On Novel 3D-Printed Diaphragmatic Hernia Solution for Bubalus bubalis

In the past decade, several studies have been reported on the use of 17-4 precipitation-hardened (PH) stainless steel (SS)-based functional prototypes prepared by direct metal laser sintering (DMLS) for implantable applications. But hitherto little has been reported on novel 3D-printed diaphragmatic hernia (DH) solution (as an assembly of 17-4 PH SS and polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) composite) for Bubalus bubalis (BB). This study reports a novel 3D-printed DH solution of 17-4 PH SS and PVDF composite for BB. Further, a comparative analysis has been performed for thermal, corrosion (in vitro assessment), morphological, tribological, and mechanical properties) of 3D-printed solution with the natural/usual diaphragm of BB (collected from the cadaver). The study shows that the wear rate of the natural diaphragm was observed as 343.71 mm(3)/m, which was significantly improved with the use of a novel 3D-printed solution (0.003 mm(3)/m). The porosity (%) and grain size No. was observed as 30.5%, 4 (before wear), and 31.61%, 1.25 (after wear) (at 5N load, 10 rpm, using 1 mu m sandpaper on wear surface) in the case of the natural diaphragm. In the case of the proposed solution, the porosity% and grain size No. (before wear) for 17-4PH SS was observed as 15.91%, and 5, and for PVDF composite porosity% was observed as 27.92% and grain size No. 3.25, whereas for the proposed solution in assembly form (after wear), no change was noticed under similar conditions. The results suggest that the natural diaphragm of BB has a yield strength of 2.13 MPa and a percentage elongation of 61.2%, whereas for 17-4 PH SS yield strength was 540 MPa with a percentage elongation of 25%. As regards the corrosion behavior (in vitro analysis), the proposed solution has a corrosion rate of 0.000311 mm/year, whereas the natural diaphragm has 0.000129 mm/year.