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Hernandez-Quintanar and Rodriguez-Salvador
shows the best performance since its optical scattering the area; in this case, it involves the development of optical
properties can be easily modified by adding microspheres tissue phantoms and 3D printing or bioprinting while
or nanoparticles or through freeze-thaw cycles [33,40,41] , as secondary sources include scientific and technological
well as for its ease in mimicking heterogeneities that can documents. This research involved scientific papers,
represent illness or a damaged tissue [26,40] . conference proceedings, and patents. Web of Science
Recently, 3D printing and 3D bioprinting have (WoS) and Scopus were analyzed using scientometric
been proposed as methods for the generation of tissue tools. Patents were examined using a patentometric
phantoms [42,43] . In comparison with conventional platform, PatSeer. This software was designed for
manufacturing processes, these technologies have research, analysis, and project management and allows
multiple advantages, such as a short production cycle and access to nearly 120 million records from the main patent
freeform fabrication of objects with complex geometric offices worldwide .
[45]
characteristics and internal structures. Moreover, 3D
bioprinting has been used for freeform fabrication of non- 2.3 Data Gathering
homogeneous, multilayered complex structures, such as This phase begins with the determination of a search
skin tissue . It represents a very attractive solution to strategy, first by identifying the appropriate terms and
[43]
biomedicine since it allows the creation of layered structures keywords, which will ensure that the most relevant
that are similar to biological tissues . These features information is collected. In this study, the keywords
[14]
make it suitable for fabricating optical tissue phantoms were identified from a state-of-the-art review and with
for clinical applications. A window of opportunity can be the support of experts in the field. It is important to note
opened in biophotonics where 3D bioprinting has not been that the main query terminology was obtained from the
adopted as in other fields . Here, 3D bioprinting would research study of Rodríguez-Salvador et al. , where
[11]
[44]
allow the development of more realistic phantoms. the principal technologies and applications to the health
This paper presents a competitive technology sector of 3D bioprinting were researched; for completing
intelligence study of the presence of 3D printing and the query, experts were also consulted. Data collection in
3D bioprinting to develop optical tissue phantoms, this study focused on the terms that are applied to the use
using a methodology created by Rodríguez-Salvador of 3D printing for developing optical tissue phantoms.
et al. , for identifying the scientific and technological After the literature review and expert validation, three
[11]
trends regarding methods, materials, and uses, as well as main categories were identified, as follows: (i) Terms
determining the most prolific countries, organizations, referring to 3D printing and 3D bioprinting; (ii) those
and journals in this domain. exclusively concerning optical tissue phantoms; and
(iii) those involving the applications of biophotonics,
2. Methodology which, according to the experts consulted, should be

Systematic research on the state-of-the-art and subdivided into diagnosis and phototherapy. The obtained
determination of trends and time horizons of 3D printing terms were utilized for the development of different search
queries, adapted according to the consulted databases.
and 3D bioprinting applied to the manufacturing of optical Boolean operators and exclusion terms were used. In
tissue phantoms were carried out, based on the approach addition, the study considered a time interval from 2000
of Rodríguez-Salvador et al. . It consists of iterative (since 3D printing applications in health care emerged by
[11]
processing of information that includes a planning stage, that time [46,47] ) to 2018 (specifically, until July 31, 2018, as
source determination, data gathering, and analysis; every the collection activity ended on that date).
step was supported by expert feedback, as explained below.
2.4 Analysis
2.1 Planning Stage
In this research, this step involves the use of scientometric
It consists of an organization process to define the and patentometric tools. First, a manual examination to
objectives, participants, timing, and specific activities rule out duplicated and non-relevant documents were
of the study. In this case, the objective was to identify carried out. Then, grouping information and a statistical
the presence of 3D printing or 3D bioprinting to produce analysis were performed. Expert feedback during this
optical tissue phantoms for biophotonics; determining process was essential. Scientometric and patentometric
methods, materials, and uses, as well as the most prolific analyses were developed using PatSeer platform and
countries, organizations, and journals in this field. special software programmed in R language, to mine data
2.2 Data Source Determination from the papers that were found.
Using this iterative process and adapting the search
It starts with the identification of primary and secondary query from Rodríguez-Salvador et al. , changing and
[11]
sources. The first one is based on the opinion of experts in adding suitable keywords, and using Boolean operators,
International Journal of Bioprinting (2019)–Volume 5, Issue 1 3