Stereolithography now accessible to medical device developers

“Until now, medical device producers have been largely unfamiliar with stereolithography as a prototyping technology,” says DSM Somos marketing manager Vince Adams. “This is not surprising, given that SL materials have, to this point, only been suitable for limited exposure to the human body and not qualified for biomedical applications.” Now, DSM Somos’ WaterShed XC 11122 and ProtoGen 18420 meet ISO 10933 standards for use in medical device applications.

Watershed XC 11122 is a clear, water-resistant SL resin, while ProtoGen 18420 is a white, ABS-like general-purpose resin. Both received ISO 10993-5 Cytotoxicity, ISO 10993-10 Sensitization, and ISO 10993-10 Irritation certifications.

“When we explain to [medical device] companies that they can now use SL to develop a prototype in a few days vs. one to two months, and that it’s going to be functional, not fragile, they’re pretty excited,” says Adams. Using traditional prototyping methods that most medical device companies are currently familiar with, it can take several weeks or even months to create a new prototype.

Besides medical device prototypes, the two resins can also be used for investment casting patterns (for example, to produce implantable hip and knee joint replacements), hearing aid device manufacturing, and surgical and dental drill guides. —[email protected]