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3D Printing Technologies for Biosensing, Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Applications

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Special Issue Information
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A special issue of Biosensors (ISSN 2079-6374). This special issue belongs to the section "Biosensor and Bioelectronic Devices".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 November 2022) | Viewed by 18439

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Special Issue Editors

Dr. Dimitrios A. Koutsouras

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

Imec The Netherlands, High Tech Campus 31, 5656 AE Eindhoven, The Netherlands
Interests: biosensors; lab-on-a-chip; bioelectronics; device microfabrication; 3D printing; microfluidics; point of care diagnostics; drug delivery; micro-electrode arrays; organic electrochemical transistors

Prof. Dr. Paul Blom

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research, Mainz, Germany
Interests: semiconductors

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Printing technologies have recently attracted the increasing attention of the scientific community due to their potential to revolutionize the worlds of science and technology. The main reason behind this is the advantages they offer in terms of manufacturing flexibility compared to the already existing conventional fabrication approaches. 3D printing, in particular, is a computer-controlled, additive, layer-by-layer manufacturing technique by which three-dimensional solid objects are created from a virtual Computer Aided Design (CAD) model, thus offering rapid prototyping, minimized material waste and optimized final products. What makes this technology extremely interesting is the fact that it can be implemented across different scientific areas spanning from bioelectronic devices and biosensors to healthcare devices, organ-on-a-chip platforms and drug delivery systems. Interestingly, the aforementioned technologies can be harmonically combined in order to produce integrated platforms able to provide both therapeutic and biosensing functionalities in a contemporary theranostic mode of operation and to pave the way towards a personalized treatment approach.

With this Special Issue, we would like to cover every possible application additive manufacturing can be implemented in, having as our main focus the upcoming epoch of personalized healthcare. Therefore, we include printed biosensing and biomedical devices, 3D printed drug delivery systems and 3D bioprinting applications in an attempt to highlight the tremendous potential of the new holistic biomedical manufacturing era that lies ahead. Original research papers and review articles are welcome.

Dr. Dimitrios A. Koutsouras
Prof. Dr. Paul Blom
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Biosensors is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

3D printing;
additive manufacturing;
biosensing;
bio-inks;
organ-on-a-chip;
personalized medicine;
drug delivery systems;
controlled release

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

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17 pages, 4512 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Multi-Resin Masked Stereolithography (MSLA) 3D Printing for Rapid and Inexpensive Prototyping of Microfluidic Chips with Integrated Functional Components

by Isteaque Ahmed, Katherine Sullivan and Aashish Priye

Biosensors 2022, 12(8), 652; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/bios12080652 - 17 Aug 2022

Cited by 11 | Viewed by 4713

Abstract

Stereolithography based 3D printing of microfluidics for prototyping has gained a lot of attention due to several advantages such as fast production, cost-effectiveness, and versatility over traditional photolithography-based microfabrication techniques. However, existing consumer focused SLA 3D printers struggle to fabricate functional microfluidic devices due to several challenges associated with micron-scale 3D printing. Here, we explore the origins and mechanism of the associated failure modes followed by presenting guidelines to overcome these challenges. The prescribed method works completely with existing consumer class inexpensive SLA printers without any modifications to reliably print PDMS cast microfluidic channels with channel sizes as low as ~75 μm and embedded channels with channel sizes as low ~200 μm. We developed a custom multi-resin formulation by incorporating Polyethylene glycol diacrylate (PEGDA) and Ethylene glycol polyether acrylate (EGPEA) as the monomer units to achieve micron sized printed features with tunable mechanical and optical properties. By incorporating multiple resins with different mechanical properties, we were able to achieve spatial control over the stiffness of the cured resin enabling us to incorporate both flexible and rigid components within a single 3D printed microfluidic chip. We demonstrate the utility of this technique by 3D printing an integrated pressure-actuated pneumatic valve (with flexible cured resin) in an otherwise rigid and clear microfluidic device that can be fabricated in a one-step process from a single CAD file. We also demonstrate the utility of this technique by integrating a fully functional finger-actuated microfluidic pump. The versatility and accessibility of the demonstrated fabrication method have the potential to reduce our reliance on expensive and time-consuming photolithographic techniques for microfluidic chip fabrication and thus drastically lowering our barrier to entry in microfluidics research. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue 3D Printing Technologies for Biosensing, Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Applications)

