers (e.g., tartrazine), scattering agents, initiators (e.g., phenyl-2,4,6-trimethylbenzoyl phosphinate (LAP), tris(2,20-bipyridyl)dichlororuthenium(II) hexahydrate / sodium persulfate (Ru / SPS)), photosensitive compounds, rheological modifiers (e.g., gum arabic), or combinations thereof.

[0051] Material 118, if present, may contain a light absorber concentration of at least 1 μM, such as at least 10 μM, at least 20 μM, at least 30 μM, at least 40 μM, at least 50 μM, or at least 80 μM. Material 118, if present, may contain a light absorber concentration of 1000 μM or less, such as 500 μM or less, 200 μM or less, 150 μM or less, or 100 μM or less. For example, material 118, if present, may contain a light absorber concentration in the range of 1 μM to 100 μM, such as 20 μM to 100 μM. In various embodiments, light transmission to the material containing the light absorber can be reduced, which can reduce overcuring in the area of ​​material 118 adjacent to the end 106a of the conduit 106. In various embodiments, overcuring can be suppressed by optimizing the printing pattern.

[0052] Material 118 can be a mixture of materials that are uniformly mixed or selectively deposited. For example, Material 118 may include a support material, a structural material, a bio-ink, or a combination thereof. In various embodiments, Material 118 may include a support material and a structural material. The structural material can be selectively deposited into the support material by extruders 232, 234 according to a computer model 116. For example, extruder 232 may allow the deposit of the support material (or the support material may be bulk deposited before printing), and extruder 234 may allow the deposit of the structural material, and selective photoactivation of the material may include selective activation of the structural material.

[0053] The structural material may include polymers such as hydrogels, thermosetting polymers, thermoplastic resins, or combinations thereof. The polymer may include polymer resins (e.g., prepolymer resins), curing agents, contrast agents, and / or other additives. For example, the polymer may include collagen materials, alginate materials, decellularized extracellular matrix materials, fibrinogen materials, fibrin materials, hyaluronic acid materials, protein materials, polysaccharide hydrogel materials, synthetic gel materials, elastomer polymer materials, rigid polymer materials, Matrigel, or combinations thereof. In various embodiments, the polymer may include collagen materials. The structural material may include decellularized extracellular matrix. In various embodiments, the structural material may include a fluid that transitions to a solid or semi-solid state after deposition.

[0054] The support material can physically support at least a portion of the embedded structural material, or a combination thereof. The support material maintains the intended geometry of the embedded structural material and suppresses deformation of each material during the FRE additive manufacturing process. For example, the embedded structural material can be held in place within the support material until the structural material solidifies and / or hardens due to light emission from the conduit 106. The support material can remain stationary at applied stress levels below the threshold stress level and can flow at applied stress levels above the threshold stress level during the FRE additive manufacturing process.

[0055] The support material can be a viscoplastic material having Bingham plastic-like rheological behavior. The support material may exhibit remarkable shear thinning behavior such that it acts like a solid material to support object 120, and then acts like a fluid as the conduit 106 moves through the support material so that the movement of the conduit 106 does not disturb the previously deposited structural material and / or bioink. The decrease in viscosity of the support material under shear stress can make the support material suitable for FRE.

[0056] Supporting materials can include other materials with viscoplastic behavior, such as Herschel-Bulkley fluids. Bingham plastics and Herschel-Bulkley fluids are viscoplastic materials that fall into the "shear-thinning" or "yield stress fluid" category. Below a certain shear stress, these materials appear as solid materials. Above the threshold shear force, these materials behave as fluids. Bingham plastics may not necessarily "shear-thinning" and, rather, once they start flowing, may behave like Newtonian fluids. In contrast, Herschel-Bulkley fluids undergo shear-thinning once they start flowing.

[0057] In various embodiments, the bio-ink, structural material, and / or support material may include microspheres. For example, the microspheres in the bio-ink may have an average particle size in the range of 50 microns to 2 mm (e.g., D 50 ) may include. Microspheres in the support material and / or structural material may have an average particle size in the range of 1 micron to 250 microns.

[0058] The support material may include a hydrogel. The hydrogel may contain particles (e.g., microspheres) in the diluent. The particles may include gelatin or other suitable particle-forming compounds. The diluent may be aqueous or non-aqueous depending on the desired properties of the support material. Depending on the printing technique, the support material may be transparent or opaque.

