Energy Absorbing Synthetic Bone Inspired by Biological Tissues

Innovation: Academia

University of Colorado Denver

2020

Image: Catherine Merlin / Unsplash / CC BY SA - Creative Commons Attribution + ShareAlike

Manage Impact

An impact is a high force or mechanical shock that happens over a short period of time, such as a hammer hitting a nail rather than a hand pushing slowly against a wall. Because of their speed and force, impacts don’t allow materials to slowly adjust to the force, which can lead to cracks, ruptures, and complete breakage. Therefore, living systems have strategies that can absorb, dissipate, or otherwise survive that force without the need to add large amounts of material. For example, the Toco toucan’s large beak is very lightweight, yet can withstand impacts because it’s made of a composite material with rigid foam inside and layers of a hard, fibrous material outside.

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Optimize Shape/Materials

Resources are limited and the simple act of retaining them requires resources, especially energy. Living systems must constantly balance the value of resources obtained with the costs of resources expended; failure to do so can result in death or prevent reproduction. Living systems therefore optimize, rather than maximize, resource use. Optimizing shape ultimately optimizes materials and energy. An example of such optimization can be seen in the dolphin’s body shape. It’s streamlined to reduce drag in the water due to an optimal ratio of length to diameter, as well as features on its surface that lie flat, reducing turbulence.

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3D-printed synthetic bone from CU Denver forms a resilient lattice structure by means of digital light processing.

Benefits

Efficient
Durable
Resilient

Applications

Armor and protection
Medical implants
Regenerative medicine

UN Sustainable Development Goals Addressed

Goal 3: Good Health & Wellbeing
Goal 9: Industry Innovation & Infrastructure

The Challenge

Prosthetics and other medical implants are made to mimic the organs they replace. Although molds and printing techniques create the desired exterior shapes, prosthetics lack micro-scale structures that behaves as a real limb does, possibly restricting movements or causing safety issues.

Innovation Details

The synthetic bone is 3D-printed, porous lattice structure made of liquid crystal elastomers. The structure is formed through a process called digital light processing. When light hits the liquid crystal resin, the resin cures, forming new bonds. The final cured resin becomes a soft yet durable elastomer. The material can be designed to mimic the exact bone structure of a human needing an implant.

Biomimicry Story

Mammalian tissues have evolved to efficiently handle stress. Bones are made up of fine strands called trabeculae that create a sponge-like structure. The structure is strong enough to resist compression and other forces without weighing us down.

See Related Strategy

macro view of sponge like human bone structure

Biological Strategy

Fine Strands Stabilize Bones

Humans

The spongy bones of humans handle stress efficiently via the distribution of fine strands called trabeculae.

References

Journal article

Liquid‐Crystal‐Elastomer‐Based Dissipative Structures by Digital Light Processing 3D Printing

Wiley Online Library

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Reference

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