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International Journal of Bioprinting 3D-printed bioelectronic devices

Hydrogels can achieve enhanced conductivity by in biomedical research, ranging from personalized surgical
incorporating conductive polymers or conductive guidance and medical implants to tissue engineering
particles such as carbon-based materials, creating a platforms (Table 2). We explore how these innovations are
conductive nanocomposite network throughout the transforming healthcare, improving patient outcomes, and
gel. By the incorporation of CNTs to PEDOT:PSS, paving the way for future advancements in biomedicine.
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electrical conductivity has increased up to 2000 S/m, a
value that is challenging to achieve with PEDOT:PSS 4.1. 3D-printed surgical guidance
alone. The mechanical toughness of hydrogels can be Surgical quality can be significantly enhanced through
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127
increased by introducing filler materials that enhance their preoperative planning and rehearsal. Presurgical organ
storage moduli. 126 models, which help in understanding a patient’s specific
anatomy, have been widely used to reduce operation time
4. Applications in biomedical research and improve patient outcomes. Advances in 3D printing
and 3D visualization techniques, such as computed
The applications of 3D-printed electronic devices tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI),
in biomedical research have ushered in a new era of have allowed the fabrication of presurgical models with
innovation and customization. One notable advantage patient-specific features. Recent studies have integrated
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is the creation of a patient-specific architecture tailored 3D-printed electronic sensors into presurgical organ
to individual anatomies, which ensures personalization. models to provide realistic and quantitative feedback
Moreover, 3D printing enables the direct integration of during preoperative simulations (Figure 3A and B). 129,130
electronic components into the 3D structures of biological These models were fabricated via DIW with ionic hydrogel
materials, thereby enhancing the stability, robustness, and
functionality of biomedical devices. Its rapid prototyping to match the mechanical properties of soft tissues, allowing
real-time monitoring of the pressures applied to the models.
capabilities foster a more efficient and cost-effective
approach to experimental setups. In this section, we In situ 3D printing has shown great potential for
discuss the diverse applications of 3D-printed electronics directly fabricating fragile devices on time-varying

Table 2. 3D-printed electronics for biomedical applications.
Application category Application 3D printing method Ref.
3D-printed patient-specific prostate model with integrated sensors DIW 129
having physical properties close to those of prostate tissue
Surgical guidance
3D-printed patient-specific aortic root models with internal DIW 130
sensors
3D-printed bionic arm FDM 131
Implantable wireless battery less vascular electronics with printed Aerosol jet printing 143
soft sensors sensing of hemodynamics
Bionic devices
3D-printed bimodal electronic skin with high resolution and DIW 133
breathability for hair growth
Soft robots, circuit-embedding architectures, and strain sensors DLP and FDM 53
Wearable health monitoring device applications Inkjet printing 43
Conducting polymer hydrogel strain sensor for soft machines DIW 106
Sensors and diagnostic Soft neural probe capable of in vivo single-unit recording DIW 109
devices
3D-printed stretchable and strain-insensitive temperature sensor DIW 138
Wireless bioelectronics for human-machine interfaces Aerosol jet printing 10
3D-printed PCL/MWCNTs scaffolds with electrical stimulation for DIW 100
bone tissue engineering
Tissue engineering 3D printed PLA/BFO scaffolds of electrical stimulus on human FDM 145
adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells.
Conductive PPy/PEGDA hydrogel for future scaffolds DLP 121
Abbreviations: BFO, bismuth ferrite; DIW, direct ink writing; DLP, digital light processing; FDM, fused deposition method; MWCNT, multi-walled
carbon nanotubes; PEGDA, polyethylene glycol diacrylate; PLA, polylactic acid; PPy, polypyrrole.

Volume 10 Issue 6 (2024) 101 doi: 10.36922/ijb.4139