Page 195 - IJB-9-6

International

Journal of Bioprinting

RESEARCH ARTICLE
The attractiveness of 4D printing in the medical

field: Revealing scientific and technological
advances in design factors and applications

Angelica A. Martinez-De-Anda, Marisela Rodriguez-Salvador*, and
Pedro F. Castillo-Valdez
Tecnologico de Monterrey, Escuela de Ingeniería y Ciencias, Monterrey, Nuevo León, México

Abstract

Currently, there is an increasing demand in the medical field for low-cost, high-
quality products as well as personalized solutions, and different manufacturing
methods are being investigated to provide innovative solutions. Four-dimensional
(4D) printing is a promising technology that could overcome the challenges
associated with the applications of three-dimensional printing in regenerative
medicine and biomedical devices. A revolution is expected in this regard, and it is
essential to keep abreast of the latest developments. Under this context, the purpose
of this paper is to reveal scientific and technological advances of 4D printing in the
medical field using a competitive technology intelligence (CTI) methodology. To
this end, publications were analyzed from the Scopus database between January 1,
2017, and May 9, 2023. The main trends were identified for both design factors and
*Corresponding author: applications. In the first case, the following were considered: 4D printing methods,
Marisela Rodriguez-Salvador external stimuli, materials, mathematical models, and interaction mechanisms.
(marisrod@tec.mx)
In contrast, in the second case, the applications of 4D printing involved were
Citation: Martinez-De-Anda AA, considered: drug delivery systems, stents, and scaffolds. The obtained design factors
Rodriguez-Salvador M, Castillo- results included improvements in mechanical properties of hydrogels by adding
Valdez PF, 2023, The attractiveness
of 4D printing in the medical magnetic nanoparticles, biopolyurethane, and other materials, the development
field: Revealing scientific and of cell-friendly bioprinting methods to print cellular structures, and the use of
technological advances in design theoretical-experimental approaches to predict shape deformation of structures.
factors and applications. Int J
Bioprint, 9(6): 1112. While for applications, results included advances in the development of expandable
https://doi.org/10.36922/ijb.1112 drug delivery systems, fabrication of stents for the treatment of vascular and tracheal
Received: June 21, 2023 stenosis, and the design of scaffolds to treat cartilage defects and bone regeneration.
Accepted: July 7, 2023 This study provides insights to researchers, academics, and companies involved in
Published Online: July 21, 2023 research and development as well as innovation that are looking for new solutions
Copyright: © 2023 Author(s). to improve health by incorporating breakthrough technologies such as 4D printing.
This is an Open Access article
distributed under the terms of the
Creative Commons Attribution Keywords: 4D printing; Competitive technology intelligence; Medical field; Design
License, permitting distribution, factors; 4D applications
and reproduction in any medium,
provided the original work is
properly cited.
Publisher’s Note: AccScience
Publishing remains neutral with 1. Introduction
regard to jurisdictional claims in
published maps and institutional The technological advances in three-dimensional (3D) printing have revolutionized the
affiliations. global manufacturing industry, pushing the boundaries of traditional manufacturing

Volume 9 Issue 6 (2023) 187 https://doi.org/10.36922/ijb.1112