[0059] Bioinks can contain cells. For example, the cells can be eukaryotic cells of animal origin. Cells can be obtained from embryonic stem cells (ESCs), induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), primary tissues, cell lines, or combinations thereof. Bioinks can contain biocompatible polymers, water, and optionally additives. Biocompatible polymers can include collagen materials, alginate materials, decellularized extracellular matrix materials, fibrinogen materials, fibrin materials, hyaluronic acid materials, protein materials, polysaccharide hydrogel materials, synthetic hydrogel materials, Matrigel, or combinations thereof. Protein materials can include fibrinogen.

[0060] The structural material may differ from the bioink. The structural material may be cell-free (e.g., may not contain cells), and / or the structural material may differ from the bioink by at least one mechanical property, such as yield strength, hardness, tensile strength, or a combination thereof.

[0061] Photoactivation of material 118 may include photocoupling, photocleavage, or a combination thereof. Therefore, this disclosure may include both additive and subtractive manufacturing techniques as desired. Photoactivation may include photocrosslinking, photodegradation, photoavailability, photoheating, photogenetic manipulation, photouncaging, or a combination thereof. In various embodiments, the end 106a of conduit 106 can maintain a temperature of 40 degrees Celsius or less during printing, for example, 35 degrees Celsius or less, or 30 degrees Celsius or less. The temperature can be reduced by using conduit 106 and suppressing the heating of material 118 by the heat generated by the photoemitter 104. In various embodiments, a cooling system (not shown) can be introduced into system 100 to cool at least a portion of conduit 106. In certain embodiments, the end 106a of conduit 106 may be heated.

[0062] Material 118 can be cured, and after curing, the material can be considered cured. Object 120 can be at least partially cured in material 118 by emitting light into material 118 using conduit 106. In various embodiments, object 120 can be at least partially cured before the remaining portion 118c of material 118 is removed. In some embodiments, object 120 may not be completely cured until after the remaining portion 118c of material 118 has been removed.

[0063] As used herein, the terms “curing” and “cured” may refer to the chemical crosslinking of components within Material 118. Therefore, the terms “curing” and “cured” do not encompass only the physical drying of structural materials by solvent or carrier evaporation. In this regard, as used herein, the term “cured” refers to the state of Material 118 in which the components of Material 118 forming Object 120 have chemically reacted to form new covalent bonds (e.g., new covalent bonds formed between the polymer resin and the curing agent), new ionic bonds, new hydrogen bonds, new VanderWaul bonds, or a combination thereof within Material 118.

[0064] The mechanical properties of object 120 can be controlled by controlling the amount of hardening that occurs within object 120. For example, the mechanical path instructions for object 120 can be modified to control the amount of crosslinking that occurs within object 120. For example, the processor 110 can selectively expose material 118 to emitted light for a desired intensity and / or duration.

[0065] The system 100 may include optional components as needed. For example, referring to Figure 4, the conduit 106 may be coaxial and may include an inner tube 416a from which material can be extruded and an outer tube 416b from which light can be transmitted from the optical emitter to the end 106a of the conduit 106.

[0066] In various embodiments, the inner tube 416a can transmit light from the photoemitter to the end 106a of the conduit 106, and the outer tube 416b can be used to supply a gas and / or liquid, such as oxygen. The oxygen can eliminate the photocrosslinking reaction within the material 118, which can suppress unwanted hardening of the material 118.

[0067] Object 120 can be removed at least partially from the remaining portion 118c of material 118. Removing the remaining portion 118c of material 118 may include heating material 118, cooling material 118, removing cations to break down crosslinks in material 118, physically removing material 118, vibration, irradiation with additional ultraviolet, infrared, or visible light, application of a constant or oscillating electric or magnetic field, other mechanisms, or a combination thereof. For example, material 118 may include a thermoreversible material, and removing the support material may include heating the support material to a threshold temperature at which it transitions from a solid or semi-solid state to a liquid state.

