Monomer transfer moulding and rapid prototyping methods for fibre reinforced thermoplastics for medical applications

The development of biodegradable materials for surgical applications is a growing area, especially in the area of fracture repair. A fully biodegradable composite has been developed for the manufacture of surgical implants tailored to the patient's injury. This composite consists of a poly-epsilon -caprolactone matrix and a biodegradable glass fibre reinforcement. This paper describes two approaches to the manufacture of such implants using geometries derived from patient scan data: a variant of structural reaction injection moulding or resin transfer moulding, and a rapid prototyping method based upon material deposition modelling. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.