Device and method for processing a 3D polymer structure

1 . A device configured for processing a 3D polymer structure with a paramagnetic substance distributed as homogeneously as possible in a material or a polymer precursor of the 3D polymer structure, comprising:

a magnetic field generator configured for generating a static magnetic field B 0 in a working zone of the device, in which the 3D polymer structure can be arranged;

gradient coils configured for generating magnetic gradient fields B 1 , B 2 , B 3 in at least all three spatial directions x, y, z, by means of which the paramagnetic substance can be spatially encoded in a defined voxel V of the 3D polymer structure;

a radio frequency field generator for irradiating RF radiation into the working zone; and

a control unit which is configured to control the RF field generator in such a way that the spatially encoded paramagnetic substance in the voxel V can be excited by means of a field frequency f of the RF radiation tuned to the paramagnetic substance in order to destroy the 3D polymer structure solely in the defined voxel V;

wherein the device comprises an MRI unit or a different imaging appliance for obtaining image data; and

wherein the control unit is configured to compare the image data of the 3D polymer structure with CAD/CAM data for the 3D polymer structure and, if deviations of the partially processed/partially generated 3D polymer structure from the CAD/CAM data are detected, being geometric deviations, to take into account the image data and/or the deviations during the further processing/generation of the 3D polymer structure.

2 . The device according to claim 1 , wherein the polymer precursor can be arranged in the working zone of the device, wherein the magnetic gradient fields B 1 , B 2 , B 3 can be generated in the at least all three spatial directions x, y, z by means of the gradient coils in order to spatially encode the paramagnetic substance sequentially in time in defined voxels V of the polymer precursor, and the control unit is configured to control the RF field generator in such a way that the paramagnetic substance in the respective spatially encoded voxels V can be excited by means of a field frequency f of the RF radiation tuned to the paramagnetic substance in such a way that thermal polymerization of the polymer precursor is ensured in the defined voxels V.

3 . The device according to claim 1 , wherein the field frequency f of the RF radiation is between between 1 KHz and 789 THz.

4 . The device according to claim 1 , wherein the field frequency f of the RF radiation is between 100 KHz or 108 KHz and 789 THz.

5 . The device according to claim 1 , wherein the field frequency f of the RF radiation is between 108 KHz and 789 THz.

6 . The device according to claim 1 , wherein the working zone is arranged within a housing.

7 . The device according to claim 6 , wherein the paramagnetic substance comprises metal particles in the form of nanoparticulate magnetite particles, nanoparticulate iron particles, or metal organyls.

8 . The device according to claim 7 , wherein the metal particles are present in a concentration of >1000 particles per cubic millimetre of the 3D polymer structure and/or the polymer precursor.

9 . The device according to claim 7 , wherein the metal particles are present in a concentration of >10,000 particles per cubic millimetre of the 3D polymer structure and/or the polymer precursor.

10 . The device according to claim 1 , wherein the material of the 3D polymer structure or of the polymer precursor comprises one or more additives, being selected from the group of fibers, dyes, antibacterial substances, growth factors, nanoparticles/tubes, mineral fillers, metallic materials, glycosaminoglycans, MMC substances, polypeptide motifs, promoters, terminators, inhibitors, catalysts, sensitizers and/or immunomodulators.

11 . A method for processing the 3D polymer structure with the paramagnetic substance distributed as homogeneously as possible in the material or the polymer precursor of the 3D polymer structure by means of the device according to claim 1 , comprising the following steps:

a. defining the CAD/CAM data for the 3D polymer structure;

b. arranging the 3D polymer structure in the working zone of the device;

c. spatially encoding a voxel V within the 3D polymer structure as a function of the CAD/CAM data by applying the magnetic gradient fields B 1 , B 2 , B 3 ;

d. destroying the 3D polymer structure solely in the spatially encoded voxel V by irradiating the RF radiation by means of which the paramagnetic substance in the respective voxel V is excited to destructive thermogenic oscillations; and

e. repeating the steps c) and d) for further voxels V within the 3D polymer structure.

12 . The method according to claim 11 , including the further steps of:

f. arranging the polymer precursor with the paramagnetic substance homogeneously or substantially homogeneously distributed therein;

g. spatially encoding at least one voxel V within the 3D polymer precursor as the function of the CAD/CAM data by applying the magnetic gradient fields B 1 , B 2 , B 3 ; and

h. polymerizing the polymer precursor in the at least one spatially encoded voxel V by irradiating the RF radiation by means of which the paramagnetic substance in the respective voxel V is excited to thermogenic oscillations; and

i. repeating the steps g) and h) to generate the 3D polymer structure.

13 . The method according to claim 11 , wherein the field frequency f of the RF radiation is selected depending on the resonant frequency f 0 of the paramagnetic substance to be excited with the RF radiation.

14 . The method according to claim 11 , wherein the voxels V are each defined with a uniform volume size or in that the voxels V are at least partially defined with a different volume size.

15 . The method according to claim 11 , wherein the image data are obtained for the 3D polymer structure, being by magnetic resonance tomography as the MRI unit, and the further processing/generation of the 3D polymer structure takes place taking into account these magnetic resonance tomography data.