University of Technology Sydney

42722 Additive Manufacturing for Medical Innovations

Warning: The information on this page is indicative. The subject outline for a particular session, location and mode of offering is the authoritative source of all information about the subject for that offering. Required texts, recommended texts and references in particular are likely to change. Students will be provided with a subject outline once they enrol in the subject.

Subject handbook information prior to 2025 is available in the Archives.

UTS: Engineering: Biomedical Engineering
Credit points: 6 cp

Subject level:

Postgraduate

Result type: Grade and marks

Requisite(s): 120 credit points of completed study in Bachelor's Honours Embedded Degree owned by FEIT OR 120 credit points of completed study in Bachelor's Combined Honours Degree owned by FEIT OR 120 credit points of completed study in Bachelor's Combined Honours Degree co-owned by FEIT
These requisites may not apply to students in certain courses. See access conditions.

Description

Additive Manufacturing for Medical Innovations introduces students to different additive manufacturing techniques including Fused deposition modelling (FDM), stereolithography (SLA), selective laser sintering (SLS)] and their application in biomedical engineering. Students develop expert skills in “SolidWorks”, and also learn how to use “SolidWorks simulation” for mechanical characterisation which allows them to perform engineering optimisation for the designed prototype before fabrication. Students use 3D printing to fabricate their final prototype with optimised characteristics.

The subject includes two project streams. Student teams (groups of 4 or 5) to select one project stream.

  • Project Stream 1: Spinal cage design, optimisation, and fabrication (Addressing back pain)
  • Project Stream 2: Internal Fixation design, optimisation, and fabrication (Addressing broken bone fixation)

Subject learning objectives (SLOs)

Upon successful completion of this subject students should be able to:

1. Apply both human and engineering factors to improve quality of life. (B.1)
2. Apply clinical and biomechanical knowledge of musculoskeletal disorders, in particular, degenerated spinal discs and surgical fusion treatment as well as internal fixation [bone plates] for bone fracture. (C.1)
3. Propose biomedical design problem solution with SolidWorks [basic and advanced] and breadth of knowledge about different additive manufacturing techniques. (D.1)
4. Collaboratively manage biomedical engineering projects to professionally communicate findings. (E.1)

Course intended learning outcomes (CILOs)

This subject also contributes specifically to the development of the following Course Intended Learning Outcomes (CILOs):

  • Socially Responsible: FEIT graduates identify, engage, and influence stakeholders, and apply expert judgment establishing and managing constraints, conflicts and uncertainties within a hazards and risk framework to define system requirements and interactivity. (B.1)
  • Design Oriented: FEIT graduates apply problem solving, design thinking and decision-making methodologies in new contexts or to novel problems, to explore, test, analyse and synthesise complex ideas, theories or concepts. (C.1)
  • Technically Proficient: FEIT graduates apply theoretical, conceptual, software and physical tools and advanced discipline knowledge to research, evaluate and predict future performance of systems characterised by complexity. (D.1)
  • Collaborative and Communicative: FEIT graduates work as an effective member or leader of diverse teams, communicating effectively and operating autonomously within cross-disciplinary and cross-cultural contexts in the workplace. (E.1)

Contribution to the development of graduate attributes

Engineers Australia Stage 1 Competencies

Students enrolled in the Master of Professional Engineering should note that this subject contributes to the development of the following Engineers Australia Stage 1 competencies:

  • 1.3. In-depth understanding of specialist bodies of knowledge within the engineering discipline.
  • 1.5. Knowledge of engineering design practice and contextual factors impacting the engineering discipline.
  • 2.1. Application of established engineering methods to complex engineering problem solving.
  • 2.2. Fluent application of engineering techniques, tools and resources.
  • 2.3. Application of systematic engineering synthesis and design processes.
  • 3.1. Ethical conduct and professional accountability.
  • 3.2. Effective oral and written communication in professional and lay domains.
  • 3.6. Effective team membership and team leadership.

