Biological 3D printing technology assisted therapy can construct personalized lesion models

2024-03-01

The rapid development of the 3D printing industry is the result of multiple factors driving it together. The growth of R&D investment has led to continuous improvement of technology, increasing variety of printing materials, expanding the application scope of 3D printers, and establishing 3D printing related courses in primary and secondary schools and educational training institutions to promote knowledge popularization and talent cultivation.

The emergence of 3D bioprinting technology has provided a new 3D space and infinite possibilities for clinical medicine. 3D bioprinting technology simultaneously meets the three principles of safety, personalization, and economy. By combining computer technology and various medical methods such as preoperative CT 3D reconstruction and magnetic resonance imaging, the application space of 3D bioprinting technology in the medical industry is gradually expanding, and its application value is also gradually being demonstrated.

Overall, the medical applications of 3D bioprinting technology mainly focus on examinations, tools, models, embedded objects, and biological plants. In the production of personalized implant prostheses, 3D bioprinting technology can create personalized implant prostheses based on the individual size of patients, with better fusion and flexibility. This technology can increase the antibacterial, nanoscale performance, and biocompatibility of the structure. However, current implant prostheses cannot meet biomechanical requirements, and printed products are limited to the surface structure of implant prostheses, such as knee joints.

Similar to 3D bioprinting technology, 3D printing modeling software and systems also play an important role. Generally speaking, 3D printing modeling software and systems are convenient tools for achieving better visualization effects. For the medical industry, thisa great assistant for presenting patient situations in a three-dimensional and multi-dimensional manner, which can simulate and find efficient and reasonable methods for curing patients. Based on 3D printing modeling software, doctors can better understand the patient's symptoms and be fully prepared for surgery.

Specifically, the maker establishes a three-dimensional digital model of patient bone tissue by processing CT data, inputs it into a rapid prototyping machine, and produces a 1:1 rapid prototyping model that is consistent with the actual bone tissue. The easy preparation of bone tissue engineering scaffolds with complex structures, uniform pores, and diverse geometric shapes has also brought more possibilities for cure for many patients.

As the development of biological 3D printing becomes increasingly popular, the speed of updating and iterating biological 3D printers is also accelerating. As early as November 2017, China's first high-throughput integrated biological 3D printer was released in Hangzhou. It is reported that the key technological innovation of the device is "discrete manufacturing micro tomography imaging technology". At the same time as 3D printing, additive imaging can also be performed based on micro tomography technology. Theoretically, the imaging depth is not limited, non-contact, high-resolution, and without cell damage. Printing parameters can be controlled in real-time online feedback to achieve non-destructive quality control of 3D printed products.

According to market research firm Grand View Research, the market size of 3D bioprinting is expected to reach $1.82 billion by 2022. Products based on 3D bioprinting technology, such as personalized implants, interventional medical devices, and personalized living tissue organs, will not only have a market space of billions, but also provide new clinical treatment strategies for the reconstruction of damaged tissue and organ functions.

Although bioprinting has developed rapidly and its applications are becoming increasingly widespread, it is undeniable that it still faces many challenges, such as long research and development cycles for bioprinting inks and slow equipment upgrades that are compatible with printing technology. At the same time, in addition to utilizing the core technology of traditional 3D printing, all manufacturing processes of biological 3D printing must also comply with biological standards, ensure cell activity and tissue function, and comply with medical standards, which requires extensive exploration and research practice.

Of course, the development of 3D printing in the medical field, from the production of 3D printed models by surgeons to 3D printed prosthetics, and then to 3D printed human organs, is astonishing and admirable. Looking ahead to the future, biological 3D printing technology will play a greater role in fields such as denture manufacturing, prosthetic limb production, and cell model research.

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