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Graphical abstract

16 pages, 7960 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Machine Learning-Enabled Prediction of 3D-Printed Microneedle Features

by Misagh Rezapour Sarabi, M. Munzer Alseed, Ahmet Agah Karagoz and Savas Tasoglu

Biosensors 2022, 12(7), 491; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/bios12070491 - 06 Jul 2022

Cited by 30 | Viewed by 4659

Abstract

Microneedles (MNs) introduced a novel injection alternative to conventional needles, offering a decreased administration pain and phobia along with more efficient transdermal and intradermal drug delivery/sample collecting. 3D printing methods have emerged in the field of MNs for their time- and cost-efficient manufacturing. Tuning 3D printing parameters with artificial intelligence (AI), including machine learning (ML) and deep learning (DL), is an emerging multidisciplinary field for optimization of manufacturing biomedical devices. Herein, we presented an AI framework to assess and predict 3D-printed MN features. Biodegradable MNs were fabricated using fused deposition modeling (FDM) 3D printing technology followed by chemical etching to enhance their geometrical precision. DL was used for quality control and anomaly detection in the fabricated MNAs. Ten different MN designs and various etching exposure doses were used create a data library to train ML models for extraction of similarity metrics in order to predict new fabrication outcomes when the mentioned parameters were adjusted. The integration of AI-enabled prediction with 3D printed MNs will facilitate the development of new healthcare systems and advancement of MNs’ biomedical applications. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue 3D Printing Technologies for Biosensing, Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Applications)

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Review

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25 pages, 7793 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceReview

Bioprinting on Organ-on-Chip: Development and Applications

by Maria Anna Chliara, Stavroula Elezoglou and Ioanna Zergioti

Biosensors 2022, 12(12), 1135; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/bios12121135 - 06 Dec 2022

Cited by 10 | Viewed by 3765

Abstract

Organs-on-chips (OoCs) are microfluidic devices that contain bioengineered tissues or parts of natural tissues or organs and can mimic the crucial structures and functions of living organisms. They are designed to control and maintain the cell- and tissue-specific microenvironment while also providing detailed feedback about the activities that are taking place. Bioprinting is an emerging technology for constructing artificial tissues or organ constructs by combining state-of-the-art 3D printing methods with biomaterials. The utilization of 3D bioprinting and cells patterning in OoC technologies reinforces the creation of more complex structures that can imitate the functions of a living organism in a more precise way. Here, we summarize the current 3D bioprinting techniques and we focus on the advantages of 3D bioprinting compared to traditional cell seeding in addition to the methods, materials, and applications of 3D bioprinting in the development of OoC microsystems. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue 3D Printing Technologies for Biosensing, Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Applications)

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20 pages, 2622 KiB

Open AccessReview

3D and 4D Printing in the Fight against Breast Cancer

by Sofia Moroni, Luca Casettari and Dimitrios A. Lamprou

Biosensors 2022, 12(8), 568; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/bios12080568 - 26 Jul 2022

Cited by 16 | Viewed by 4117

Abstract

Breast cancer is the second most common cancer worldwide, characterized by a high incidence and mortality rate. Despite the advances achieved in cancer management, improvements in the quality of life of breast cancer survivors are urgent. Moreover, considering the heterogeneity that characterizes tumors and patients, focusing on individuality is fundamental. In this context, 3D printing (3DP) and 4D printing (4DP) techniques allow for a patient-centered approach. At present, 3DP applications against breast cancer are focused on three main aspects: treatment, tissue regeneration, and recovery of the physical appearance. Scaffolds, drug-loaded implants, and prosthetics have been successfully manufactured; however, some challenges must be overcome to shift to clinical practice. The introduction of the fourth dimension has led to an increase in the degree of complexity and customization possibilities. However, 4DP is still in the early stages; thus, research is needed to prove its feasibility in healthcare applications. This review article provides an overview of current approaches for breast cancer management, including standard treatments and breast reconstruction strategies. The benefits and limitations of 3DP and 4DP technologies are discussed, as well as their application in the fight against breast cancer. Future perspectives and challenges are outlined to encourage and promote AM technologies in real-world practice. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue 3D Printing Technologies for Biosensing, Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Applications)

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