Polyurethanes as a Potential Medical-Grade Filament for Use in Fused Deposition Modeling 3D Printers – a Brief Review

Abstract

The possibility of using 3D printing technology (3DP) in medical field is a kind of revolution in health care. This has contributed to a rapid growth in demand for 3D printers, whose systems and materials are adapted to strict medical requirements. In this paper, we report a brief review of polyurethanes as a potential medical-grade filament for use in Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) 3D printer technology. The advantages of polyurethanes as medical materials and the basic operating principles of FDM printers are presented. The review of present solutions in the market and literature data confirms the large interest in 3D printing technologies for the production of advanced medical devices. In addition, it is shown that thermoplastic-elastomer polyurethanes may be an effective widespread class of material in the market as thermoplastic filament for FDM 3D printers.