As regulators seek to ensure the safety of medical devices; it
becomes ever-more clear that materials processing, beyond simply
a given raw material, dictates how the final devices will behave.
During both 3D printing and exposure to ionizing radiation, good
laboratory practices will have to be followed and very specific parameters
will have to be documented and evaluated, if the thermomechanical
properties are to be the consistently produced from
device to device. A hypothetical case: Next generation medical
devices are 3D printed from viscoelastic polymers or shape memory
polymers near their Tg at body temperature. Differences in the
ambient temperature where these devices are being printed could
lead to very different network structures that may affect device
performance. This presents an interesting challenge for regulatory
agencies which must ensure that companies have shown that the
final device is safe; which in the case of 3D printing is relative to the
chosen materials and manufacturing techniques. Thus our results
would encourage material providers and 3D printer companies to
provide robust data sets and well-studied parameter ranges with
respect to at least print temperature, radiation temperature, dose,dose rate and starting molecular weight. An approach like the one
described above can help enhance the next generation of personalized
medical devices.