Nature Inspired 4D printing for biomedical applications

Many disabled people who wear prosthetics and orthotics on a daily basis face problems with temperature and moisture regulation where their stump interfaces the prosthesis liner. This affects not just the person’s comfort but also their skin health. In nature, plants use millions of actuating micro-respirational pores to perform important physiological functions, such as regulating temperature and moisture level. Inspired by these functions, this project will investigate whether problems with temperature and moisture regulation in prosthetics can be solved by emulating plants’ micro-respirational pores.

Funded by a CNIE "Inspiration" Grant, this six-month project is led by Dr Anna Polszajski, in collaboration with Dr Cathy Holloway (Director, Global Disability Hub), and Dr Patrick Cullen (UCL Chemical Engineering), this pilot project will lay the groundwork for the long-term aim of creating a 4D printing platform to manufacture bespoke liners with actuating pores for prosthetics and orthotics wearers to regulate their skin temperature and moisture levels. 4D printing is the process of using additive manufacturing techniques (3D printing) to produce materials with programmable functionality. This first phase of the project will create new composite smart materials which actuate in response to various stimuli and are suitable for processing into pore structures by 4D printing.