3D Bioplotter Research Papers

Surface-degrading polymers have been widely used to fabricate scaffolds with the mechanical properties appropriate for tissue regeneration/repair. During their surface degradation, the material properties of polymers remain approximately unchanged, but the scaffold geometry and thus mechanical properties vary with time. This paper presents a novel method to determine the time-dependent mechanical properties, particularly stiffness, of scaffolds from the geometric changes captured by synchrotron-based imaging, with the help of finite element analysis (FEA). Three-dimensional (3D) tissue scaffolds were fabricated from surface-degrading polymers, and during their degradation, the tissue scaffolds were imaged via the synchrotron-based imaging to characterize their changing geometry. On…

The demand for rapid and accurate fabrication of light-weight, biocompatible, and soft actuators in soft robotics has perused researchers to design and fabricate such products by rapid manufacturing techniques. The self-folding origami structure is a type of soft actuator that has applications in micro electro mechanical systems, soft electronics, and biomedical devices. 3-dimentional (3D) printing is a current manufacturing process that can be used for fabrication of involute soft self-folding products by means of shape memory polymer materials. This paper presents, for the first time, a method for developing a photo thermal self-folding soft actuator using a 3D bioplotter. Easily…

In this work, we combined three-dimensional (3D) scaffolds with flow perfusion bioreactors to evaluate the gradient effects of scaffold architecture and mechanical stimulation, respectively, on tumor cell phenotype. As cancer biologists elucidate the relevance of 3D in vitro tumor models within the drug discovery pipeline, it has become more compelling to model the tumor microenvironment and its impact on tumor cells. In particular, permeability gradients within solid tumors are inherently complex and difficult to accurately model in vitro. However, 3D printing can be used to design scaffolds with complex architecture, and flow perfusion can simulate mechanical stimulation within the tumor…

Dysphagia affects many people worldwide. Modifying foods to standard consistencies, and manual design and assembly of foods for the daily requirements of people with dysphagia is challenging. People with dysphagia may develop a dislike for pureed foods due to the unattractiveness of the appearance of the foods, the lack of variety in daily meals, and the diluted taste of meals. Three-dimensional (3D) food printing is emerging as a method for making foods for people with special mealtime needs. Very few efforts have been made to apply 3D food printing to improving the lives of people with special mealtime needs such…

Focal adipose deficiency, such as lipoatrophy, lumpectomy or facial trauma, is a formidable challenge in reconstructive medicine, and yet scarcely investigated in experimental studies. Here, we report that Pyrintegrin (Ptn), a 2,4-disubstituted pyrimidine known to promote embryonic stem cells survival, is robustly adipogenic and induces postnatal adipose tissue formation in vivo of transplanted adipose stem/progenitor cells (ASCs) and recruited endogenous cells. In vitro, Ptn stimulated human adipose tissue derived ASCs to differentiate into lipid-laden adipocytes by upregulating peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPARγ) and CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein-α (C/EBPα), with differentiated cells increasingly secreting adiponectin, leptin, glycerol and total triglycerides. Ptn-primed human ASCs seeded…

Three-dimensional (3D)-printed constructs made of polycaprolactone (PCL) and chondrocyte-impregnated alginate hydrogel (hybrid cartilage constructs) mimic the biphasic nature of articular cartilage, offering promise for cartilage tissue engineering (CTE) applications. However, the regulatory pathway for medical device development requires validation of such constructs through in vitro bench tests and in vivo preclinical examinations premarket approval. Furthermore, non-invasive imaging techniques are required for effective evaluation of the progress of these cartilage constructs, especially when implanted in animal models or human subjects. However, characterization of the individual components of the hybrid cartilage constructs and their associated time-dependent structural changes by currently available non-invasive…

The development of biomaterials with high osteogenic ability for fast osteointegration with a host bone is of great interest. In this study, pearl/CaSO4 composite scaffolds were fabricated using three-dimensional (3D) printing, followed by a hydration process. The pearl/CaSO4 scaffolds showed uniform interconnected macropores (∼400 μm), high porosity (∼60%), and enhanced compressive strength. With CaSO4 scaffolds as a control, the biological properties of the pearl/CaSO4 scaffolds were evaluated in vitro and in vivo. The results showed that the pearl/CaSO4 scaffolds possessed a good apatite-forming ability and stimulated the proliferation and differentiation of rat bone mesenchymal stem cells (rBMSCs), as well as…

We report a novel synthetic and processing methodology for the preparation of doubly dynamic, self-healing, 3D-printable macroporous gels. 3D-printable oxime hydrogels were prepared by cross-linking poly(n-hydroxyethyl acrylamide-co-methyl vinyl ketone) (PHEAA-co-PMVK) with a bifunctional hydroxylamine. 3D-printed oxime hydrogels were subjected to post-printing treatment by thermally induced phase separation (TIPS), which facilitated the formation of hydrogen bonding and oxime cross-links, and dramatically increased the mechanical strength of soft oxime objects in a well-controlled manner by up to ∼1900%. The mechanical properties of the cryogels were tuned by freezing conditions, which affected the microstructure of the cryogels. These doubly dynamic 3D-printed cryogels are…

β-TCP-Zirconia scaffolds with different architectures were fabricated by means of 3D-Bioplotting in order to enhance the mechanical and in-vitro ability of the scaffold to heal large size bone defects. In the present study scaffold architecture with different strand orientations (0o-90o, 0o-45o-135o-180o, 0o-108o-216o and 0o-72o-144o-36o-108o) were fabricated, characterized and evaluated for mechanical strength and cell proliferation ability. β-TCP powder (25µm) and PVA (Polyvinyl Alcohol) was acquired from Fisher Scientific, India. Zirconia (18 to 32 µm) was procured from Lobachemie, India. In brief 7.5%, PVA in distilled water was used as a binder and was mixed with 10 grams of (70/30) TCP-Zirconia…

In present work, we fabricate large area, all flexible and microwaveable PDMS microfluidic reactor that is printed via 3D bioplotter system. The sacrificial microchannels are printed on Polydimethoxylane (PDMS) substrates by direct ink writing method using water soluble Pluronic F-127 ink and encapsulated between PDMS layers. The structure of micrometer sized channels is analyzed by optical and electron microscopy techniques. The fabricated flexible microfluidic reactors are utilized for acetylation of different amines under microwave irradiation to get acetylamides in shorter reaction time and good yields in Microwave Assisted Flow Organic Synthesis (MAFOS).