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What is a bio 3D printer? A culture equipment manufacturer explains the outline, mechanism, and future potential of this technology that is expected to drive a medical revolution.

Updated: 8 hours ago





3D printers are used in a wide range of fields, including construction and manufacturing, but in recent years, they have been increasingly applied to cutting-edge medical research. As of May 2024, the news is that Kyoto University Hospital has confirmed the regeneration of severed peripheral nerves using tissue made with a 3D printer . (Reference:


In this article, we will explain the mechanism of bio 3D printers in an easy-to-understand way and explore their amazing possibilities and future prospects. We will also include actual research papers, so please read to the end.





table of contents






1. What is a bio 3D printer?



1-1) Differences from conventional 3D printers


Conventional 3D printers and bio 3D printers differ greatly in terms of "materials" and "areas of application."

While conventional 3D printers use inorganic materials such as resins and metals, bio 3D printers use organic materials such as cells and biomaterials. Also, while conventional 3D printers are used for the production of industrial products and the creation of architectural models, bio 3D printers create three-dimensional tissues and organs that are closer to those of living organisms, and are used in fields such as regenerative medicine and drug discovery.


There are other subtle differences, but in a nutshell:


Bio 3D printer = a 3D printer used in the medical field that can form biological tissue


That's what we can say.




1-2) What is bioprinting?


Bioprinting is a revolutionary technology that uses 3D printing to create living tissues and organs. The basic steps of bioprinting can be summarized as follows:


  1. Create a digital model

  2. Bioinks are selected and formulated based on the digital model.

  3. Place the bioink in the bioprinter and start printing.

  4. If necessary, cross-linking and surface treatment are performed.


Although the materials used are different, the basic process does not seem to be that different from that of a 3D printer. However, the printing method varies depending on the type of material used and the complexity of the tissue to be printed.

The printing method will be explained in the next section, "2. How Bio 3D Printers Work."




2. How the Bio 3D Printer Works


A printing method often used in bio 3D printers is the "layer-by-layer method." As the name suggests, the layer-by-layer method is a method of creating 3D models by stacking materials, but in layer-by-layer methods using biomaterials (hereafter referred to as biolayer-by-layer methods), bioink is layered using various methods such as dispensers, light, heat, and chemical reactions. This time, we will look at three representative biolayer-by-layer methods.



2-1) Extrusion method


Extrusion is a technique that pushes a viscous material out of a nozzle to form a three-dimensional structure. It is one of the techniques widely used in conventional 3D printers, but in bio 3D printers, living cells or bio-ink are ejected from the nozzle and stacked in layers to build tissues or organs.

While it is inexpensive and has a fast modeling speed , it tends to have lower modeling accuracy than other methods . The extrusion method is used to create skin and bones, and the overall percentage of the bioprinter is high, so it is probably the most common bio 3D printer.


<Advantages>

  • Low price

  • Fast printing speed


<Disadvantages>

  • Compared to other methods, the modeling accuracy is low.



2-2) Stereolithography


Stereolithography is a technique that uses a technology that hardens resin by irradiating it with light. Specifically, a material called photocurable resin is irradiated with light such as laser light or ultraviolet light, which causes a chemical reaction that solidifies the resin and forms a three-dimensional structure. Compared to other bio 3D printers, the cost of the equipment and materials is higher and the materials that can be used are limited, but it is possible to print with high modeling precision. For this reason, it is increasingly being applied to research on the complex structure of vascular networks.


<Advantages>

  • Printing with high modeling precision


<Disadvantages>

  • Equipment and materials are expensive

  • The materials that can be used are limited



2-3) Inkjet method


Among bio 3D printers, the inkjet method is currently attracting particular attention. Cells and biomaterials are sprayed from a tiny nozzle like ink, and structures are printed by layering them. Because of the tiny nozzle , it is good at modeling at the cellular level, and allows for high-precision, high-speed printing. A wide range of materials can be used, and the fact that the materials are relatively inexpensive seems to be an advantage that conventional bio 3D printers do not have. One disadvantage is that it can damage cells , but various research is being conducted to overcome this, and it is expected that its range of use will continue to expand in the future.


