24-007059

The mission of the National Institutes of Health, Section on Instrumentation (SI) is to provide comprehensive engineering support for research as required by NIMH, NINDS, and NICHD scientists. The core staff, in collaboration with other researchers at NIH and other academic institutions, develops methodologies and instrumentation to make research in basic science, and translational research possible. Several such collaborations have yielded excellent data, resulting in the publication of both clinical and research peer-reviewed papers. SI facility is among a handful of sites in the world with this type of leading-edge setup dedicated to both animal model and human clinical research.
To complete this mission SI maintains a state-of-the-art engineering facility with equipment and technology that enables us to effectively design and fabricate custom equipment. As is typical with specialized advanced instrumentation, it is impossible to find ‘commercial off the shelf (COTS)’ equipment required for both animal preparation and experimental setup. To advance the research programs in it’s supporting institutions, SI purchased it’s first 3D printer 15 years ago, and it completely changed SI’s manufacturing process. Many of the parts the section relies on are made from difficult to machine structures such as internal pockets. The additive manufacturing process used in 3D printing is more effective at fabricating these features and reduces the amount of time needed for more complicated design. After considerable evaluation, it has been determined that SI’s 3D printer limitation is that it cannot produce micron-resolution parts.
This acquisition is for a SLS 3D printer with build volume of 124.8 x 70.2 x 127 mm. It is made to be used in an office environment without any special ventilation. Complex parts and assemblies can be made for customs applications supported by SI. Tough single-material options that withstand the stress of flexible closures and snap-fit parts, and detailed and stable bio-compatible parts will be used for surgical implants.

The B9Creations 3D printer system is required by SI to support NIH IRP collaborative biomedical technology development projects involving high-performance computing in medical imaging and signal analysis. SI projects focus on the research and design of advanced biomedical instrumentation and new clinical research methodologies. The 3D printer is capable of producing high resolution models, as well as functional mechanical components, necessary for a broad range of biomedical and clinical research projects. Examples include: robotics mechanical components, molecular models, and clinical modeling. Collaborative NIH IRP projects typically progress in a highly iterative manner, which often require repeated instrumentation design enhancements. Mechanical design modifications, in particular, can result in unacceptable project development delays due to machine shop delivery times and challenging visualization issues. The 3D printer will enable us to quickly provide prototype systems or models to IC collaborators, greatly facilitating technology development. This equipment will be extensively used in the development of custom biomedical instrumentation in support of NIMH, NINDS, NICHD, and NCCIH IRP projects.
We are looking to purchase model B9 Core 5 Series Med XL -385