3D printing of biomaterials: a review

Fabrication of complex biological devices is one of the promising applications of 3D printing. 3D printing technology was employed initially to produce visualization models aiding in surgical process and also for tooling molds. Since then the 3D printing technology has assumed a wider role creating implants, diagnostic platforms, drug delivery systems and scaffolds for tissue engineering. The recent developments have aroused interest amongst the scientific community to combine stem cells with the customized 3D scaffolds. However, there are several technological limitations and restrictions that must be addressed with due concerns before using 3D printing technology for complex organs and regeneration of complex tissues. The present work reviews the major technological advances taken place with the common 3D printing technologies: Fused Deposition Modeling, Stereo lithography, Selective Laser Sintering, Three Dimensional Printing and 3D Plotting/Direct-write/Bioprinting. The review highlights the advances in the field of tissue engineering of each of the aforementioned technology through examples and also highlights the key limitations. The authors hope that the review motivates the future research and therefore the scientific community advances the engrossing field for application in the field of biomaterials.