Page 580 - IJB-10-3

International

Journal of Bioprinting

RESEARCH ARTICLE
4D printing and simulation of body temperature-

responsive shape-memory polymers for
advanced biomedical applications

Dahong Kim , Kyung-Hyun Kim , Yong-Suk Yang , Keon-Soo Jang ,
3
4
3
1,2
Sohee Jeon , Jun-Ho Jeong , and Su A Park *
1
1
1 id
1 Nano Convergence & Manufacturing Systems, Korea Institute of Machinery and Materials (KIMM),
Daejeon, South Korea
2 Department of Applied Bioengineering, Graduate School of Convergence Science and Technology,
Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea
3
Intelligent Components & Sensors Research Section, Electronics and Telecommunications
Research Institute (ETRI), Daejeon, South Korea
4 Department of Polymer Engineering, School of Chemical and Materials Engineering, University of

Suwon, Suwon, South Korea
(This article belongs to the Special Issue: 3D Printing of Bioinspired Materials)
Abstract
Four-dimensional (4D) bioprinting holds significant promise in precision medicine,
enabling the emulation of dynamic changes in the human body and tissues to
provide personalized treatments. Smart materials for 4D printing (i.e., responsive to
specific stimuli) should exhibit properties, such as biodegradability, biocompatibility,
and ease of processing, while also enabling the prediction of time-dependent
behavior in programmed geometry. This study focused on the development of a body
temperature-responsive shape-memory polymer (SMP). The thermal properties of
the SMP were analyzed, and its biodegradability and biocompatibility were assessed
*Corresponding author:
Su A Park (psa@kimm.re.kr) through structures fabricated by three-dimensional printing techniques. The
simulation calculated with this finite element (FE) solution was in good agreement
Citation: Kim D, Kim KH, Yang YS, with those measured in experiments. The findings contribute to our understanding
et al. 4D printing and simulation
of body temperature-responsive of the behavior of SMP under various conditions, validating the effectiveness of
shape-memory polymers for the developed material for potential applications in precision medicine and 4D
advanced biomedical applications. bioprinting. It has the potential for use in medical devices, such as catheters, stents,
Int J Bioprint. 2024;10(3):3035.
doi: 10.36922/ijb.3035 and artificial scaffolds, prepared by 4D bioprinting.
Received: February 27, 2024
Accepted: April 22, 2024 Keywords: 4D printing; 4D printing simulation; 3D bioprinting; Biodegradable
Published Online: June 13, 2024
shape-memory polymer; Biocompatible shape-memory polymer
Copyright: © 2024 Author(s).
This is an Open Access article
distributed under the terms of the
Creative Commons Attribution
License, permitting distribution, 1. Introduction
and reproduction in any medium,
provided the original work is In the medical field, three-dimensional (3D) printing has encountered challenges due
properly cited. to its static characteristics and the absence of shape-morphing capabilities, hindering
Publisher’s Note: AccScience its ability to closely mimic the continuously changing dynamics of the human body
Publishing remains neutral with and tissues. Four-dimensional (4D) bioprinting can be one of the alternatives that can
regard to jurisdictional claims in
published maps and institutional overcome these hurdles in 3D printing. 4D printing has evolved by incorporating the
1-3
affiliations. time dimension as the fourth dimension into conventional 3D printing. 3D structures

Volume 10 Issue 3 (2024) 572 doi: 10.36922/ijb.3035