17 3D Bioprinting
Courtney Keane
17.1 Introduction
Keywords
- 3D printing – the process of making physical/tangible objects from a three dimensional digital model, typically by laying down many thin layers of material on top of one another
- 3D bioprinting – the three dimensional printing of biological tissues and materials that often imitate human cells or tissues
- Additive manufacturing – another word for 3D printing with the same definition
- Collagen – main structural protein found in skin and other connective tissues
- Polymer – substance that has a molecular structure consisting chiefly or entirely of a large number of similar units bonded together
- Piezoelectric – involving electric polarization resulting from the application of mechanical stress
- Substrate – surface for which something is deposited or inscribed
- Thermoplastic – denoting substances (especially synthetic resins) that become plastic on heating and harden on cooling, and are able to repeat these processes
- Regenerative – able to be regenerated or reproduced
- Scaffolds – materials that have been engineered to cause desirable cellular interactions to contribute to the formation of new functional tissues for medical purposes
Learning Objectives
By the end of this chapter students should be able to:
- Understand what 3D bioprinting is
- Discuss past and current uses of this technology, along with important advancements that have been made by it in the healthcare industry
- Recall important impacts this technology has had on society and science
- Discuss possible future advancements for this technology in both the field of medicine and society
3D printing has been a key technological advancement in multiple industries over the course of more than 35 years. It has been adopted into many aspects of the engineering industry and more recently has been adopted into the healthcare industry as well. 3D printing has already produced multiple achievements in the healthcare field and continues to do so as the technology becomes more advanced and researched. Recently more research is being put into 3D printing as it becomes clear that the technology has the ability to change the healthcare industry completely. Compared to many other technologies in the healthcare system, 3D printing is still relatively new. Although it is new, the technology has the ability to do big things. In the future 3D printing will possibly be the biggest advancement that medicine has ever seen.
To make these changes in the healthcare industry that will solve many issues the field of medicine constantly deals with, the past, present and future of the technology must be understood. This chapter will focus on what 3D printing is, the past, present and future of this technology, but most importantly it will discuss the impacts it has had and will continue to have on science and society.
17.2 What is 3D Printing:
Key Takeaway
In this section we will discuss a general overview of what 3D printing is but more specific