3D Bioplotter Research Papers

Extrusion-based 3D printing of thermoplastic polymers presents significant potential for bone tissue engineering. However, a key limitation is the frequent absence of filament porosity and the inherent osteoconductive properties. This study addresses these challenges by fabricating poly(lactide-co-trimethylene carbonate) (PLATMC) scaffolds with dual-scale porosity: macroporosity achieved through controlled filament spacing and microporosity introduced via NaCl leaching. The inclusion of NaCl generated rough, porous surfaces that were well-suited for dip-coating with magnesium-carbonate-doped hydroxyapatite (MgCHA), thereby imparting osteoconductive functionality. Thermal analysis revealed that salt incorporation had minimal impact on the polymer’s thermal stability. Rheological studies and computational modeling indicated that NaCl reduced the…

Despite the potential of extrusion-based printing of thermoplastic polymers in bone tissue engineering, the inherent nonporous stiff nature of the printed filaments may elicit immune responses that influence bone regeneration. In this study, bone scaffolds made of polycaprolactone (PCL) filaments with different internal microporosity and stiffness was 3D-printed. It was achieved by combining three fabrication techniques, salt leaching and 3D printing at either low or high temperatures (LT/HT) with or without nonsolvent induced phase separation (NIPS). Printing PCL at HT resulted in stiff scaffolds (modulus of elasticity (E): 403 ± 19 MPa and strain: 6.6 ± 0.1%), while NIPS-based printing…

Partial-thickness thermal burn wounds are characterized by a prolonged inflammatory response, oxidative stress, tissue damage, and secondary necrosis. An optimal dressing for burn wounds would reduce inflammation and oxidative stress while providing a moist, absorbent, and protective cover. We have developed an extract from unfertilized salmon roe containing components with potential anti-inflammatory and antioxidative properties, called HTX. HTX has been combined with alginate from brown algae and nanocellulose from tunicates, and 3D printed into a solid hydrogel wound dressing called Collex. Here, Collex was tested on partial thickness burn wounds in Göttingen minipigs compared to Jelonet, and a variant of…

As an engineering frontier, highly stretchable sensors are widely applied in many fields, such as human motion detection, personal healthcare monitoring, and human-machine interactions. In this study, novel silver nanowire (AgNW)-based stretchable sensors with hierarchical wrinkled structures were fabricated through a two-step process, namely water-induced swelling and AgNW deposition. As highly soluble additives, sodium chloride particles were incorporated into the elastomer matrix. Upon soaking in dopamine aqueous solution, significant swelling was introduced onto the elastomer substrate. The dopamine deposition is accompanied with the swelling process, which endows the sample surface with ultra-hydrophilicity. Additionally, the dopamine-modified swollen samples “capture” the nanowires…

People with neurological deficits face difficulties perceiving their surroundings, resulting in an urgent need for wearable electronic skin (e-skin) that can monitor external stimuli and temperature changes. However, the monolithic structure of e-skin is not conducive to breathability and hinders hair growth, limiting its wearing comfort. In this work, we prepared fully three-dimensional (3D) printed e-skin that allowed hair penetration and growth. This e-skin also achieved simultaneous pressure and temperature detection and a high tactile resolution of 100 cm–2, which is close to that of human fingertips. The temperature sensor maintained linear measurements within 10–60 °C. The pore microstructure prepared…

Liquid deposition modeling (LDM) is an evolving three-dimensional (3D) printing approach that mainly utilizes polymer solutions to enable the fabrication of biomedical scaffolds under mild conditions. A deep understanding of the rheological properties of polymer printing inks and the features of yielded scaffolds are critical for a successful LDM based fabrication of biomedical scaffolds. In this work, polymer printing inks comprised of Poly(epsilon-caprolactone) (PCL), sodium chloride (NaCl), and trichloromethane (CHCl3) were prepared. The rheological properties, including extrudability (shear stress, viscosity, and shear-thinning) and self-supporting ability (viscosity) of all printing inks were analyzed. Then printing performance was evaluated by measuring the…