[0068] The additive manufacturing methods described herein, such as those illustrated in Figure 3 below, can be implemented in whole or in part as computer-executable instructions stored in memory 112, which, when executed by the processor 110, cause the processor 110 to perform the enumerated steps. The computer instructions can be implemented as one or more software modules 122 stored in memory 112, which are programmed to cause the processor 110 to perform one or more separate steps of the process or other function described herein. For example, the software module 122 may include: a separation module programmed to convert a computer model 116 into segments; a conversion module programmed to convert the computer model 116 and / or segments into computer instructions (e.g., G-code) for controlling the movement of the conduit 106 and / or the intensity of light emitted by the conduit 106 to fabricate an object 114; a noise image module for controlling the imaging parameters of the detector 236; a modeling module programmed to receive, store, create, and / or modify part files of the object to be fabricated; and a robot control module programmed to control the conduit 106 according to instructions generated by the conversion module to fabricate an object 120. Various other modules can be implemented in addition to, or instead of, the aforementioned modules. In certain embodiments, the process described herein can be performed across a number of computer systems that are responsively connected together in a network, computer systems that are responsively connected to a cloud computing system configured to perform one or more of the steps described.

[0069] Referring to Figure 5, a flowchart illustrating an additive manufacturing method according to a particular implementation of the present disclosure is provided. The method includes, in step 502, receiving a computer model 116 of the assembly by a processor 110. In step 504, a processor 110 running separation module software may separate (e.g., slice) the computer model into different sub-segments, and a processor 110 running a conversion module may create machine path instructions (e.g., G-code instructions) based on the design computer model. The machine path instructions may be stored in memory 112. The method may include, in step 508, depositing material 118 in a material deposit area 102 before printing the object 120. In various embodiments, the material 118 may include at least two of structural material, support material, and bioink, each of which material may be deposited sequentially or simultaneously as required by the application.

[0070] The method may include, in step 508, positioning the end 106a of the conduit within the material 118. Positioning the end 106a of the conduit within the material 118 may include immersing the end 106a of the conduit within the material 118 and beneath the surface 118d of the material. In step 510, the method may include selectively photoactivating the material 118 using the end 106a of the conduit 106 by emitting light into the material 118 according to a computer model 116 of object 1120, thereby forming a portion of object 120 within the material 118. The selective photoactivation of the material 118 in step 510 may be repeated for a number of iterations required to additionally form object 120. Each iteration may photoactivate a portion of the material 118, and the iteration may be repeated until the additional formation of object 120 is complete (if not previously terminated). In various embodiments, additional bioink and / or additional structural material may be deposited as needed to form object 120 such that at least two different materials are deposited in step 506. In certain embodiments, steps 506 and 510 may be repeated as needed to further form object 120.

[0071] In step 512, the method may include removing at least partially the remaining portion 118c of material 118 from object 120 to provide the product. Object 120 can be subjected to various post-addition manufacturing processes, such as additional curing, cleaning, or modification.

[0072] The methods and systems for additive manufacturing described herein can be used to create a variety of products. These products can be of various types, such as soft structures, bioprostheses, scaffolds, medical devices, implantable devices, gaskets, tubes, seals, aerospace components, automotive components, building components, or other structures that can be additively manufactured. In various embodiments, the product (e.g., object 120) can be surgically implanted in a patient after additive manufacturing, and object 120 can be used as a biological structure for experimentation, or as a combination thereof.

[0073] <Examples>

[0074] Various aspects, advantages, and features that are potentially achievable through the implementations of the present invention will be better understood by referring to the following examples that provide illustrative, non-limiting aspects of the invention. It should be understood that the invention described herein is not necessarily limited to the examples described in this section.

[0075] An example of additive manufacturing was carried out using a 3D bioprinting system 900, which includes a computer system, a material deposition area, conduits, and a light source substantially similar to that in Figure 1, and is partially schematically shown in Figure 9. The material deposition area 902 contained a photocrosslinkable support bath (e.g., material). The photocrosslinkable support bath consisted of gelatin methacryloyl (GelMA) microspheres surrounded by an aqueous mixture of GelMA, lithium phenyl-2,4,6-trimethylbenzoylphosphinate (LAP) as a photoinitiator, and taltrazine as a light absorber. The GelMA microspheres were produced by complex coagulation of GelMA and LAP in the presence of gum arabic and Pluronic F-127.

