Rapid manufacturing techniques for the tissue engineering of human heart valves
01 Oct 2014-European Journal of Cardio-Thoracic Surgery (Oxford University Press)-Vol. 46, Iss: 4, pp 593-601
TL;DR: A new approach using 3D printing to simplify and improve the fabrication of human heart valve scaffolds by tissue engineering (TE) to establish a heart valve fabrication process based on 3D rapid manufacturing and TE.
Abstract: Three-dimensional (3D) printing technologies have reached a level of quality that justifies considering rapid manufacturing for medical applications. Herein, we introduce a new approach using 3D printing to simplify and improve the fabrication of human heart valve scaffolds by tissue engineering (TE). Custom-made human heart valve scaffolds are to be fabricated on a selective laser-sintering 3D printer for subsequent seeding with vascular cells from human umbilical cords. The scaffolds will be produced from resorbable polymers that must feature a number of specific properties: the structure, i.e. particle granularity and shape, and thermic properties must be feasible for the printing process. They must be suitable for the cell-seeding process and at the same time should be resorbable. They must be applicable for implementation in the human body and flexible enough to support the full functionality of the valve. The research focuses mainly on the search for a suitable scaffold material that allows the implementation of both the printing process to produce the scaffolds and the cell-seeding process, while meeting all of the above requirements. Computer tomographic data from patients were transformed into a 3D data model suitable for the 3D printer. Our current activities involve various aspects of the printing process, material research and the implementation of the cell-seeding process. Different resorbable polymeric materials have been examined and used to fabricate heart valve scaffolds by rapid manufacturing. Human vascular cells attached to the scaffold surface should migrate additionally into the inner structure of the polymeric samples. The ultimate intention of our approach is to establish a heart valve fabrication process based on 3D rapid manufacturing and TE. Based on the computer tomographic data of a patient, a custom-made scaffold for a valve will be produced on a 3D printer and populated preferably by autologous cells. The long-term goal is to support the growth of a new valve by a 3D structure resorbed by the human body in the course of the growth process. Our current activities can be characterized as basic research in which the fundamental steps of the technical process and its feasibility are investigated.
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TL;DR: The potential of 3D printing to become an essential office-based tool in plastic surgery to assist in preoperative planning, developing intraoperative guidance tools, teaching patients and surgical trainees, and producing patient-specific prosthetics in everyday surgical practice is discussed.
Abstract: Modern imaging techniques are an essential component of preoperative planning in plastic and reconstructive surgery. However, conventional modalities, including three-dimensional (3D) reconstructions, are limited by their representation on 2D workstations. 3D printing, also known as rapid prototyping or additive manufacturing, was once the province of industry to fabricate models from a computer-aided design (CAD) in a layer-by-layer manner. The early adopters in clinical practice have embraced the medical imaging-guided 3D-printed biomodels for their ability to provide tactile feedback and a superior appreciation of visuospatial relationship between anatomical structures. With increasing accessibility, investigators are able to convert standard imaging data into a CAD file using various 3D reconstruction softwares and ultimately fabricate 3D models using 3D printing techniques, such as stereolithography, multijet modeling, selective laser sintering, binder jet technique, and fused deposition modeling. However, many clinicians have questioned whether the cost-to-benefit ratio justifies its ongoing use. The cost and size of 3D printers have rapidly decreased over the past decade in parallel with the expiration of key 3D printing patents. Significant improvements in clinical imaging and user-friendly 3D software have permitted computer-aided 3D modeling of anatomical structures and implants without outsourcing in many cases. These developments offer immense potential for the application of 3D printing at the bedside for a variety of clinical applications. In this review, existing uses of 3D printing in plastic surgery practice spanning the spectrum from templates for facial transplantation surgery through to the formation of bespoke craniofacial implants to optimize post-operative esthetics are described. Furthermore, we discuss the potential of 3D printing to become an essential office-based tool in plastic surgery to assist in preoperative planning, developing intraoperative guidance tools, teaching patients and surgical trainees, and producing patient-specific prosthetics in everyday surgical practice.
285 citations
Cites background from "Rapid manufacturing techniques for ..."
...Additionally, 3D printing has helped in making complex diagnoses in forensic medicine (91); reformed anatomy education (92); helped in planning repairs of Charcot’s foot in podiatry (93); permitted the fabrication of custom-made dental implants in dentistry (94–96); produced patient-specific 3D-printed medication in pharmaceutical industry (97, 98); and assembled custom-design tissue scaffolds in regenerative medicine (99, 100)....
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TL;DR: This review covers the rapid evolution and widespread concepts of a bio-"ink" and bioprinted devices and tissues from the past two decades as well as review the various additive manufacturing methods that have been used toward 3D biopprinting of cells and scaffolds with a special look at the benefits and practical considerations for each method.
