Three-Dimensional Printing of Braille-Integrated Drug-Loaded Materials: Advancing Accessibility for Visually Impaired Patients
3D printing presents a transformative pathway for personalized medicine, particularly in designing accessible medical devices for individuals with visual impairments. Millions worldwide face significant challenges in managing their healthcare routines due to nonstandardized Braille labeling and inadequately designed devices. This study utilizes digital light processing (DLP)-based 3D printing combined with reversible addition–fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization to fabricate high-resolution, Braille-integrated materials tailored for visually impaired patients. Investigations focused on optimizing surface quality, structural integrity, and tactile readability to enhance device accessibility and usability. Comprehensive analyses examined the interplay between photopolymer formulations, mechanical performance, and tactile features. Furthermore, this study assessed the integration of pharmaceutical elements, such as drug loading and release characteristics, to evaluate the potential for multifunctional applications. These findings highlight the challenges and strategies involved in integrating tactile accessibility with biomedical functionality for visually impaired individuals.
Authors
- Ali Bagheri (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3484-5856)
- Sahil P. Wankhede (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3475-8659)
- Xian Du (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3515-2840)
Institutions
- University of Massachusetts Amherst (US)
- Institute for Applied Science (GB)
Publication Details
- Journal
- ACS Applied Polymer Materials
- Published
- 2025-05-05
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1021/acsapm.4c04021
- Citations
- 2
- Primary Topic
- Photopolymerization techniques and applications
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 1.87
Funders
- University of Massachusetts