This technology uses specialized 3D printing to precisely control material stiffness within medical devices, creating internal structures that enhance ultrasound visibility and allow for customizable, highly visible patterns to aid in device localization during imaging.
Ultrasound imaging is a critical navigational tool in medicine, relying on acoustic impedance differences between materials to visualize internal anatomy. During minimally invasive procedures, clinicians frequently use ultrasound to guide the placement of medical devices like catheters. For these interventions to be safe, there is a paramount need for these instruments to be highly visible on a monitor. Accurate real-time device localization ensures clinicians can navigate complex anatomical pathways without causing tissue damage, making echogenicity a vital safety characteristic for interventional tools.
Despite this need, current approaches to enhancing device echogenicity suffer from significant limitations. Traditionally, manufacturers rely on applying external coatings or attaching physical surface markers to the instrument. This is problematic because it requires incorporating additional structures, which can alter the device's physical profile. Furthermore, these conventional modifications fail to alter the inherent material properties of the device itself. Because they rely on superficial additions, current methods lack the capacity for full three-dimensional spatial patterning. Consequently, it is difficult to create customizable acoustic reflector geometries directly within the device, leaving clinicians with suboptimal ultrasound signatures that cannot be tailored.
Hybrid Epoxy Acrylate Printing (HEAP) is an advanced 3D printing technology designed to manufacture echogenic medical devices with highly customizable acoustic properties. The solution utilizes a dual-wavelength photochemical process to manipulate a hybrid resin containing acrylate and epoxy components. Exposing the resin to 365 nm UV light polymerizes both networks to form a stiff structure, whereas 405 nm blue light selectively polymerizes only the acrylate network, yielding a soft material. This mechanism enables pixel-by-pixel spatial control over mechanical stiffness and acoustic impedance within a single printed object, allowing manufacturers to seamlessly embed high-impedance acoustic reflectors directly within a low-impedance matrix.
This technology is highly differentiated because it alters the intrinsic material properties of the device rather than relying on traditional external coatings or added surface markers. By exploiting an extraordinary 2800-fold difference in mechanical stiffness and a 168-fold contrast in acoustic impedance between the stiff and soft regions, the solution achieves unparalleled ultrasound visibility. Furthermore, this intrinsic material control allows for the creation of fully customizable, complex 3D reflector geometries directly within the device architecture. This capability generates unique, highly distinct ultrasound signatures, ensuring precise spatial localization and superior imaging clarity during critical medical procedures.
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Hybrid Epoxy Acrylate Printing (HEAP) uses dual-wavelength photochemical 3D printing to spatially control material stiffness. By selectively polymerizing acrylate and epoxy networks with 365 nm and 405 nm light, it achieves a modulus range from 0.6 MPa to 1.7 GPa. This enables pixel-level patterning of high-impedance reflectors within a low-impedance matrix, allowing medical devices like catheters to feature customizable 3D acoustic signatures for enhanced ultrasound visibility and localization.
Provisional Patent 64/042,389 filed 04/17/2026