<Advantages>

  • High-precision, high-speed printing

  • A wide range of materials can be used

  • Inexpensive materials


<Disadvantages>

  • May cause damage to cells




3. Research papers using bio 3D printers



"3D bioprinting of tissues and organs"

"3D bioprinting of tissues and organs" is a paper published in the journal Scientific Reports in August 2020. It outlines the principles of 3D bioprinting, various technologies, and examples of applications of 3D printing of tissues and organs, suggesting the potential of 3D bioprinting.




"Three-dimensional bioprinting of thick vascularized tissues"

Source:PNAS

"Three-dimensional bioprinting of thick vascularized tissues" is a paper published in the journal PNAS in March 2016. It discusses a method for constructing thick vascularized tissues using 3D bioprinting. The construction of vascularized tissues is considered an important issue in regenerative medicine and drug development, and this paper describes the optimization of the design of cells, bioink, and bio 3D printers.




4. The future of bio 3D printers


Bio 3D printers are expected to be applied in a variety of fields, and are a potentially promising medical technology that is already undergoing clinical research. Here, we will summarize what is expected of bio 3D printers and the current issues they face.



4-1) What is expected from bio 3D printers?


First, the biggest hope for bio 3D printers is the promotion of organ transplant research . Human tissues and organs differ from person to person, and it is believed that these differences affect the effectiveness of treatment. However, if bio 3D printers can print skin, bones, and organs using a patient's cells, research can be conducted that more closely replicates the patient's condition. Furthermore, if clinical trials are cleared and printed organs can be transplanted directly into patients, the number of patients waiting for transplants may decrease, which could help resolve the donor problem around the world.

Bio 3D printers are also expected to be used in the field of drug discovery . Applications are being advanced to 3D print organs and tissues in order to test the effects and side effects of drugs in advance, aiming to verify them under conditions closer to those of a patient. They are also expected to be used in cosmetics and food, making this a biotechnology that is attracting a great deal of attention.



4-2) Issues facing practical use of bio 3D printers


As such, bio 3D printers are highly anticipated, but there are several challenges to overcome before they can be put to practical use, and they are still a developing technology. First, the functionality of cells must be considered in order to give them the same functions as real organs. As of 2024, we are able to create organs, but the reality is that they have not yet caught up with real organs in terms of functionality. Ethical issues regarding bioprinting are also being debated.


Because this is a technology full of dreams, there are high hurdles to overcome before it can be widely adopted in the medical field, but the technology has great potential for use in a variety of fields.




5. Bio 3D Printer Product Introduction


The bioprinting industry has been led by the United States and Europe, but is now attracting attention in Asia, including China. Japan is also making efforts to leverage its technological capabilities, such as the world's first successful bioprinting of corneal tissue, and it can be said that it is in the midst of innovation. In this article, we will introduce three companies out of the many bio 3D printer manufacturers.


5-1) CYFUSE


CYFUSE is a bio 3D printer manufacturer with the world's first technology for manufacturing three-dimensional tissues and organs. They have a unique technology for creating 3D structures using only cells, and sell it to researchers. Their representative product, "Regenova," is a system for creating three-dimensional tissues by stacking spheroids on fine stainless steel needles, and clinical development is also underway for treatments using the created nerves and blood vessels.




5-2) RICOH


Although RICOH does not yet sell bio 3D printers, they are focusing on research and development by utilizing their strength in inkjet technology. In particular, they have succeeded in developing inkjet printers that are gentle on cells, and are working on applying this to high-precision, high-speed printers.



5-3) CELLINK


CELLINK is a Swedish bio 3D printer manufacturer. They develop products with various features, such as the highly accurate and versatile printer "BIO X™" and the small, highly portable printer "INKREDIBLE+™".





6. Summary


This time, we explained the mechanism of bio 3D printers and the research content.

To summarize the contents of the article, the following is true:


  • Bio 3D printer = a 3D printer used in the medical field that can create living tissue

  • There are various bioprinting methods, the most representative of which are the extrusion method, the stereolithography method, and the inkjet method.

  • It is used in research in the field of regenerative medicine, and is expected to have applications in organ transplants, drug discovery, cosmetics, and more.

Tokai Hit Co., Ltd. develops applications that can be introduced into research in the field of regenerative medicine, including organ culture. Tokai Hit is also good at solving problems for researchers, so if you are interested, please click the button below for more details.




*Machine Translation

This site uses machine translation. In some cases, the translation may be inaccurate or unintended. PDF and image files may not be translated. In the case of any discrepancy between the Japanese site and English site, the original Japanese site shall prevail.



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