Imagine a future where doctors could hold a precise, three-dimensional representation of a patient’s organs in their hands, much like a tiny, clear acrylic cube that represents a heart or brain. Once the consultation is done, the image is quickly removed with heat, allowing the cube to display the data of the following patient. Researchers at Dartmouth College and Southern Methodist University (SMU) have developed a game-changing Light-Based Technology that Creates Erasable 3D Images that brings this futuristic vision closer to reality.
The Innovative Technology
An inventive method that enables the engraving of two- and three-dimensional images inside any polymer containing a specially prepared photosensitive chemical is presented in a recent study that was published in the journal *Chem*.
The Erasable 3D image technology, pioneered by Ivan Aprahamian, a professor and chair of chemistry at Dartmouth, and Qingkai Qi, a postdoctoral researcher at Dartmouth and the study’s first author, involves using light to create images and heat or light to erase them.
How It Works
The process begins with a polymer that has been enhanced with a photosensitive chemical “switch” created by the researchers. This switch consists of a compound called azobenzene, which reacts to light, paired with boron difluoride to improve its optical properties. When exposed to red and blue light from a specialized projector—developed by Alex Lippert, professor of chemistry at SMU—the switch enables the polymer to display high-resolution images.
Creating Images
The red light from the projector activates the photosensitive chemical, imprinting detailed 2D or 3D images onto the polymer. The images can be projected onto the polymer from different angles to form comprehensive 3D patterns.
Erasing Images
To erase the image, blue light is used, or heat can be applied. This reversibility allows for the polymer to be reused for different images as needed.
Versatile Applications
The technology has the potential for widespread application, from medical imaging and surgical planning to architectural design and educational tools. By allowing detailed and precise visual data to be captured and displayed in a compact, customizable format, it could transform various fields.
Benefits and Opportunities
This technology is compared to “reversible 3D printing” by Ivan Aprahamian. In contrast to conventional 3D printing, which produces permanent models, this new method makes it simple to update and reuse visual data. The technology is accessible without the need for complicated virtual reality systems or sophisticated instrumentation because it only requires a translucent polymer and a chemical switch.
Health Care Sector
With the use of this technology, doctors could use scans to create precise, tangible 3D models of organs, which would help with diagnosis and surgical planning.
Education
provides an innovative way of visualizing complicated structures and processes, boosting educational opportunities in fields like biology and engineering.
Design and Art
Using this technology, designers and artists could produce dynamic, interactive designs and displays.
Upcoming developments
To increase resolution, contrast, and refresh rates, the researchers are focusing on enhancing the technology. To handle larger or more complex images, scaling up entails fine-tuning the chemical properties and improving the projector system. The objective is to create an automated, user-friendly system that can be incorporated into useful applications in a range of sectors.
In conclusion, the field of imaging and data visualization has advanced significantly with the introduction of this new technology. Light-based engraving opens up exciting possibilities for a variety of applications, from improving medical procedures to transforming educational tools, by combining with reversible materials. This creative method may open up fresh possibilities for interacting with and understanding complex data as it develops.