Teaching and learning strategies

Additive manufacturing [AM] is a production process [technology] that relies on transmitting digital data to a machine [mainly 3D printers] to produce 3D objects layer by layer. AM can address the growing concerns [such as inefficient use of materials, environmental waste, sustainable development, etc.] over traditional production methods.

In the field of Biomedical Engineering, AM offers great potential for personalized and customized treatments. It is possible to develop a wide range of healthcare products, including implants, medical instruments, etc., while tuning their mechanical, materials, and biological properties.

In the first learning session, students will be exposed to two different clinical problems and two Project Streams will be introduced to them [student teams will select one Project Stream for their final presentation]:

Project Stream 1: Spinal cage design, optimization, and fabrication
Project Stream 2: Internal fixation [bone plate] design, optimization, and fabrication

The learning sessions will provide students with an overview of diverse additive manufacturing techniques across a wide range of materials, including polymers, ceramics, and metals, spanning from macro to micro scales. These sessions will also introduce concepts of stress analysis and finite element analysis (FEA), crucial for designing and optimizing patient-specific and additively manufactured medical devices.

In addition to the learning sessions, the subject includes a variety of tutorials covering introductory and advanced SolidWorks design, including lattice structures. These tutorials also involve performing numerical simulations (FEA) and designing personalised medical devices, as well as the design of spinal cages and internal fixation devices.
In week 4, students will visit the UTS ProtoSpace, Australia's most advanced additive manufacturing facility. Following this induction, they will have ongoing access to the DIY (Do-It-Yourself) 3D printer at ProtoSpace for the remainder of the semester to facilitate completion of their group projects.

Week 6 is the Mid-term presentation. It is expected that student teams present the clinical background [literature review relevant to the Project Stream], identify the gap, explain their additive manufacturing strategy to design and fabricate the relevant implant [spinal cage or bone plate], and describe their initial design concept and their research questions.

From week 7 to week 11, student teams will work on design, perform mechanical characterisation and engineering optimisation [using SolidWorks software], fabricate the implant model and get their project ready for the final presentation.

Content (topics)

The subject will cover the following main topics:

  • An overview of additive manufacturing techniques for polymers, ceramics, and metals.
  • 3D printing from macro to micro scale.
  • Patient-specific design of additively manufactured medical devices.
  • Clinical case studies [spinal fusion and bone plates].
  • Stress analyses and mechanical simulation of 3D structures.
  • Basic SolidWorks and advanced SolidWorks [Mechanical simulation

Assessment

Assessment task 1: Seminar 1 - Ideation Poster

Intent:

To demonstrate a clear and thorough understanding of the clinical and engineering problems and identify possible solutions or problems.
Objective(s):

This assessment task addresses the following subject learning objectives (SLOs):

1, 2 and 4

This assessment task contributes to the development of the following Course Intended Learning Outcomes (CILOs):

B.1, C.1 and E.1

Type: Presentation
Groupwork: Group, group and individually assessed
Weight: 25%
Length:

10-minute oral presentation with a 5 minute Q and A session

Assessment task 2: Seminar 2 - Final Pitch

Intent:

To demonstrate a clear understanding of the biomedical engineering background and problems associated with the selected Project Stream. This will include a demonstration of the background knowledge, design, and ideation steps, model fabrication and characterization.
Objective(s):

This assessment task addresses the following subject learning objectives (SLOs):

1, 2, 3 and 4

This assessment task contributes to the development of the following Course Intended Learning Outcomes (CILOs):

B.1, C.1, D.1 and E.1

Type: Presentation
Groupwork: Group, group and individually assessed
Weight: 35%
Length:

15-minute presentation with appropriately designed slides, followed by a Q and A session of 5 minutes

Assessment task 3: Research paper

Intent:

To articulate in a written format the details of the research project and include related research findings.
Objective(s):

This assessment task addresses the following subject learning objectives (SLOs):

4

This assessment task contributes to the development of the following Course Intended Learning Outcomes (CILOs):

E.1

Type: Report
Groupwork: Individual
Weight: 40%
Length:

Research article:4500 words. [Please refer to the subject canvas for article format and more information]

Minimum requirements

In order to pass the subject, a student must achieve an overall mark of 50% or more.