Page 33 - MSAM-2-1

Materials Science in

Additive Manufacturing

ORIGINAL RESEARCH ARTICLE
3D-Printed disposable nozzles for cost-efficient

extrusion-based 3D bioprinting

1
Hamed I. Albalawi 1,2,3 , Zainab N. Khan , Ranim H. Rawas 1,2,3 ,
Alexander U. Valle-Pérez 1,2,3 , Sherin Abdelrahman 1,2,3 , and Charlotte A. E. Hauser 1,2,3 *
1 Laboratory for Nanomedicine, Division of Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering
(BESE), King Abdullah University for Science and Technology, Thuwal 23955-6900, Saudi Arabia
2 Computational Bioscience Research Center (CBRC), King Abdullah University of Science and
Technology, Thuwal 23955, Saudi Arabia
3 Red Sea Research Center, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal 23955,
Saudi Arabia

Abstract

3D bioprinting has significantly impacted tissue engineering with its capability to
create intricate structures with complex geometries that were difficult to replicate
through traditional manufacturing techniques. Extrusion-based 3D bioprinting
methods tend to be limited when creating complex structures using bioinks of low
viscosity. However, the capacity for creating multi-material structures that have
distinct properties could be unlocked through the mixture of two solutions before
extrusion. This could be used to generate architectures with varying levels of stiffness
and hydrophobicity, which could be utilized for regenerative medicine applications.
Moreover, it allows for combining proteins and other biological materials in a
single 3D-bioprinted structure. This paper presents a standardized fabrication
*Corresponding author: method of disposable nozzle connectors (DNC) for 3D bioprinting with hydrogel-
Charlotte A. E. Hauser based materials. This method entails 3D printing connectors with dual inlets and
(charlotte.hauser@kaust.edu.sa) a single outlet to mix the material internally. The connectors are compatible with
Citation: Albalawi HI, Khan ZN, conventional Luer lock needles, offering an efficient solution for nozzle replacement.
Rawas RH, et al., 2023, 3D-Printed IVZK (Ac-Ile-Val-Cha-Lys-NH2) peptide-based hydrogel materials were used as a
disposable nozzles for cost-efficient bioink with the 3D-printed DNCs. Extrusion-based 3D bioprinting was employed to
extrusion-based 3D bioprinting.
Mater Sci Add Manuf, 2(1): 52. print shapes of varying complexities, demonstrating potential in achieving high print
https://doi.org/10.36922/msam.52 resolution, shape fidelity, and biocompatibility. Post-printing of human neonatal
Received: February 15, 2023 dermal fibroblasts, cell viability, proliferation, and metabolic activity were observed,
which demonstrated the effectiveness of the proposed design and process for 3D
Accepted: March 6, 2023
bioprinting using low-viscosity bioinks.
Published Online: March 21, 2023
Copyright: © 2023 Author(s). Keywords: 3D bioprinting; Nozzle connecter; Extrusion-based 3D printing; 3D-printed
This is an Open Access article
distributed under the terms of the nozzle; Disposable nozzles
Creative Commons Attribution
License, permitting distribution,
and reproduction in any medium,
provided the original work is
properly cited. 1. Introduction
Publisher’s Note: AccScience Three-dimensional (3D) printing is a manufacturing technique that can produce 3D
Publishing remains neutral with objects in a layer-by-layer fashion using computer-aided design (CAD). It has been
regard to jurisdictional claims in
published maps and institutional adopted by many industries, including education, aerospace, transportation, biomedicine,
affiliations. and healthcare [1-4] . More recently, 3D printing has been applied for sustainable and

Volume 2 Issue 1 (2023) 1 https://doi.org/10.36922/msam.52