[0076] The conduit 600 was a programmable optical pipe coupled with an optical fiber. The light source 604 was UV-visible light. As illustrated in Figure 6, the conduit 600 was assembled as follows: UV-visible light (320 nm to 500 nm) 604 was collimated by an optical collimator guide 652 and then filtered to 365 nm by a bandpass filter 654. The light was then coupled to an optical fiber patch cord 658 via an adapter 656 and then delivered to the support bath from the tip 660a of an optical fiber cannula 660. The optical fiber cannula 660 was fabricated from an optical fiber with a diameter of 100 μm sealed in a stainless steel tube. The optical fiber cannula 660 was mounted on a carriage assembly 962 to perform 3D movement within the support bath in the material deposition region 902.

[0077] As shown in Figure 7, a 3D model of the structure to be printed was generated using CAD software and then converted to STL. A G-code file was generated by slicing the STL file using slicing software. The G-code file was uploaded to the computer system interface, and then printing was performed using the carriage assembly 962 of the conduit 606 and the optical fiber cannula 660. Light was delivered in the desired shape from the tip 660a of the optical fiber cannula 660, which was rasterized in the support bath at a predetermined coordinate at a specified light intensity and printing speed, to the optical crosslinked GelMA in the support bath. After the printing process, the remaining non-crosslinked GelMA support bath was dissolved, and the printed structure was imaged under optical coherence tomography (OCT), as shown in Figure 8.

[0078] Various non-limiting embodiments of the invention as disclosed herein include, but are not limited to, those listed in the following numbered clauses.

[0079] Clause 1. An additive manufacturing system comprising: a material deposition region capable of holding a first material that is at least partially photoactivatable; an optical emitter; a conduit for optical communication with the optical emitter, the conduit being capable of transmitting light from the optical emitter to the end of the conduit and being capable of being positioned within the material deposition region; a carriage assembly operably coupled to the conduit, the carriage assembly being capable of moving, rotating, or combining the conduit within the material deposition region; and a processor for signaling communication with the optical emitter, the conduit, the carriage assembly, or combinations thereof to selectively photoactivate the first material using the end of the conduit according to a first computer model in order to additionally form an object made of the first material.

[0080] Clause 2. The system according to Clause 1, further comprising an extruder capable of depositing a first material according to the first computer model.

[0081] Clause 3. The system according to Clause 1 or 2, wherein the first material includes a support material and a structural material, and the system further comprises a first extruder capable of depositing the support material and a second extruder capable of depositing the structural material, wherein selectively photoactivating the first material is a selective activation of the structural material.

[0082] Clause 4. A system according to any one of Clauses 1 to 3, wherein selective photoactivation of the first material includes photocrosslinking, photopolymerization, photodegradation, photoablation, photoheating, photogenetic manipulation, photouncasing, or a combination thereof of the first material.

[0083] Clause 5. A system as described in any of Clauses 1 to 4, wherein the optical emitter is capable of emitting wavelengths in the range of 200 microns to 1500 microns.

[0084] Clause 6. A system as described in any of Clauses 1 to 5, wherein the optical emitter is capable of emitting wavelengths in the range of 300 microns to 500 microns.

[0085] Clause 7. A system according to any of Clauses 1 to 6, wherein the end of the conduit is capable of emitting light in the form of a point, a slit, a focused beam, a defocused beam, or a combination thereof.

[0086] Clause 8. A system according to any one of Clauses 1 to 7, wherein the end of the conduit is capable of emitting light in the shape of a point.

[0087] Clause 9. A system according to any of Clauses 1 to 8, wherein the end of the conduit includes one or fewer openings.

[0088] Clause 10. The system described in any of Clauses 1 to 9, wherein the end of the conduit is substantially flat.

[0089] Clause 11. A system as described in any of Clauses 1 to 10, in which the conduits include diameters ranging from 5 microns to 1 millimeter.

[0090] Clause 12. The system according to any one of Clauses 1 to 12, wherein the conduit is coaxial and comprises an inner tube from which a first material can be extruded and an outer tube from which light can be transmitted from an optical emitter to the end of the conduit.

[0091] Clause 13. The system according to any one of Clauses 1 to 12, wherein the processor is capable of controlling the intensity of light emitted from the end of the conduit, the wavelength of light emitted from the end of the conduit, the duration of light emitted from the end of the conduit, or a combination thereof.

[0092] Clause 14. The system described in any of Clauses 1 to 13, further comprising a collimator, filter, lens, adapter, or combination thereof positioned between the conduit and the optical emitter.

