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DSM Somos WaterShed Resin used by Medical Research Team for modeling human lungs
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DSM Coating Resins
: 15 September, 2005 (New Product) |
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DSM Somos, a leading developer of stereolithography resins for rapid prototyping and manufacturing, has provided a unique material for helping researchers at the University of Delaware model the structure and performance of human lungs. It is hoped that the research project, funded by Philip Morris, will be used to create new medical delivery systems for illnesses such as asthma and, potentially, new types of drugs such as a needle-less form of insulin. |
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DSM Somos, a leading developer of stereolithography resins for rapid prototyping and manufacturing, has provided a unique material for helping researchers at the University of Delaware model the structure and performance of human lungs. It is hoped that the research project, funded by Philip Morris, will be used to create new medical delivery systems for illnesses such as asthma and, potentially, new types of drugs such as a needle-less form of insulin.
Under the direction of Dr. Ajay L. Prasad, the University is attempting to document the details of the breathing process and, specifically, how air travels once inside the lungs. To create the models of the lungs themselves, the research team turned to the DSM Somos resin, WaterShed 11120.
'The basic geometry of the conducting portion of the lungs, though fairly static from one human to the next, is quite complicated,' says graduate student researcher Frank Fresconi. In addition to being able to capture a high degree of structural detail, the lung models also need to be transparent so as to allow lasers to illuminate the flow of liquid through the different regions while a high-resolution camera simultaneously captures the process on film.
DSM Somos WaterShed 11120 was the resin of choice to create the models. WaterShed's transparency allows excellent visualization of the fluid flow needed for data gathering and, as an added benefit, the resin's water resistant properties help the models tolerate extended periods of fluid flow during experiments. WaterShed's ABS-like properties, including high stiffness and high elongation at break, also allow for the different parts of the model to be snapped together. The final model was created from a number of different pieces joined together to create the highest degree of anatomical detail possible.
University researchers have been pleased with the results. 'Without a stereolithography model allowing us to create an exact replica of the conducting region of the lungs—and the performance properties of Somos WaterShed in particular—we would not be able to execute this experiment as designed,' says Fresconi. 'We're thrilled with the data being collected.'
The research project is slated to go through several more phases beyond the data collection before final results are published. |
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