3D Bioplotter Research Papers

Hypertrophic scars (HS) are considered to be the greatest unmet challenge in wound and burn rehabilitation. The most common treatment for HS is pressure therapy, but pressure garments may not be able to exert adequate pressure onto HS due to the complexity of the human body. However, the development of three-dimensional (3D) scanning and direct digital manufacturing technologies has facilitated the customized placement of additively manufactured silicone gel onto fabric as a component of the pressure therapy garment. This study provides an introduction on a novel and customized fabrication approach to treat HS and discusses the mechanical properties of 3D…

Currently, the commercial building sector accounts for 18% of total U.S. end-use energy consumption, of which almost a third was from on-site combustion of fossil fuels for space and water heating. Magnetic heat pumping (MHP) technology is an energy-efficient, sustainable, environmentally-friendly alternative to conventional vapor-compression cooling technology. Several MHP designs today are predicted to be highly energy efficient, on condition that suitable working materials can be developed. This materials challenge has proven to be daunting due to issues associated with intricate synthesis/post-processing protocols and complications related to shaping the mostly brittle magnetocaloric alloys into thin-walled channeled regenerator structures to facilitate…

In recent years, tissue engineering has experienced significant advancements, mostly driven by the emergence of additive manufacturing technologies and the integration of biomaterials and cells. This advanced technique enables the creation of intricate structures with diverse components and properties, specifically designed for use in biomedical applications. The primary benefit of this technology is its ability to be customised, which helps minimise post-operative difficulties for patients with orthopaedic diseases and those undergoing tissue transplants. For this purpose, the essential components can be synthesised by the patient’s own cells. However, there are still other obstacles that need to be addressed in order…

Bioprinting consists in an innovative approach able to improve the current techniques of bioregeneration in the medical field through the extrusion of cell-loaded bioinks. Its main advantage is the customization to reduce post-operative complications on the patient, as it can be produced from his own cells. The success of bioprinting is determined by the printing parameters but, above all, by the materials. The goal of this work was to define a range of parameters, in order to achieve the highest printing stability, in terms of the quality of the Bioplotter® Silicone TG in relation to process conditions used.

Scaffolds manufacturing for tissue engineering is an elaborate process since to fabricate a functional tissue, the engineered structures have to mimic the extracellular matrix. The key goal is to produce 3D scaffolds composed of macro- and micro- scale structures. The combination of different production technologies, as 3D bioprinting (BP) and electrospinning (ES), enables the fabrication of multiscale structures but, above all, the biomaterial choice is crucial to apply these technologies. Hydrogels based of Polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), a water soluble and biodegradable polymer, are able to create a highly hydrated environment that promotes cell attachment and proliferation, with limited mechanical properties.…

In the ever-evolving landscape of bioengineering, the current research effort to push the boundaries of biomedical engineering through a multidisciplinary effort using advanced 4D fabrication techniques. This study represents a pioneering effort to create artificial constructs, such as skin, and muscles by leveraging knowledge from material science, mechanical engineering, biomedical engineering and advanced manufacturing. By seamlessly integrating these domains, our approach aims to overcome the inherent complexities associated with tissue engineering. The utilisation of 4D fabrication techniques introduces a dynamic dimension to the fabrication process, allowing for the creation of tissues with intricate spatial and temporal characteristics. The central focus…

Synthesis of bioinks for bioprinting of respiratory tissue requires considerations related to immunogenicity, mechanical properties, printability, and cellular compatibility. Biomaterials can be tailored to provide the appropriate combination of these properties through the synergy of materials with individual pros and cons. Sodium alginate, a water-soluble polymer derived from seaweed, is a cheap yet printable biomaterial with good structural properties; however, it lacks physiological relevance and cell binding sites. Collagen, a common component in the extra cellular matrix of many tissues, is expensive and lacks printability; however, it is highly biocompatible and exhibits sites for cellular binding. This paper presents our…

An oxygen-resistant refractory high-entropy alloy is synthesized in microlattice or bulk form by 3D ink-extrusion printing, interdiffusion, and silicide coating. Additive manufacturing of equiatomic HfNbTaTiZr is implemented by extruding inks containing hydride powders, de-binding under H2, and sintering under vacuum. The sequential decomposition of hydride powders (HfH2+NbH+TaH0.5+TiH2+ZrH2) is followed by in situ X-ray diffraction. Upon sintering at 1400 °C for 18 h, a nearly fully densified, equiatomic HfNbTaTiZr alloy is synthesized; on slow cooling, both α-HCP and β-BCC phases are formed, but on quenching, a metastable single β-BCC phase is obtained. Printed and sintered HfNbTaTiZr alloys with ≈1 wt.% O shows excellent mechanical properties…

Single-crystal microstructure can bring high performance for many materials including piezoelectrics, semiconductors, and cuprate superconductors. Unlike single-crystal metals that can be machined into complex components, most single-crystal ceramics are limited to the shape of thin films or plates due to their brittleness. However, more designs of advanced devices need to break these geometric limitations. 3D-ink-printing can efficiently fabricate complex architectured ceramics, but the microstructure is polycrystals. Here, for the first time, we demonstrate a route to grow single-crystal on 3D printed ceramic-YBa2 Cu 3 O7-x (YBCO) superconductors that can simultaneously have complex architectures and high critical current density. An ink…

Natural fracture healing is most efficient when the fine-tuned mechanical force and proper micromotion are applied. To mimick this micromotion at the fracture gap, a near-infrared-II (NIR–II)–activated hydrogel was fabricated by integrating two-dimensional (2D) monolayer Nb2C nanosheets into a thermally responsive poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (NIPAM) hydrogel system. NIR–II–triggered deformation of the NIPAM/Nb2C hydrogel was designed to generate precise micromotion for co-culturing cells. It was validated that micromotion at 1/300 Hz, triggering a 2.37-fold change in the cell length/diameter ratio, is the most favorable condition for the osteogenic differentiation of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs). Moreover, mRNA sequencing and verification revealed that…