Event Date
Mohsen Habibi
Assistant Professor, UC Davis
Recent Development in Sound Printing
Abstract
Sound Printing is an emerging manufacturing paradigm that harnesses structured acoustic fields to spatially and temporally control material transformation without physical contact. In this talk, I will present recent advances in Direct Sound Printing (DSP) and its extensions, highlighting how high-frequency ultrasound can localize polymerization, induce mechanical activation, and enable volumetric fabrication with sub-millimeter precision. We will discuss new strategies for acoustic field engineering, including holographic phase control and spatiotemporal pressure modulation, that improve energy confinement and printing resolution. Recent progress in sono-responsive inks, such as radical-mediated polymer systems, mechanochemically activated formulations, and multi-component bioinks, will be introduced, emphasizing tunable gelation kinetics and mechanical properties. The talk will also cover minimally invasive and remote printing concepts, where acoustic energy propagates through heterogeneous media to trigger in situ material formation. Applications in bone regeneration, soft tissue scaffolding, and embedded repair in confined environments will be presented, along with experimental validation and modeling insights that link acoustic pressure distributions to material conversion thresholds. Finally, I will outline current challenges in scalability, acoustic-material coupling efficiency, and regulatory translation, and discuss future directions toward high-resolution, adaptive, and in vivo sound-enabled manufacturing platforms.