[0093] Clause 15. A system according to any of Clauses 1 to 14, wherein the optical emitter comprises a metal halide light source, a light-emitting diode, a laser diode, an incandescent light bulb, or a combination thereof.

[0094] Clause 16. A system according to any of Clauses 1 to 15, wherein the end of the conduit is capable of maintaining a temperature of 40 degrees Celsius or less during printing.

[0095] Clause 17. The system according to any one of Clauses 1 to 16, further comprising a first material arranged in a material deposition region, wherein the first material includes a light absorber, a light scatterer, an initiator, a photosensitive compound, a rheological modifier, or a combination thereof.

[0096] Clause 18. The system according to any one of Clauses 1 to 17, further comprising a first material placed in a material deposition area, wherein the first material includes a hydrogel, a thermosetting polymer, a thermoplastic polymer, or a combination thereof.

[0097] Clause 19. A system according to any one of Clauses 1 to 18, further comprising a first material placed in a material deposition region, wherein the first material includes a gelatin material, a collagen material, an alginate material, a decellularized extracellular matrix material, a fibrinogen material, a fibrin material, a hyaluronic acid material, a protein material, a polysaccharide hydrogel material, a synthetic gel material, an elastomer polymer material, a rigid polymer material, Matrigel, or a combination thereof.

[0098] Clause 20. The system according to any one of Clauses 1 to 19, further comprising a first material placed in a material deposition area, wherein the first material comprises a hydrogel.

[0099] Clause 21. The system according to any one of Clauses 1 to 20, further comprising a first material placed in a material deposition area, wherein the first material includes microspheres in an aqueous medium.

[0100] Clause 22. The system according to any one of Clauses 1 to 21, further comprising a first material placed in a material deposition area, wherein the first material comprises gelatin methacryloyl.

[0101] Clause 23. The system according to any one of Clauses 1 to 22, further comprising a first material placed in a material deposition area, wherein the first material exhibits shear thinning.

[0102] Clause 24. A system according to any of Clauses 1 to 23, wherein the conduit comprises an optical pipe, an optical guide, or a combination thereof.

[0103] Clause 25. A system as described in any of Clauses 1 to 24, wherein the conduit comprises an optical fiber cannula.

[0104] Clause 26. The system according to Clause 25, wherein the conduit comprises a cover over the optical fiber cannula.

[0105] Clause 27. The system described in Clause 26, wherein the cover is made of metal, polymer, composite material, or a combination thereof.

[0106] Clause 28. The system described in Clause 27, wherein the cover is made of stainless steel.

[0107] Clause 29. A method for additive manufacturing of an object, comprising: depositing a first material in a material deposition area such that the first material is at least partially photoactivatable; arranging the ends of conduits within the first material; and selectively photoactivating the first material using the ends of the conduits by emitting light into the first material according to a first computer model to additively form an object.

[0108] Clause 30. The method according to Clause 29, further comprising immersing the end of the conduit in the material and below the surface of the material.

[0109] Clause 31. The method according to Clause 29 or 30, further comprising repeating selective photoactivation of the first material as necessary to additionally form an object.

[0110] Clause 32. The method of any of Clauses 29 to 31, further comprising removing at least partially the remainder of the first material from the object to provide the product.

[0111] Article 33. Products manufactured by the method described in any of Articles 29-31 and / or by the systems described in any of Articles 1-28.

[0112] Clause 34. Methods including surgically implanting the products described in Clause 33 onto a patient, using an object as a biological structure for experimentation, or a combination thereof.

[0113] Herein, certain exemplary embodiments of the Disclosure are described in order to provide an overall understanding of the structure, function, manufacturing and use principles of the compositions, methods, and products disclosed herein. One or more examples of these embodiments are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Those skilled in the art will understand that the devices and methods described herein and illustrated in the accompanying drawings are non-limiting exemplary embodiments, and that the scope of the various embodiments of the Disclosure is defined solely by the claims. Features illustrated or described in relation to one exemplary embodiment may be combined with features of other embodiments. Such modifications and variations are intended to be included within the scope of the Disclosure.