Abstract: 3D printing is an additive manufacturing (AM) technique that has quickly disrupted traditional design and manufacturing strategies. New structures can be manufactured that could not be fabricated using other methods. These new capabilities are considered by many to hallmark a historic shift representative of a new industrial revolution. Exciting utilities of this evolving technology are the fields of biomedical engineering and translational medicine, particularly in applying three-dimensional (3D) printing toward enabling on-demand fabrication of customized tissue scaffolds and medical device geometries. AM techniques are promising a future where on-demand production of patient-specific living tissues is a reality. In this review, we cover the rapid evolution and widespread concepts of a bio-“ink” and bioprinted devices and tissues from the past two decades as well as review the various additive manufacturing methods that have been used toward 3D bioprinting of cells and scaffolds with a special look at t...
227 citations
Proceedings Article•
22 May 2011TL;DR: In this paper, the authors report on the fabrication of high resolution 3D scaffolds of polylactide-based materials using direct laser writing and explore their use as neural tissue engineering scaffolds.
Abstract: We report on the fabrication of high resolution 3D scaffolds of polylactide-based materials using direct laser writing and we explore their use as neural tissue engineering scaffolds.
156 citations
TL;DR: There is much promise that through collaboration between biologists, engineers and material scientists, 3D bioprinting can make a significant impact on the field of cardiovascular tissue engineering.
Abstract: 3D printing is a technology that allows the fabrication of structures with arbitrary geometries and heterogeneous material properties. The application of this technology to biological structures that match the complexity of native tissue is of great interest to researchers. This mini-review highlights the current progress of 3D printing for fabricating artificial tissues of the cardiovascular system, specifically the myocardium, heart valves, and coronary arteries. In addition, how 3D printed sensors and actuators can play a role in tissue engineering is discussed. To date, all the work with building 3D cardiac tissues have been proof-of-principle demonstrations, and in most cases, yielded products less effective than other traditional tissue engineering strategies. However, this technology is in its infancy and therefore there is much promise that through collaboration between biologists, engineers and material scientists, 3D bioprinting can make a significant impact on the field of cardiovascular tissue engineering.
139 citations
TL;DR: This review will cover current tissue engineering strategies in fabricating heart valves and their progress towards the clinic, including molded scaffolds using naturally derived or synthetic polymers, decellularization, electrospinning, 3D bioprinting, hybrid techniques, and in vivo engineering.
Abstract: Introduction: Heart valve disease is an increasingly prevalent and clinically serious condition. There are no clinically effective biological diagnostics or treatment strategies. The only recourse available is replacement with a prosthetic valve, but the inability of these devices to grow or respond biologically to their environments necessitates multiple resizing surgeries and life-long coagulation treatment, especially in children. Tissue engineering has a unique opportunity to impact heart valve disease by providing a living valve conduit, capable of growth and biological integration.Areas covered: This review will cover current tissue engineering strategies in fabricating heart valves and their progress towards the clinic, including molded scaffolds using naturally derived or synthetic polymers, decellularization, electrospinning, 3D bioprinting, hybrid techniques, and in vivo engineering.Expert opinion: Whereas much progress has been made to create functional living heart valves, a clinically viable ...
122 citations
Cites methods from "Rapid manufacturing techniques for ..."
...More recently, Lueders and colleagues used a selective laser sintering printer to fabricate TEHVs [118]....
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References
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Book•
01 Jan 2009
TL;DR: Gibson et al. as discussed by the authors presented a comprehensive overview of additive manufacturing technologies plus descriptions of support technologies like software systems and post-processing approaches, and provided systematic solutions for process selection and design for AM Additive Manufacturing Technologies: Rapid Prototyping to Direct Digital Manufacturing.
Abstract: Additive Manufacturing Technologies: Rapid Prototyping to Direct Digital Manufacturing deals with various aspects of joining materials to form parts. Additive Manufacturing (AM) is an automated technique for direct conversion of 3D CAD data into physical objects using a variety of approaches. Manufacturers have been using these technologies in order to reduce development cycle times and get their products to the market quicker, more cost effectively, and with added value due to the incorporation of customizable features. Realizing the potential of AM applications, a large number of processes have been developed allowing the use of various materials ranging from plastics to metals for product development. Authors Ian Gibson, David W. Rosen and Brent Stucker explain these issues, as well as: Providing a comprehensive overview of AM technologies plus descriptions of support technologies like software systems and post-processing approaches Discussing the wide variety of new and emerging applications like micro-scale AM, medical applications, direct write electronics and Direct Digital Manufacturing of end-use components Introducing systematic solutions for process selection and design for AM Additive Manufacturing Technologies: Rapid Prototyping to Direct Digital Manufacturing is the perfect book for researchers, students, practicing engineers, entrepreneurs, and manufacturing industry professionals interested in additive manufacturing.
3,087 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors focus on properties of biodegradable polymers which make them ideally suited for orthopedic applications where a permanent implant is not desired, and an overview of biocompatibility and approved devices of particular interest in orthopedics are also covered.
2,526 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the historical development of polyglycolic acid (PGA) and polylactic acid (PLA) polymers and copolymers for use in surgery is set down.
