complex-shaped parts that enable the
development of lighter-weight cars and
planes and better control combustion/
chemistry to reduce carbon emissions.
Furthermore, with insight and technologies derived from BiOS research, 3D
printing could create new capabilities
for first responders and others in the
field to quickly obtain the right piece
of equipment.
“3D printing has a likeness to biolo-
gy where material is grown, cell by cell,”
says Helvajian. “In the most soaring
of visions, a 3D manufactured prod-
uct would not only have the necessary
complex shape but also include means
for ‘sensing’ an environment, harvesting
energy, and ‘communicating’ its state. We
are far from realizing this vision, but re-
cent strides in fields such as in materials
development and materials processing
along with research that explores biologi-
cal processes from the perspective of part
manufacturing
brings hope that
3D manufactur-
ing could change
the world much
like the industri-
al and electronics
revolutions.
“Present at SPIE
Photonics West
are experts in ma-
terials development, materials
processing, miniaturization, MEMS/NEMS, and for-
tuitously those who analyze and characterize biological systems,” says Helvajian.
“All the assembled experts have the belief
that light—lasers or otherwise—has the
capacity to not only process materials but
also serve as an in situ diagnostic if the
light/matter interaction can be sufficient-
ly controlled. In the 2014 PW meeting,
SPIE started a 3D manufacturing con-
ference with this vision in mind. For the
2015 meeting, SPIE has assembled a vir-
tual symposium that comprises selected
papers to foster these cross-disciplinary
interactions and realize the 3D manu-
facturing vision sooner.” Helvajian con-
cludes, “Ergo, we look for technical in-
novations from the ‘light source’ vendor,
the materials supplier, the CADCAM
system developer, and the light-matter
processing technologist, and seek help
from those who unwrap the evolution-
ary-developed processes in biology and
make it evident as to how it could be ap-
plied to 3D manufacturing.”
Specific Laser Focus World (LF W) pa-
per recommendations include “3D print-
ed biomimetic vascular phantoms for as-
sessment of hyperspectral imaging and
diffuse reflectance systems” (paper 9325-
8) from University of Maryland, College
Park and the US FDA and NCI. This
paper discusses turbid polymer phan-
toms with biomimetic subsurface chan-
nels based on a fundus camera image of
the retina have been produced with bio-
logically relevant optical properties that
are durable, reusable, and reproducible.
An additional LFW recommended paper is “FPscope: A 3D-printed high-reso-
lution microscope using a cellphone lens”
(paper 9314-3) from the University of
Connecticut. Here, FP stands for Fourier
ptychography in which an LED array illuminates the sample from different incident angles; a commercially available
3D printer (Makerbot) prints the plastic
case to house the LED array, cell-phone
FIGURE 4. A recently introduced digital light projector (DLP) device
developed by Texas Instruments (TI; Dallas, TX) is optimized for use
with near-infrared light (left). A module by Ibsen Photonics used
for programmable spectroscopy combines a DLP unit with high
efficiency fused-silica transmission gratings (right). (Courtesy of TI and
Ibsen Photonics)
