3D Bioplotter Research Papers
3D bioprinting of thermosensitive inks based on gelatin, hyaluronic acid, and fibrinogen: reproducibility and role of printing parameters
Thermosensitive inks are considered an attractive option for the 3D bioprinting of different tissue types, yet comprehensive information on their reliability, preparation, and properties remains lacking. This paper addresses this gap by presenting a twofold aim: firstly, characterizing the preparation, rheology, and printing aspects of two inks that have demonstrated success in skeletal muscle tissue engineering both in vitro and in vivo. The first ink is composed of fibrinogen, gelatin, hyaluronic acid, and glycerol, while the second is a sacrificial ink made of gelatin, hyaluronic acid, and glycerol. Secondly, from this analysis, we demonstrate how thermosensitive and multicomponent inks can…
Enhanced bone regeneration by low-intensity pulsed ultrasound and lipid microbubbles on PLGA/TCP 3D-printed scaffolds
Background To investigate the effect of low-intensity pulsed ultrasound (LIPUS) combined with lipid microbubbles on the proliferation and bone regeneration of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) in poly (lactic-glycolic acid copolymer) (PLGA)/α-tricalcium phosphate (TCP) 3D-printed scaffolds. Methods BMSCs were irradiated with different LIPUS parameters and microbubble concentrations, and the best acoustic excitation parameters were selected. The expression of type I collagen and the activity of alkaline phosphatase were detected. Alizarin red staining was used to evaluate the calcium salt production during osteogenic differentiation. Results BMSCs proliferation was the most significant under the condition of 0.5% (v/v) lipid microbubble concentration,…
About 3D Printability of Thermoplastic Collagen for Biomedical Applications
With more than 1.5 million total knee and hip implants placed each year, there is an urgent need for a drug delivery system that can effectively support the repair of bone infections. Scaffolds made of natural biopolymers are widely used for this purpose due to their biocompatibility, biodegradability, and suitable mechanical properties. However, the poor processability is a bottleneck, as highly customizable scaffolds are desired. The aim of the present research is to develop a scaffold made of thermoplastic collagen (TC) using 3D printing technology. The viscosity of the material was measured using a rheometer. A 3D bioplotter was used…
3D printed hydrogels for oral personalized medicine
3D printing has become a promising and revolutionary pill-making technique for the pharmaceutical industry, enabling a relatively low-cost personalized medicine. Fused deposition modelling, also known by its initials FDM, is the most affordable technology for this goal, printing the material by a layer-by-layer deposition. However, the pressure assisted microsyringe technique is more adequate for working with drug containing inks as it does not need high temperatures, preventing the drug degradation. However, to make this goal possible, high accuracy and reproducibility is required, avoiding trial and error procedures. Thus, a correlation between rheology, printing parameters and the printed object was investigated.…
An advanced 3D monofilament biosuture
Sutures are one of the most widely used medical devices with employment in over 12 million procedures per year globally.1 Yet, the ideal suture material does not exist. Over the years scientists and surgeons alike have set out to find a suture material that is biocompatible, easy to handle, does not cause unnecessary tissue damage and creates an optimal environment for wound healing.2 This has led to the discovery of numerous suture materials ranging from silk and catgut in the early 1800s to synthetic polymers such as polylactic acid and polyglycolide that are currently in use.3 Sutures on the market…
Bacterial cellulose nanofibers promote stress and fidelity of 3D-printed silk based hydrogel scaffold with hierarchical pores
One of the latest trends in the regenerative medicine is the development of 3D-printing hydrogel scaffolds with biomimetic structures for tissue regeneration and organ reconstruction. However, it has been practically difficult to achieve a highly biomimetic hydrogel scaffolds with proper mechanical properties matching the natural tissue. Here, bacterial cellulose nanofibers (BCNFs) were applied to improve the structural resolution and enhance mechanical properties of silk fibroin (SF)/gelatin composite hydrogel scaffolds. The SF-based hydrogel scaffolds with hierarchical pores were fabricated via 3D-printing followed by lyophilization. Results showed that the tensile strength of printed sample increased significantly with the addition of BCNFs in…
Development of mechanistic models to identify critical formulation and process variables of pastes for 3D printing of modified release tablets
The future of pharmaceutical manufacturing may be significantly transformed by 3-dimensional (3D) printing. As an emerging technology, the indicators of quality for materials and processes used in 3D printing have not been fully established. The objective of this study was to identify the critical material attributes of semisolid paste formulations filled into cartridges for 3D printing of personalized medicine. Nineteen semisolid formulations were prepared per a fractional factorial design with three replicates of the center point. The variables investigated included percent loading of API and various soluble and insoluble excipients. Pastes were characterized for viscoelastic characteristics during the 3D printing…
Stable gelatin-based phantom materials with tunable x-ray attenuation properties and 3D printability for x-ray imaging
We report a novel method for developing gelatin-based phantom materials for transmission x-ray imaging with high stability at room temperature and tunable x-ray attenuation properties. This is achieved by efficiently cross-linking gelatin in a glycerin solution with only 10% water by volume and systematically decreasing their x-ray attenuation coefficients by doping with microbubbles that are originally designed to be used as lightweight additives for paints and crack fillers. For demonstration, we mimic breast glandular and adipose tissues by using such gelatin materials and also study the feasibility of 3D printing them based on the extrusion-based technique. Results from x-ray spectroscopy…