One trend in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine is the development of degradable composite polymers. The aim of this study was the comprehensive analysis of Polylactic acid (PLA)/Polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) + Hydroxyapatite (HA)/Tricalcium phosphate (TCP) material from filament production to mechanical testing of samples with different infills and the production of an implant replacement for an intervertebral disc. Filament Maker—Composer 450 (3devo; Netherlands) was used to produce filaments. Experimental samples and the implant for the intervertebral disc were made using FDM technology using a DeltiQ2 3D printer (Trilab, Czech Republic). Mechanical testing of experimental samples was performed on an Inspekt TABLE 5 kN (Hegewald & Peschke, Nossen, Germany). Microscopic analysis, cytotoxicity test, and filament diameter analysis using descriptive statistics were also part of the focus. The results of the analysis of the diameter of the filament show that the filament meets the prescribed standard. The cytotoxicity test for PLA/PHB + HA/TCP material showed no toxicity. Microscopic analysis showed an even distribution of the ceramic component in the composite polymer. Mechanical testing showed a reduction in mechanical properties with 75% and 50% of the filling of experimental samples. All experimental samples subjected to mechanical testing showed higher tensile and compressive strength values compared to the values of the mechanical properties of vertebral trabecular bones, as reported in the literature. It can therefore be concluded that the material under investigation, PLA/PHB + HA/TCP appears to be a suitable candidate for hard tissue replacement.

The present study deals with preparing a polymer-based material with incorporated ceramics and monitoring changes in properties after in vitro natural degradation. The developed material is a mixture of polymers of polylactic acid and polyhydroxybutyrate in a ratio of 85:15. Ceramic was incorporated into the prepared material, namely 10% hydroxyapatite and 10% tricalcium phosphate of the total volume. The material was processed into a filament form, and types of solid and porous samples were prepared using additive technology. These samples were immersed in three different solutions: physiological solution, phosphate-buffered saline, and Hanks’ solution. Under constant laboratory conditions, changes in solution pH, material absorption, weight loss, changes in mechanical properties, and surface morphology were monitored for 170 days. The average value of the absorption of the solid sample was 7.07%, and the absorption of the porous samples was recorded at 8.33%, which means a difference of 1.26%. The least change in pH from the reference value of 7.4 was noted with the phosphate-buffered saline solution. Computed tomography was used to determine the cross-section of the samples. The obtained data were used to calculate the mechanical properties of materials after degradation. The elasticity modulus for both the full and porous samples degraded in Hanks’ solution (524.53 ± 13.4 MPa) has the smallest deviation from the non-degraded reference sample (536.21 ± 22.69 MPa).

In this review article, we would like to describe the development and production of equipment called MorPa, designed for pickling of components extruded from Polyamide 12 material using multi jet fusion technology. The goal of this project is to create an affordable and reliable device that will change color and physical properties of the components. In the following article, we describe the hardware part of the device, the software part and compare the printed parts before and after pickling. The article also includes a description of the control of the device based on the Arduino microcomputer with the used peripherals.

The purpose of this paper is to monitor the influence of the light spectrum on sleep quality. The theoretical part of the thesis is based on current research on sleep quality. The work is focused on the influence of the light spectrum on sleep. Sleep is monitored by a bracelet and the change of the light spectrum is ensured by an RGB light band. The secondary goal is to measure the influence of external factors on sleep. The investigated factors are CO2 level, TVOC, humidity and ambient temperature. External influences are measured by commonly available sensors. An Arduino microcomputer is used to collect data and control the RGB light.

In this study, the authors focus on optimizing the processing parameters for the fabrication of biodegradable polymer filaments intended for subsequent 3D printing of biomedical structures and implants. Following extrusion and additive manufacturing, the produced materials underwent a comprehensive evaluation that included mechanical, microbiological, biofilm formation, and electron microscopy analyses. The complexity of these tests aimed to determine the potential of the developed materials for biomedical applications, particularly in the field of scaffold fabrication. At the initial stage, three types of filaments (technical designations 111, 145, and 146) were produced using Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF) technology. These filaments were based on a PLA/PHB matrix with varying types and concentrations of plasticizers. Standardized destructive tensile and compressive mechanical tests were conducted using an MTS Insight 1 kN testing system equipped with an Instron 2620-601 extensometer. Among the tested samples, the filament labeled 111, composed of PLA/PHB thermoplastic starch and a plasticizer, exhibited the most favorable mechanical performance, with a Young’s modulus of elasticity of 4.63 MPa for 100% infill. The filament labeled 146 had a Young’s modulus of elasticity of 4.53 MPa for 100% infill and the material labeled 145 had a Young’s modulus of elasticity of 1.45 MPa for 100% infill. Microbiological assessments were performed to evaluate the capacity of bacteria and fungi to colonize the material surfaces. During bacterial activity assessment, we observed biofilm formation on the examined sample surfaces of each material from the smooth and rough sides. The colony-forming units (CFUs) increased directly with the exposure time. For all samples from each material, the Log10 (CFU) value reached above 9.41 during 72 h of incubation for the activity of each type of bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Candida albicans). Scanning electron microscopy provided insight into the surface quality of the material and revealed its local quality and purity. Surface defects were eliminated by this method. Overall, the results indicate that the designed biodegradable filaments, especially formulation 111, have promising properties for the development of scaffolds intended for hard tissue replacement and could also be suitable for regenerative applications in the future after achieving the desired biological properties.