Over 5% of the world's population has disabling hearing loss, which affects approximately one third of individuals over 65 years. Hearing aids are commonly used in this population group, but prolonged use of these devices may cause ear infections. We describe for the first time, the use of 3D printing to fabricate hearing aids loaded with two antibiotics, ciprofloxacin and fluocinolone acetonide. Digital light processing 3D printing was employed to manufacture hearing aids from two polymer resins, ENG hard and Flexible. The inclusion of the antibiotics did not affect the mechanical properties of the hearing aids. All multi-drug-loaded devices exhibited a hydrophilic surface, excellent blood compatibility and anti-biofilm activity against P. aeruginosa and S. aureus. Hearing aids loaded with ciprofloxacin (6% w/w) and fluocinolone acetonide (0.5% w/w) sustained drug release for more than two weeks and inhibited biofilm formation on the surface of the devices and bacteria growth in the surrounding medium. In summary, this work highlights the potential of vat photopolymerization 3D printing as a versatile manufacturing approach to fabricate high-fidelity patient-specific medical devices with anti-bacterial properties.
Keywords: 3D printing; Additive manufacturing; Anti-biofilm medical devices; Digital light processing; Drug-eluting medical device; Hearing aids; Stereolithographic fabrication; Stereolithography.
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