3D Printing in Biomedical Device Development

Engineers can print a child’s airway splint inside a jar of gel. No supports. No extra plastic to prop it up. They drew it in open space and the gel held the shape until it set. For years, 3D printing has had one constant problem: gravity. Print an overhang and it sags. Print a bridge and it droops. So we add supports, then snap them off and throw them away. Printing inside a yield-stress gel flips that. What standard printing forces you to do: ↳ Build layer by layer on a flat bed ↳ Spend 30–50% extra material on supports ↳ Avoid complex internal channels ↳ Watch soft materials slump under their own weight What gel printing allows: ↳ Print upward, sideways, even in midair ↳ Skip supports entirely ↳ Make branches, knots, and enclosed paths ↳ Keep delicate bioinks suspended until they solidify The best example is the one that matters most. A child who needs a custom airway splint doesn’t have to accept a simplified design “because the printer can’t do it.” Surgeons can match the patient’s CT scan—curves, branches, everything. The gel holds each turn while the material sets, then rinses away with water. The same method is making soft robotic tentacles with internal fluid channels, bio-inspired grippers, and vessel-like networks for lab-grown tissue. Where it goes first: ↳ Patient-specific implants that fit the body exactly ↳ Soft robots with shapes you couldn’t print before ↳ Aerospace parts once the materials clear certification Medicine leads because each part can be worth $10,000+. And the real change isn’t a new printer. It’s a new rule set. We’ve been designing for “down.” Now we can design for the shape we actually need. __________ Inspired by: Brunel et al. (2024), Advanced Healthcare Materials, on embedded 3D bioprinting of collagen in microgel baths — and related work in support‑bath printing, soft robotics, and patient‑specific implants.

Researchers have successfully 3D printed a cornea to restore sight. Scientists at Pohang University of Science and Technology and Kyungpook National University have achieved a major milestone in regenerative medicine by 3D printing an artificial cornea. Using a specialized "bioink" derived from decellularized corneal stroma and stem cells, the team successfully replicated the complex collagen lattice essential for human vision. Unlike previous attempts with synthetic materials, this bioprinted tissue maintains the exact transparency and flexibility required for the eye to function naturally, offering a potential solution for the global shortage of donor corneas. The success of this innovation lies in the team's ability to regulate "shear stress" during the printing process. This technique allows for the precise alignment of collagen fibrils, mimicking the native architectural pattern of a human cornea—a feat previously thought impossible. By creating a biocompatible environment that supports cellular growth and optical clarity, this research marks a significant leap forward in bioengineering. This development could eventually reduce the risk of transplant rejection and provide millions of patients with a life-changing alternative to traditional grafts. source: Kim, J. H., Kim, K. W., Yun, J. W., & Cho, D. W. Shear-induced alignment of collagen fibrils using 3D cell printing for corneal stroma tissue engineering. Biofabrication.

Researchers developed a hybrid bioprinting platform—the Hybprinter—that combines molten material extrusion for rigid polymers like PCL with DLP bioprinting for soft, cell-laden hydrogels. This approach enables continuous fabrication of multi-material constructs that are both mechanically strong and biologically active. For example, rigid bone-like scaffolds infused with soft, cell-supportive hydrogels. Compared to hydrogel-only prints, the hybrid structures achieved a 1000× increase in mechanical strength and could even be sutured, bridging the gap between lab-printed tissues and surgical handling. The researchers used GelMA for their DLP-printed hydrogel components, but other photocrosslinkable materials such as CollPlant’s methacrylated recombinant type I human collagen could be explored for similar applications. Read the full publication: https://lnkd.in/ggPsJG2v #3dbioprinting #tissueengineering #cellculture

