3D printing has always had the capacity to transform medical aid. Now, Siraya Tech’s Blu is another resin that can safely come into direct contact with human skin.

On 26th July 2022, Siraya Tech announced that Blu has passed the ISO 10993-10 Skin Sensitivity certification. This means that, for the first time, objects created using the resin are safe to touch human skin externally.

Siraya Tech describes Blue as a “tough resin that performs under stress”, making it ideal for producing functional objects. An example might be prosthetics which are used in motion on a day-to-day basis.

The idea to make Blu biocompatible came from users who wanted to print personal protective equipment (PPE) using the resin.

A Siraya Tech spokesperson said:

“In 2020 when Covid started, many users reached out to know if they could use Blu resin to make PPE as Blu is strong enough to withstand bending while resin prints faster than FDM printers. Blu could be used in that application but did not have the certification then.

So we asked users not to print PPE in Blu. With more understanding of the material safety and the certification process, we started the process of passing ISO 10993-10 for Skin Sensitivity earlier this year. Blu passed in July, and this covers all the Blu family resins.”

This is another exciting development for the medical community, which continues to champion advances in biocompatibility. In the March 2022 edition of Annals of 3D Printed Medicine Callum Guttridgea, Alice Shannona et al. write that medical professionals have used 3D printing to “create custom pieces” for conditions that require “custom solutions”. Examples might be endoprosthesis and temporary dental crowns.

Siraya Tech advises that the resin is cleaned in “95%+ Ethanol or IP” and to “bake the print at 60C for 20 minutes to remove moisture and residuals”.

Now, with the official certificate, the resin will surely provide a durable product for many makers producing life-changing products, including PPE.