[0114] Any reference in this specification to “various examples,” “several examples,” “a certain example,” “one example,” or “aspect” means that the specific features, structures, or characteristics described in relation to an example are included in at least one example. Therefore, throughout this specification, references to “various examples,” “several examples,” “a certain example,” “one example,” or “aspect” do not necessarily all refer to the same example. Furthermore, specific features, structures, or characteristics may be combined in any preferred manner in one or more examples. Thus, specific features, structures, or characteristics illustrated or described in relation to a particular example may be combined, in whole or in part, with features, structures, or characteristics of one or more other examples, but are not limited to these. Such modifications and variations are intended to be within the scope of this example.

[0115] Any patent, publication, or other disclosure material identified herein is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety unless otherwise indicated, unless the incorporated material conflicts with any existing definitions, descriptions, or other disclosure material expressly provided herein. Therefore, to the extent necessary, the express disclosures provided herein supersede any conflicting material incorporated herein by reference. Any material, or any part thereof, that is stated to be incorporated herein by reference but conflicts with any existing definitions, descriptions, or other disclosure material provided herein is incorporated only to the extent that it does not create a conflict between the incorporated material and the existing disclosure material. The applicant reserves the right to modify this specification to expressly enumerate any subject matter or any part thereof that is incorporated herein by reference.

[0116] In this specification, unless otherwise indicated, all numerical parameters should be understood to be preceded and modified in all examples by the term “approximately,” and numerical parameters have the inherent variability characteristics of the underlying measurement technique used to determine the numerical value of the parameter. At least, not as an attempt to limit the application of the doctrine of equivalents to the scope of the claims, each numerical parameter described herein should be interpreted in light of at least the number of significant figures reported and by applying ordinary rounding techniques.

[0117] As used herein, the articles “a,” “an,” and “the” are intended to include “at least one” or “one or more,” even when “at least one” or “one or more” is explicitly used in a particular example, unless otherwise indicated. Thus, articles are used herein to refer to one or more of the objects of the article (i.e., “at least one”). Furthermore, the use of a singular noun includes the plural form, and the use of a plural noun includes the singular form unless the context of use otherwise requires.

[0118] Furthermore, any numerical range enumerated herein includes all subranges contained within that range. For example, the range "1 to 10" includes all subranges between (and including) the enumerated minimum value of 1 and the enumerated maximum value of 10, i.e., subranges having a minimum value of 1 or greater and a maximum value of 10 or less. Any maximum numerical limit enumerated herein is intended to include all lower numerical limits contained therein, and any minimum numerical limit enumerated herein is intended to include all higher numerical limits contained therein. Accordingly, the applicant reserves the right to modify this specification, including the claims, to explicitly enumerate any subranges contained within an explicitly enumerated range. All such ranges are essentially described herein.

[0119] Those skilled in the art will recognize that the articles and methods described herein, as well as the accompanying considerations, are used as examples for the sake of clarity of concept, and that various structural modifications are intended. Therefore, when used herein, the specific examples / embodiments and accompanying considerations described herein are intended to represent a more general class. Generally, the use of any specific example is intended to represent a class and should not be considered limited to not including specific components, devices, operations / actions, and objects. This disclosure provides descriptions of various specific embodiments for the purpose of illustrating various aspects of the disclosure and / or their potential uses, but it is understood that changes and modifications will be recalled by those skilled in the art. Therefore, the inventions described herein should be understood to be at least as broad as they are claimed and not more narrowly defined by the specific illustrative embodiments provided herein.

Claims

1. An additive manufacturing system, A material deposition region capable of holding a first material that is at least partially photoactivatable, Optical emitter and, A conduit for optical communication with the optical emitter, wherein the conduit is capable of transmitting light from the optical emitter to its end and can be arranged within the material deposition region, A carriage assembly operably coupled to the conduit, wherein the carriage assembly is capable of moving, rotating, or combining the conduit within the material deposition region, An additive manufacturing system comprising a processor that signals and communicates with the optical emitter, the conduit, the carriage assembly, or a combination thereof, to selectively photoactivate the first material using the end of the conduit according to a first computer model, thereby additionally forming an object made of the first material.

2. The system according to claim 1, further comprising an extruder capable of depositing the first material according to the first computer model.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein the first material includes a support material and a structural material, and the system further comprises a first extruder capable of depositing the support material and a second extruder capable of depositing the structural material, wherein selectively photoactivating the first material includes selectively activating the structural material.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein selective photoactivation of the first material includes photocrosslinking, photopolymerization, photodegradation, photoablation, photoheating, photogenetic manipulation, photouncaging, or a combination thereof of the first material.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein the optical emitter is capable of emitting wavelengths in the range of 200 microns to 1500 microns.

