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International Journal of Bioprinting                           Comparison of different 3D printing technologies



               Today’s 3D printing methods can produce parts      The aim of this work is, first, to study the printability of
            in a single operation, producing them fully assembled   different materials with potential for use in 3D bioprinting.
            or, alternatively, facilitating the assembly process . In   To this end, tools will be designed using 3D printing to allow
                                                      [2]
            addition, objects are modeled and printed with a high   the complete characterization of different biocompatible
            degree of structural and spatial control, creating and   materials using a 3D bioprinter. This will make it possible
            optimizing objects that cannot be built with traditional   to quantify and standardize the results obtained by being
            processes.                                         able to control different variables, such as environmental
                                                               humidity, printing temperature, or amount of material
               This technology has wide applications in different
            fields : automotive (producing spare parts, creating   printed. The second objective is to compare the results
                [3]
                                                               obtained and study the uses of hydrogel and thermoplastic
            production  mechanisms); aerospace  (creating complex   structures obtained using  additive  manufacturing
            parts);  healthcare  (operations  planning,  implant  and   technologies (3D printing and 3D bioprinting).
            prosthetic development, tissue bioprinting, medical
            training); retail (customized toys, use in simple repairs); etc.  These two lines of study are becoming increasingly
                                                               important in the field of medicine. In order to carry them
               3D printing is expanding its use in the field of health   out, the combination of 3D bioprinting with specialized
            thanks to the manufacture of medical prostheses due   computer-aided design (CAD) software will be considered,
            to the high adaptability of each part created to the exact   making it possible to manufacture biomimetic 3D
            characteristics of the patient . The integration of 3D   structures.
                                    [4]
            printing and biomimicry promotes improvements in
            the manufacture of functional materials and structures,   2. Materials and methods
            which will lead to advances in various applications in the
            biomedical industry [5,6] . Tissue engineering also offers   2.1. Starting materials
            very interesting solutions for regenerative medicine by   The following source materials were used in this study:
            combining cells, growth factors, biomaterials, and 3D
            printing technology to produce biological constructs in the   2.1.1. ColMA Lyophilizate
            desired shape, thus giving rise to 3D bioprinting.  Methacrylated  type  1 collagen (ColMA),  supplied by
                                                               CELLINK, is a hybrid hydrogel, which is obtained by the
               3D bioprinting is a process of manufacturing functional   addition of photoactive methacrylate groups, allowing
            tissues and organs from biomaterials by means of computer   it to be cross-linked by the activation of a photoinitiator
            software that generates a 3D model. The process involves   to provide the hydrogel with improved structural
            the addition of successive layers of biomaterial, with the   properties .
                                                                       [11]
            added difficulty that, being living material, it must be
            carried out under conditions that ensure the survival and   2.1.2. LAP photoinitiator
            proliferation of the cells [7-9] .                 The   lithium  salt  LAP   (lithium  phenyl-2,4,6-
                                                               trimethylbenzoylphosphinate) is a free radical photoinitiator
               To do this, first, the tissue or organ is digitized using   used to initiate the chain polymerization reaction after
            some image processing technology (magnetic resonance,   exposure to light and is combined with the different
            ultrasound...) in order to generate a 3D model. Subsequently,   methacrylated bioinks, such as ColMA or gelatin
            this digital model is converted into a Standard Triangle   methacryloyl (GelMA), to produce a photopolymer used
            Language (STL) format file or, failing that, the type of   in bioprinting . The LAP photoinitiator was supplied by
                                                                          [12]
            file read by the bioprinter we are going to use. Finally,   CELLINK.
            the biological part consists of obtaining and cultivating
            the cells. This step is key, as it requires choosing the right   2.1.3. Reconstitution Agents A and P
            bioinks to emulate the tissue to be manufactured. Once the   Reconstitution Agent A is an acetic acid solution for
            tissue or organ has been printed, it is kept in the bioprinter   dissolving and diluting freeze-dried CELLINK bioinks
            for maturation before it can be used or studied .  that include collagen in their composition, such as Coll1
                                                 [10]
               The application of these additive printing technologies   Lyophilizate and ColMA Lyophilizate. The reconstituted
            has, for example, exploded in popularity in the dental   collagen solutions, in combination with the collagen buffer,
            sector, which has started to use them in recent years. The   make the bioink isotonic and the pH easier to neutralize.
            World Dental Federation (FDI) states that oral health is   Reconstitution Agent P is ideal for dissolving
            paramount to the maintenance of general health and well-  and diluting GelMA Lyophilizate and hyaluronic
            being. A healthy and functional dentition is a key indicator   acid methacrylate (HAMA) Lyophilizate for bioink
            of quality of life.                                formulation. Having physiological pH and isotonicity due


            Volume 9 Issue 3 (2023)                         27                         https://doi.org/10.18063/ijb.680
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