Amendola, Caterina, et al. PLoS One, 2021, 16(6), e0253181.
The use of fused deposition modeling (FDM) technology is growing within diffuse optics (DO) research. The research examined the optical properties of 3D printed polylactic acid (PLA) and acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) samples over the wavelength range of UV to IR (400-1300 nm) to determine their suitability for DO application probe construction.
The optical spectra obtained, along with phantom tests using NIRS and DCS, indicate the necessity of optical characterization prior to the application of Diffuse Optical techniques. This is essential to prevent the use of 3D printed materials that are transparent at the relevant wavelengths. This consideration is particularly important for 3D printed probes, especially those with free beams passing through them, as well as for printing components like phantom boxes, caps, or other supports that interact with laser light.