6. The system according to claim 1, wherein the optical emitter is capable of emitting wavelengths in the range of 300 microns to 500 microns.

7. The system according to claim 1, wherein the end of the conduit is capable of emitting light in the shape of a point, a slit, a focused beam, a defocused beam, or a combination thereof.

8. The system according to claim 1, wherein the end of the conduit is capable of emitting light in the shape of a point.

9. The system according to claim 1, wherein the end of the conduit includes one or fewer openings.

10. The system according to claim 1, wherein the end of the conduit is substantially flat.

11. The system according to claim 1, wherein the conduit includes a diameter in the range of 5 microns to 1 millimeter.

12. The system according to claim 1, wherein the conduit is coaxial and comprises an inner tube capable of extruding the first material and an outer tube capable of transmitting light from the optical emitter to the end of the conduit.

13. The system according to claim 1, wherein the processor is capable of controlling the intensity of light emitted from the end of the conduit, the wavelength of light emitted from the end of the conduit, the duration of light emitted from the end of the conduit, or a combination thereof.

14. The system according to claim 1, further comprising a collimator, filter, lens, adapter, or combination thereof, positioned between the conduit and the optical emitter.

15. The system according to claim 1, wherein the optical emitter comprises a metal halide light source, a light-emitting diode, a laser diode, an incandescent light bulb, or a combination thereof.

16. The system according to claim 1, wherein the end of the conduit is capable of maintaining a temperature of 40 degrees Celsius or less during printing.

17. The system according to claim 1, further comprising the first material disposed in the material deposition region, wherein the first material includes a light absorber, a scattering agent, an initiator, a photosensitive compound, a rheological modifier, or a combination thereof.

18. The system according to claim 1, further comprising the first material disposed in the material deposition region, wherein the first material includes a hydrogel, a thermosetting polymer, a thermoplastic polymer, or a combination thereof.

19. The system according to claim 1, further comprising the first material disposed in the material deposition region, wherein the first material includes a gelatin material, a collagen material, an alginate material, a decellularized extracellular matrix material, a fibrinogen material, a fibrin material, a hyaluronic acid material, a protein material, a polysaccharide hydrogel material, a synthetic gel material, an elastomer polymer material, a rigid polymer material, Matrigel, or a combination thereof.

20. The system according to claim 1, further comprising the first material disposed in the material deposition region, wherein the first material comprises a hydrogel.

21. The system according to claim 1, further comprising the first material disposed in the material deposition region, wherein the first material includes microspheres in an aqueous medium.

22. The system according to claim 1, further comprising the first material disposed in the material deposition region, wherein the first material comprises gelatin methacryloyl.

23. The system according to claim 1, further comprising the first material disposed in the material deposition region, wherein the first material exhibits shear thinning.

24. The system according to claim 1, wherein the conduit comprises an optical pipe, an optical guide, or a combination thereof.

25. The system according to claim 1, wherein the conduit comprises an optical fiber cannula.

26. The system according to claim 25, wherein the conduit comprises a cover on the optical fiber cannula.

27. The system according to claim 26, wherein the cover is made of metal, polymer, composite material, or a combination thereof.

28. The system according to claim 27, wherein the cover is made of stainless steel.

29. A method for the additive manufacturing of objects, The method involves depositing a first material in a material deposition region, wherein the first material is deposited in such a way that it is at least partially photoactivatable. The end of the conduit is placed within the first material, A method comprising selectively photoactivating the first material using the end of the conduit by emitting light onto the first material according to a first computer model, thereby additionally forming an object.

30. The method according to claim 29, further comprising immersing the end of the conduit in the material and below the surface of the material.

31. The method according to claim 29, further comprising repeating the selective photoactivation of the first material as necessary to additionally form the object.

32. The method according to claim 29, further comprising removing at least partially the remainder of the first material from the object to provide a product.

33. A product manufactured by the method described in claim 29.

34. A method comprising surgically implanting the product described in claim 33 onto a patient, using the object as a biological structure for experimentation, or a combination thereof.

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