1,326 citations
Book•
11 Feb 2013
TL;DR: Fabricated as mentioned in this paper provides readers with practical and imaginative insights to the question "how will 3D printing technologies change my life?" Based on hundreds of hours of research and dozens of interviews with experts from a broad range of industries, Fabricated offers readers an informative, engaging and fast-paced introduction to 3D printers now and in the future.
Abstract: Fabricated tells the story of 3D printers, humble manufacturing machines that are bursting out of the factory and into homes, businesses, schools, kitchens, hospitals, even the fashion catwalk.The magic happens when you plug a 3D printer into today's mind-boggling digital technologies. Add to that the Internet, tiny, low cost electronic circuitry, radical advances in materials science and biotech and voila! The result is an explosion of technological and social innovation. Fabricatedprovides readers with practical and imaginative insights to the question "how will 3D printing technologies change my life?" Based on hundreds of hours of research and dozens of interviews with experts from a broad range of industries, Fabricated offers readers an informative, engaging and fast-paced introduction to 3D printing now and in the future.Chapters and contentsChapter 1: Everything is becoming sciencefiction.What would "just another regular day" look like in a future, 3D printable world?Chapter 2: A machine that can make almost anything.Information morphed from analog form to digital. Will physical objects be next? Ten key principles explain 3D printing's disruptive power.Chapter 3: Nimble manufacturing. Emerging business models lie somewhere between mass production and the local farmer's market. Small-batch manufacturing is becoming profitable, freeing entrepreneurs from the tyranny imposed by economies of scale.Chapter 4: Tomorrow's economy of printable products. 3D printing, low-cost design and manufacturing technologies create new market opportunities as consumers increasingly crave on-demand, custom "experience" products.Chapter 5: Printing in layers. For those of a technological bent, a deep dive into the inner workings of the 3D printing process.Chapter 6: Design software, the digital canvas. Without an attached computer, a 3D printer is just an elaborate paperweight. An overview of design software and "digital capture."Chapter 7: Bioprinting in "living ink." Design software and 3D printers read medical scans to fabricate living tissue and custom artificial joints. How long before all of us can tap into this Fountain of Youth?Chaper 8: Digital cuisine. Today you can 3D print "high resolution" and delicious shortbread, chocolate figurines and tortillas. In the future, Quantified Selfers and couch potatoes alike will balance their diets by streaming biometrics to a food printer.Chapter 9: A factory in the classroom. Primary and middle school teachers teach "children's engineering" using vivid, hands-on lesson plans.Chapter 10: Unleashing a new aesthetic.3D printers are the output device computer-savvy artists, designers and architects have been waiting for.Chapter 11: Green, clean manufacturing. What's cleaner to make? A 3D printed plastic toy or a mass-produced plastic toy? 3D printers may introduce greener living... or help us drown in a rising tidal wave of plastic junk.Chapter 12: Ownership, safety and legal frontiers. Technology evolves faster than the law. Consumer safety and intellectual property laws will stretch to deal with printed weapons, counterfeit products and unregulated custom-made products. Chapter 13: Designing the future. Why was Star Trek's Replicator used only to make Earl Grey tea? Because once we shape our tools, then our tools shape us. Next-generation design software will unshackle our imaginations, giving us new ways to imagine and edit the physical world. Chapter 14: The next episode of 3D printing.What lies ahead? Watercolor artists create infinite hues by blending primary colors. Regular people will design and blend standard materials -- or micro-scale electronic components -- and "print" them out in fine, meticulously patterned sprays. The result? Weird and wacky new materials. Robots that walk out of the 3D printer. Ready-made, responsive smart materials.
903 citations
"Rapid manufacturing techniques for ..." refers methods in this paper
...Finally, the prototyping process simultaneously provides digital construction data for further use in development and production [52, 63, 64]....
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Book•
02 Oct 2012
TL;DR: Anderson as mentioned in this paper explains how such technologies such as 3D printing and electronics assembly are becoming available to everybody, and how people are building successful businesses as a result, whereas once every aspiring entrepreneur needed the support of a major manufacturer, now anybody with a smart idea and a little expertise can make their ideas a reality.
Abstract: If a country wants to remain economically vibrant, it needs to manufacture things. In recent years, however, many nations have become obsessed with making money out of selling services, leaving the real business of manufacturing to others. "Makers" is about how all that is being reversed. Over the past ten years, the internet has democratised publishing, broadcasting and communications, leading to a massive increase in the range of participation in everything digital - the world of bits. Now the same is happening to manufacturing - the world of things. Chris Anderson, bestselling author of "The Long Tail", explains how this is happening: how such technologies as 3D printing and electronics assembly are becoming available to everybody, and how people are building successful businesses as a result. Whereas once every aspiring entrepreneur needed the support of a major manufacturer, now anybody with a smart idea and a little expertise can make their ideas a reality. Just as Google, Facebook and others have created highly successful companies in the virtual world, so these new inventors and manufacturers are assuming positions of ever greater importance in the real world. The next industrial revolution is on its way.
797 citations
"Rapid manufacturing techniques for ..." refers methods in this paper
...Finally, the prototyping process simultaneously provides digital construction data for further use in development and production [52, 63, 64]....
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