Glaciarys AR3, the New Anti-Viral Resin from Copper3D

Copper3D continues its research into the development of antiviral materials and devices aimed at meeting the needs of the medical sector. After designing a 3D printed breast pump tip to fight against HIV transmission during breastfeeding, the Chilean-American company has now developed an antiviral resin. An innovation for the medical sector, which proves once again how 3D printing and medicine are linked. Called Glaciarys AR3, this new material diversifies the range of materials of Copper3D, which until now had only been devoted to antimicrobial 3D printing materials for FDM . Copper3D has consequently turned to SLA technology, in particular for the precision and resolution it offers. 

If Copper3D has decided to move towards SLA, it is mainly to help surgeons and dentists looking for very good quality materials. In this regard, Daniel Martinez, Director of Innovation at Copper3D explains: “ The new Glaciarys AR3 resin that we are about to launch responds directly to very specific requests from some surgeons and dentists who asked us for a high-performance antimicrobial material that could be used safely in surgical conditions ”. Before justifying why the company is now dedicated to SLA technology : “This is how we thought of a solution beyond FDM technology and focused on SLA due to its high quality characteristics, excellent resolution, and the ability to prototype different formulations of resins and concentrations of additives that resulted in an”all terrain”resin, with an accessible price, but at the same time,ideal for this type of request in the field of biomedical 3D printing“.

Several medical devices designed with Glaciarys AR3 resin (photo credits: Copper3D)

An application case of Glaciarys AR3 resin

So far, only orthopedic surgeon Reinares and his team have been able to test the new resin. The practitioners designed and 3D printed a surgical guide to prepare for a complex shoulder arthroplasty operation. This first step, which went off without a hitch, established that Glaciarys AR3 was not only an ideal resin for this type of application, but also for other areas, such as dentistry. And if the resin is perfectly suited to the needs of practitioners, makers, FabLabs and other professional teams can also use it. 

Finally, it is necessary to note that the resin is biocompatible. The Glaciary AR3 has already passed ISO22196 tests and achieved excellent results. The new resin was particularly distinguished by its ability to eliminate Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. According to the manufacturer, the resin will soon be available throughout the Copper3D distributor network. You can also find the list of distributors HERE .

What do you think of Glaciarys AR3 resin? Let us know in a comment below or on our Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn pages! Sign up for our free weekly Newsletter here, the latest 3D printing news straight to your inbox!