3D-Printed Skull Implants Are Redefining What “Life-Saving Surgery” Means Overview This Men’s Health feature profiles Greg Morrison, a 63-year-old systems engineer whose life was saved after nearly half of his skull was replaced with a custom 3D-printed implant. Following multiple brain bleeds and surgeries, traditional reconstruction methods failed, forcing doctors to turn to advanced additive manufacturing to protect his brain and restore normal function. The Medical Challenge Morrison suffered a brain bleed linked to blood-thinning medication, requiring emergency surgery to remove part of his skull and relieve pressure. Subsequent complications, including an unrelated brain tumor and repeated surgeries, prevented the skull bones from healing or fusing. The damaged skull began collapsing inward, screws loosened, and Morrison faced severe risk from infection or even minor head trauma. Conventional mesh implants could not restore the skull’s complex shape. The Breakthrough Solution Neurosurgeon Dr. Nitesh Patel proposed a patient-specific, 3D-printed skull implant based on detailed CT scans. A specialized company created a precise digital model and fabricated the implant from a medical-grade polymer engineered to mimic the strength and properties of natural bone. The implant was surgically fixed in place, fitting seamlessly with Morrison’s existing skull structure. Outcome and Impact Morrison recovered without complications and quickly returned to an active, productive life. The implant is undetectable externally, restores full protection to the brain, and requires no ongoing maintenance. According to Dr. Patel, similar implants are already being used for patients with tumors, traumatic injuries, and infections that compromise skull integrity. Why This Matters This case illustrates how 3D printing is moving from experimental novelty to frontline clinical tool. Custom implants enable precision reconstruction that traditional approaches cannot achieve, reducing risk, improving outcomes, and accelerating recovery. As the technology expands into joints, heart valves, and inner-ear structures, personalized, digitally designed anatomy is becoming a core pillar of next-generation medicine. Keith King https://lnkd.in/gHPvUttw

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐚 𝐨𝐟 𝟑𝐃 𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐛𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐟𝐥𝐢𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐝 𝐨𝐧 𝐢𝐭𝐬 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐝. Instead of printing metal, a team of scientists in Switzerland grew it from a gel – and the result is 20x stronger than previous methods. Using a water-based hydrogel as a scaffold, researchers at EPFL (École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne) created complex structures that can be infused with metal salts. After several rounds of soaking and heating, the gel vanishes – leaving behind dense, ultra-strong metal or ceramic. Traditional metal 3D printing often results in porous structures with serious shrinkage. This new method dramatically reduces those flaws, producing durable, precisely shaped components with only 20% shrinkage. It also opens the door to building with a wide range of materials – the same gel template can be used to grow iron, silver, copper, or even advanced composites. The technique could revolutionize how we make complex, high-performance parts for energy systems, biomedical devices, and next-gen electronics. It’s also a shift in mindset: rather than designing around the limits of printing materials, this approach lets researchers build first, and choose the material later. The team is already working on automating the process, aiming to bring this breakthrough into real-world manufacturing. Read the study "𝐻𝑦𝑑𝑟𝑜𝑔𝑒𝑙‐𝐵𝑎𝑠𝑒𝑑 𝑉𝑎𝑡 𝑃ℎ𝑜𝑡𝑜𝑝𝑜𝑙𝑦𝑚𝑒𝑟𝑖𝑧𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑜𝑓 𝐶𝑒𝑟𝑎𝑚𝑖𝑐𝑠 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑀𝑒𝑡𝑎𝑙𝑠 𝑤𝑖𝑡ℎ 𝐿𝑜𝑤 𝑆ℎ𝑟𝑖𝑛𝑘𝑎𝑔𝑒𝑠 𝑣𝑖𝑎 𝑅𝑒𝑝𝑒𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑑 𝐼𝑛𝑓𝑢𝑠𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑃𝑟𝑒𝑐𝑖𝑝𝑖𝑡𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛." 𝐴𝑑𝑣𝑎𝑛𝑐𝑒𝑑 𝑀𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑖𝑎𝑙𝑠, 2025 https://lnkd.in/eian6kVx

🔬 A New Era in Medicine: First-Ever 3D-Printed Windpipe Implanted in Cancer Survivor In a groundbreaking medical achievement, South Korean scientists have successfully implanted a 3D-printed trachea (windpipe) into a patient — marking a world-first and redefining the future of regenerative medicine. The patient, a woman who had lost a part of her windpipe due to thyroid cancer surgery, became the recipient of this bioengineered miracle. The artificial trachea was developed using bio-ink composed of the patient's own living cells — including cartilage and mucosal cells — combined with a biodegradable polymer scaffold (PCL). This scaffold not only provided mechanical strength but also allowed the body to regenerate its own tissue around it. What makes this even more astonishing? ✅ No immunosuppressants were needed. Since the trachea was built from the patient’s own cells, her body accepted it naturally. ✅ Healthy blood vessels formed within 6 months, a critical sign of integration and healing. ✅ The patient regained normal function without the usual complications of transplant rejection. Led by Seoul St. Mary’s Hospital and T&R Biofab, this achievement is being hailed as a major milestone in personalized medicine and bioprinting technology. The future is no longer dependent solely on donors — it's now being printed, cell by cell. This opens the door for the possibility of 3D-printed lungs, kidneys, even hearts — tailored for the individual, reducing waitlists, and eliminating the risk of rejection. We are witnessing the dawn of a medical revolution where organs won’t just be donated… they’ll be designed. #RegenerativeMedicine #3DPrinting #HealthcareInnovation #Biotech #FutureOfMedicine #MedicalBreakthrough #OrganTransplant 🪻Ram Sharma 🪻

