Microvalve-based bioprinting - process, bio-inks and applications

Biomater Sci. 2017 Mar 28;5(4):632-647. doi: 10.1039/c6bm00861e.

Abstract

Bioprinting is an emerging research field that has attracted tremendous attention for various applications; it offers a highly automated, advanced manufacturing platform for the fabrication of complex bioengineered constructs. Different bio-inks comprising multiple types of printable biomaterials and cells are utilized during the bioprinting process to improve the homology to native tissues and/or organs in a highly reproducible manner. This paper, presenting a first-time comprehensive yet succinct review of microvalve-based bioprinting, provides an in-depth analysis and comparison of different drop-on-demand bioprinting systems and highlights the important considerations for microvalve-based bioprinting systems. This review paper reports a detailed analysis of its printing process, bio-ink properties and cellular components on the printing outcomes. Lastly, this review highlights the significance of drop-on-demand bioprinting for various applications such as high-throughput screening, fundamental cell biology research, in situ bioprinting and fabrication of in vitro tissue constructs and also presents future directions to transform the microvalve-based bioprinting technology into imperative tools for tissue engineering and regenerative medicine.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Bioprinting / instrumentation*
  • Bioprinting / methods
  • Equipment Design
  • High-Throughput Screening Assays / instrumentation
  • High-Throughput Screening Assays / methods
  • Humans
  • Microwaves*
  • Regenerative Medicine / instrumentation
  • Regenerative Medicine / methods
  • Tissue Engineering / instrumentation
  • Tissue Engineering / methods