Joseph DeSimone on PinPrint, Carbon and Advice for AM Innovators

Just over a decade ago, renowned chemist Dr. Joseph DeSimone introduced a groundbreaking technology that would form the foundation of the company Carbon, where he served as Co-Founder and CEO. This technology, known as Continuous Liquid Interface Production (CLIP), transformed resin 3D printing by drastically increasing both its speed and efficiency. Now, DeSimone and his team of researchers at Stanford University have advanced the technology even further with the development of Injection CLIP (iCLIP). This innovation serves as the basis for PinPrint, a new company DeSimone is co-founding. PinPrint’s mission is to reimagine the patient experience in the realms of vaccinations and drug treatments. Here, we’ll explore the technology and vision behind PinPrint, insights from DeSimone on what drove Carbon’s success and his advice for aspiring leaders in science and additive manufacturing.

PinPrint’s first target is microneedle patches, which offer a pain-free alternative to conventional needles. They can be used for vaccine and drug administration for both therapeutic and cosmetic use cases, as well as for collecting interstitial fluid samples. Compared to needles, microneedle patches are easy to apply, less hazardous and minimally invasive. This means they can easily be administered in homes or non-clinical settings, in addition to clinical ones. Furthermore, these patches carry less potential for microbial infection, and they are easier to dispose of than regular needles. These devices have been around for decades and are easy to manufacture using traditional methods. However, PinPrint is leveraging additive manufacturing to achieve highly complex geometries, enabling the creation of microneedles with microfluidic channels and negative spaces that would be impossible to incorporate through conventional manufacturing.

A standard microneedle patch, without microfluidic channels (Photo Credits: MyLife Technologies)

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