Related Experiment Video
Updated: Nov 7, 2025
09:39
Characterizing Dissipative Elastic Metamaterials Produced by Additive Manufacturing
Published on: June 28, 2024
1.3K
Acoustical properties of 3D printed thermoplastics
Anastasia Antoniou1, Nikolas Evripidou1, Marinos Giannakou2
1Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Engineering and Informatics, Cyprus University of Technology, 30 Archiepiskopou Kyprianou Street, Limassol, 3036, Cyprus.
The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America
|May 4, 2021
Summary
Three-dimensional (3D) printed thermoplastic materials show promise for creating accurate skull phantoms. These materials exhibit acoustic properties suitable for evaluating focused ultrasound (FUS) protocols in brain disease research.
Area of Science:
- Biomedical Engineering
- Acoustics
- Materials Science
Background:
- Focused ultrasound (FUS) is an emerging therapeutic tool for brain diseases.
- Accurate skull phantoms are crucial for developing and validating FUS treatment protocols.
- Existing phantom materials may not precisely replicate human skull acoustic properties.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the acoustic properties of 3D printed thermoplastic materials.
- To determine the suitability of these materials for mimicking human skull bone.
- To assess their potential for constructing high-quality FUS skull phantoms.
Main Methods:
- Eight commercially available thermoplastic materials were 3D printed.
- Acoustic properties (attenuation, speed of sound, acoustic impedance) were measured.
- Transmission-through and pulse-echo techniques were employed at various frequencies (0.2–3.5 MHz).
Main Results:
- Ultrasonic attenuation ranged from 7 to 32 dB/cm at 1.1 MHz.
- Frequency dependence of attenuation followed a power law (exponent 1.30–2.24).
- Longitudinal sound velocity at 2.7 MHz varied between 1700–3050 m/s.
Conclusions:
- Thermoplastics possess acoustic properties that can effectively mimic human skull bone.
- 3D printed thermoplastic materials are suitable for fabricating advanced skull phantoms.
- These phantoms can aid in the evaluation and optimization of focused ultrasound therapies for neurological conditions.
