Polylactides in additive biomanufacturing.

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Manufacturing Engineering
• Regenerative Medicine

Background:

• Additive biomanufacturing, encompassing bioprinting, utilizes advanced technologies to fabricate diverse products like medical devices and tissue scaffolds.
• Bioprinting involves 3D printing of cells, extracellular matrix, and biomaterials (bioinks) to create in vitro/in vivo tissue analogues.
• The additive manufacturing (AM) industry offers valuable insights for advancing additive biomanufacturing.

Purpose of the Study:

• To provide an overview of additive manufacturing (AM) and its industry/academic efforts.
• To discuss poly(lactides) as a biomaterial for additive biomanufacturing.
• To identify and discuss challenges in additive biomanufacturing.

Main Methods:

• Review of additive manufacturing technologies and their applications.
• Discussion of poly(lactides) as a biomaterial choice.
• Analysis of challenges in biomaterials, CAD/CAM, printer hardware, and system integration.

Main Results:

• Additive manufacturing offers a foundation for advanced biomanufacturing.
• Poly(lactides) present specific considerations as biomaterials.
• Key challenges identified include biomaterial selection, design and manufacturing processes, printer hardware, and system integration.

Conclusions:

• Additive biomanufacturing holds significant potential for medical applications.
• Addressing identified challenges is crucial for the field's advancement.
• Further research and development are needed to realize the full outlook of additive biomanufacturing.