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3D printing in tissue engineering: a state of the art review of technologies and biomaterials

Nataraj Poomathi (Department of Mechanical Engineering, Centre for Nanofibers and Nanotechnology Initiative, National University of Singapore, Singapore and Organic and Bioorganic Chemistry Division, CSIR-Central Leather Research Institute, Chennai, India)
Sunpreet Singh (Department of Mechanical Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore)
Chander Prakash (School of Mechanical Engineering, Manufacturing Domain, Lovely Professional University, Phagwara, India)
Arjun Subramanian (Centre for Nanofibers and Nanotechnology Initiative, Department of Mechanical Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore)
Rahul Sahay (Division of Engineering Product Development, Singapore University of Technology and Design, Singapore)
Amutha Cinappan (Department of Mechanical Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore)
Seeram Ramakrishna (Department of Mechanical Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore)

Rapid Prototyping Journal

ISSN: 1355-2546

Article publication date: 24 June 2020

Issue publication date: 23 July 2020

1407

Abstract

Purpose

In the past decade, three-dimensional (3D) printing has gained attention in areas such as medicine, engineering, manufacturing art and most recently in education. In biomedical, the development of a wide range of biomaterials has catalysed the considerable role of 3D printing (3DP), where it functions as synthetic frameworks in the form of scaffolds, constructs or matrices. The purpose of this paper is to present the state-of-the-art literature coverage of 3DP applications in tissue engineering (such as customized scaffoldings and organs, and regenerative medicine).

Design/methodology/approach

This review focusses on various 3DP techniques and biomaterials for tissue engineering (TE) applications. The literature reviewed in the manuscript has been collected from various journal search engines including Google Scholar, Research Gate, Academia, PubMed, Scopus, EMBASE, Cochrane Library and Web of Science. The keywords that have been selected for the searches were 3 D printing, tissue engineering, scaffoldings, organs, regenerative medicine, biomaterials, standards, applications and future directions. Further, the sub-classifications of the keyword, wherever possible, have been used as sectioned/sub-sectioned in the manuscript.

Findings

3DP techniques have many applications in biomedical and TE (B-TE), as covered in the literature. Customized structures for B-TE applications are easy and cost-effective to manufacture through 3DP, whereas on many occasions, conventional technologies generally become incompatible. For this, this new class of manufacturing must be explored to further capabilities for many potential applications.

Originality/value

This review paper presents a comprehensive study of the various types of 3DP technologies in the light of their possible B-TE application as well as provides a future roadmap.

Keywords

Acknowledgements

One of the authors Dr N. Poomathi thanks the Department of Science and Technology (DST), New Delhi for the award of the Women Scientist Fellowship under women scientist scheme (WOS-A).

Citation

Poomathi, N., Singh, S., Prakash, C., Subramanian, A., Sahay, R., Cinappan, A. and Ramakrishna, S. (2020), "3D printing in tissue engineering: a state of the art review of technologies and biomaterials", Rapid Prototyping Journal, Vol. 26 No. 7, pp. 1313-1334. https://doi.org/10.1108/RPJ-08-2018-0217

Publisher

:

Emerald Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2020, Emerald Publishing Limited

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