Max Saccone

All Publications

• High-resolution stereolithography: Negative spaces enabled by control of fluid mechanics. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America Coates, I. A., Pan, W., Saccone, M. A., Lipkowitz, G., Ilyin, D., Driskill, M. M., Dulay, M. T., Frank, C. W., Shaqfeh, E. S., DeSimone, J. M. 2024; 121 (37): e2405382121

  Abstract

  Stereolithography enables the fabrication of three-dimensional (3D) freeform structures via light-induced polymerization. However, the accumulation of ultraviolet dose within resin trapped in negative spaces, such as microfluidic channels or voids, can result in the unintended closing, referred to as overcuring, of these negative spaces. We report the use of injection continuous liquid interface production to continuously displace resin at risk of overcuring in negative spaces created in previous layers with fresh resin to mitigate the loss of Z-axis resolution. We demonstrate the ability to resolve 50-μm microchannels, breaking the historical relationship between resin properties and negative space resolution. With this approach, we fabricated proof-of-concept 3D free-form microfluidic devices with improved design freedom over device material selection and resulting properties.

  View details for DOI 10.1073/pnas.2405382121

  View details for PubMedID 39231205

• 3D-Printed Latticed Microneedle Array Patches for Tunable and Versatile Intradermal Delivery. Advanced materials (Deerfield Beach, Fla.) Rajesh, N. U., Luna Hwang, J., Xu, Y., Saccone, M. A., Hung, A. H., Hernandez, R. A., Coates, I. A., Driskill, M. M., Dulay, M. T., Jacobson, G. B., Tian, S., Perry, J. L., DeSimone, J. M. 2024: e2404606

  Abstract

  Using high-resolution 3D printing, a novel class of microneedle array patches (MAPs) is introduced, called latticed MAPs (L-MAPs). Unlike most MAPs which are composed of either solid structures or hollow needles, L-MAPs incorporate tapered struts that form hollow cells capable of trapping liquid droplets. The lattice structures can also be coated with traditional viscous coating formulations, enabling both liquid- and solid-state cargo delivery, on a single patch. Here, a library of 43 L-MAP designs is generated and in-silico modeling is used to down-select optimal geometries for further characterization. Compared to traditionally molded and solid-coated MAPs, L-MAPs can load more cargo with fewer needles per patch, enhancing cargo loading and drug delivery capabilities. Further, L-MAP cargo release kinetics into the skin can be tuned based on formulation and needle geometry. In this work, the utility of L-MAPs as a platform is demonstrated for the delivery of small molecules, mRNA lipid nanoparticles, and solid-state ovalbumin protein. In addition, the production of programmable L-MAPs is demonstrated with tunable cargo release profiles, enabled by combining needle geometries on a single patch.

  View details for DOI 10.1002/adma.202404606

  View details for PubMedID 39221508

• Growing three-dimensional objects with light. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America Lipkowitz, G., Saccone, M. A., Panzer, M. A., Coates, I. A., Hsiao, K., Ilyn, D., Kronenfeld, J. M., Tumbleston, J. R., Shaqfeh, E. S., DeSimone, J. M. 2024; 121 (28): e2303648121

  Abstract

  Vat photopolymerization (VP) additive manufacturing enables fabrication of complex 3D objects by using light to selectively cure a liquid resin. Developed in the 1980s, this technique initially had few practical applications due to limitations in print speed and final part material properties. In the four decades since the inception of VP, the field has matured substantially due to simultaneous advances in light delivery, interface design, and materials chemistry. Today, VP materials are used in a variety of practical applications and are produced at industrial scale. In this perspective, we trace the developments that enabled this printing revolution by focusing on the enabling themes of light, interfaces, and materials. We focus on these fundamentals as they relate to continuous liquid interface production (CLIP), but provide context for the broader VP field. We identify the fundamental physics of the printing process and the key breakthroughs that have enabled faster and higher-resolution printing, as well as production of better materials. We show examples of how in situ print process monitoring methods such as optical coherence tomography can drastically improve our understanding of the print process. Finally, we highlight areas of recent development such as multimaterial printing and inorganic material printing that represent the next frontiers in VP methods.

  View details for DOI 10.1073/pnas.2303648121

  View details for PubMedID 38950359

• Roll-to-roll, high-resolution 3D printing of shape-specific particles. Nature Kronenfeld, J. M., Rother, L., Saccone, M. A., Dulay, M. T., DeSimone, J. M. 2024; 627 (8003): 306-312

  Abstract

  Particle fabrication has attracted recent attention owing to its diverse applications in bioengineering1,2, drug and vaccine delivery3-5, microfluidics6,7, granular systems8,9, self-assembly5,10,11, microelectronics12,13 and abrasives14. Herein we introduce a scalable, high-resolution, 3D printing technique for the fabrication of shape-specific particles based on roll-to-roll continuous liquid interface production (r2rCLIP). We demonstrate r2rCLIP using single-digit, micron-resolution optics in combination with a continuous roll of film (in lieu of a static platform), enabling the rapidly permutable fabrication and harvesting of shape-specific particles from a variety of materials and withcomplex geometries, including geometries not possible to achieve with advanced mould-based techniques. We demonstrate r2rCLIP production of mouldable and non-mouldable shapes with voxel sizes as small as 2.0*2.0m2 in the print plane and 1.1±0.3m unsupported thickness, at speeds of up to 1,000,000particles per day. Such microscopic particles with permutable, intricate designs enable direct integration within biomedical, analytical and advanced materials applications.

  View details for DOI 10.1038/s41586-024-07061-4

  View details for PubMedID 38480965