South Korea printed living skin with blood vessels — that grafts perfectly onto burn victims 🩹 South Korean bioengineers at POSTECH have 3D-printed functional human skin complete with working blood vessels, sweat glands, and hair follicles. The bioprinted skin integrates seamlessly with patients' own tissue, representing the holy grail of regenerative medicine for burn victims and trauma patients. The technology layers living cells in bioink: Keratinocytes form the protective outer layer Fibroblasts create connective tissue Endothelial cells form capillaries Melanocytes provide pigmentation Most remarkably, the printed blood vessels connect with the patient's circulatory system within 48 hours, ensuring the grafted skin receives nutrients and stays alive. Traditional skin grafts often fail due to poor vascularization — this solves that fundamental problem. Clinical trials show: 95% graft survival rate Faster healing than conventional grafts Natural appearance and function Reduced scarring For 180,000 annual burn deaths globally and millions more with severe scarring, this technology offers hope for complete restoration. The next frontier: printing skin with nerve endings for full sensation recovery. Source: POSTECH Department of Bioengineering, Science Translational Medicine 2025 #RegenerativeMedicine #3DPrinting #SouthKorea #BurnTreatment #Biotechnology #TissueEngineering #MedicalInnovation #SkinGrafts #Bioprinting #FutureMedicine #drkevinramdhun

Time to change our viewpoint on how #3Dprinting and #bioprinting are performed! I am incredibly proud that our work on Generative, Adaptive and Context-Aware Volumetric Printing (GRACE) is now online! The work brings together years of efforts from the lab, and it was spearheaded by Sammy Florczak, who developed the key hardware and software to make GRACE a reality! Check the paper, now published in Nature Nature Portfolio: https://lnkd.in/eVbnShVr We set out to change the workflow of #additivemanufacturing taking advantage of the power of #light. While usually printers build an object following a design fully pre-determined by the user, GRACE uses information about the printable materials to automatically design the printed part. The goal? Prints that conform to the content of the printable material. For example, when printing an hydrogel containing living organoids and cellular structures, the printer can precisely generate design to encapsulate the cells, or to provide them with vascular channels, for perfusion and improved cell viability. We first demonstrated GRACE with #volumetric #tomographic light-based 3D printing, which offers extremely fast printing times (seconds to build multi-centimeter objects). GRACE has powerful applications also in automating multi-material 3D printing, building mechanical joints, and overprinting (printing onto existing, previously produced parts). Moreover, GRACE is equipped with a routine to correct for shadowing, light-blocking elements within the printing vat, thanks to which we demonstrated bioprinting across stent-like cages, and other structures made from opaque materials. Check the paper out, it is available fully #openaccess for everybody to read. Please do remember to check out the Supplementary Files, a lot information is actually in there, including information on the components we used to build our low-cost lightsheet imager. We envision this technology will be of major interest for everybody in the #bioprinting and #3Dprinting community. While extremely innovative, the work on GRACE is just the beginning, and many more ground breaking developments for the field of bioprinting are now opening up, starting from this first proof of concept! Exciting times ahead! A big shout out to all the Levato lab team involved in this work: Gabriel Groessbacher Davide Ribezzi Alessia Longoni Marième Gueye Estee Grandidier Jos Malda and all the colleagues from the #biofabrication and #volumetric additive manufacturing community. Thanks to the funding and support to curiosity-driven research from the European Research Council (ERC) #ERCStg (VOLUME-BIO, 949806), which made possible for us to pursue this work, and thanks to NWO (Dutch Research Council) (Vidi 20387), and the Materials-Driven Regeneration Gravitation program. Springer Nature #computervision International Society for Biofabrication Regenerative Medicine Utrecht Faculty of Veterinary Medicine (Utrecht University) UMC Utrecht

Israeli researchers have achieved a groundbreaking medical milestone — they’ve 3D-printed a living, beating human heart using the patient’s own cells. Created at Tel Aviv University, this tiny heart (about the size of a rabbit’s) includes real blood vessels, chambers, and functioning tissue. It even contracts and pumps fluid on its own. The process involves turning fat cells into stem cells and then forming them into cardiac tissue. Although still small, this breakthrough proves that creating lab-grown organs is no longer just science fiction. The long-term vision is to print full-sized human hearts for transplant — perfectly matched to each patient, with no risk of rejection. This technology could one day end the global organ shortage and transform the future of regenerative medicine. A future where patients don’t wait years for a donor… they simply get a new heart printed from their own cells.