Three-dimensional printing of complex biological structures by freeform reversible embedding of suspended hydrogels
- PMID: 26601312
- PMCID: PMC4646826
- DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.1500758
Three-dimensional printing of complex biological structures by freeform reversible embedding of suspended hydrogels
Abstract
We demonstrate the additive manufacturing of complex three-dimensional (3D) biological structures using soft protein and polysaccharide hydrogels that are challenging or impossible to create using traditional fabrication approaches. These structures are built by embedding the printed hydrogel within a secondary hydrogel that serves as a temporary, thermoreversible, and biocompatible support. This process, termed freeform reversible embedding of suspended hydrogels, enables 3D printing of hydrated materials with an elastic modulus <500 kPa including alginate, collagen, and fibrin. Computer-aided design models of 3D optical, computed tomography, and magnetic resonance imaging data were 3D printed at a resolution of ~200 μm and at low cost by leveraging open-source hardware and software tools. Proof-of-concept structures based on femurs, branched coronary arteries, trabeculated embryonic hearts, and human brains were mechanically robust and recreated complex 3D internal and external anatomical architectures.
Keywords: 3D printing; alginate; biomimetic; collagen; fibrin; heart; hydrogels; perfusable vasculature; tissue engineering.
Figures




References
-
- Shah A. M., Jung H., Skirboll S., Materials used in cranioplasty: A history and analysis. Neurosurg. Focus 36, E19 (2014). - PubMed
-
- FDA 510(k) summary statement for Osteofab Patient Specific Cranial Device. Report Number K121818, Center for Devices and Radiological Health (2013), http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/cdrh_docs/pdf12/K121818.pdf (viewed 10/11/15).
-
- Zopf D. A., Hollister S. J., Nelson M. E., Ohye R. G., Green G. E., Bioresorbable airway splint created with a three-dimensional printer. N. Engl. J. Med. 368, 2043–2045 (2013). - PubMed
-
- Bhatia S. K., Sharma S., 3D-printed prosthetics roll off the presses. Chem. Eng. Prog. 110, 28–33 (2014), www.aiche.org/sites/default/files/cep/20140528.pdf (viewed 10/12/15).
-
- Tumbleston J. R., Shirvanyants D., Ermoshkin N., Janusziewicz R., Johnson A. R., Kelly D., Chen K., Pinschmidt R., Rolland J. P., Ermoshkin A., Samulski E. T., DeSimone J. M., Additive manufacturing. Continuous liquid interface production of 3D objects. Science 347, 1349–1352 (2015). - PubMed
Grants and funding
LinkOut - more resources
Full Text Sources
Other Literature Sources