Briefing

3D Printing of Radioactive Polymers

In preparation for this contest, we have already generated ideas using generative artificial intelligence and have evaluated such ideas. In this contest, we want to build on your genuine human creativity and experiences and look forward to the ideas that you come up with.

3D Printing of Radioactive Polymers

3D printing is an emerging technology that has seen increasing use in industry due to its ability to produce low-cost functional parts with diverse properties and capabilities.

Over the last decade, several research groups have begun exploring the printing of polymers containing radioactive isotopes. This process is similar to printing non-radioactive materials but requires additional safety measures for radiation protection during preparation and printing.

Most of the published work in this area focuses on nuclear medicine, including the printing of phantoms for PET and SPECT tomography and the production of seeds for brachytherapy.

This campaign aims to discover other known and new applications for printed radioactive bodies, without any restrictions on regulatory considerations.

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References

  • Gear et al. (Phys. Med. Biol. 65 (2020) 175019)
  • Meier et al. (IEEE Transactions on Radiation and Plasma Medical Sciences, Vol. 7, No. 7, September 2023)

Task

Your idea can revolve around new applications or products where the technology of printing radioactive bodies can be used to replace existing radioactive materials or where printed bodies can be used in new applications.

When formulating your idea, ensure that the following questions can be answered as thoroughly as possible:

  • What problem does the application or product solve?
  • What are the benefits of the application or product?
  • What does the solution approach look like?
  • What other solutions exist to solve the problem, and how does the submitted idea stand out?

In your idea, you can describe, draw (2D and 3D), submit photos and links—the more understandable, the better.

While developing the idea, please tell the idea from the perspective of a persona named Hannes.