Prelude

3D Printing, also known as Additive manufacturing is a computer controlled process of manufacturing, in which materials of manufacture are used to form deposited layer in order to form a three dimensional object.

Typically a basic Inkjet printer can be used that has its ink cartridges filled with the materials for manufacturing, and the materials are deposited through nozzles of the printer, layer by layer to form a three dimensional object.

The blueprint or geometry data of the object is provided by the three dimensional modelling analysis of the object and stored in digital files, such as CAD files.

The technology of 3D printing invented in 1980’s has been successfully used in engineering and arts, wherein the technology has resulted in reduction of time and cost.

The technology mainly evolved in the type of printers used from desktop printers to complex industry machines.

The technology of 3D printing became popular in medical application in early 2000, where it was used to produce cost effective prosthetics and implants in a very short period of time. At the same time, the 3D printing technologies were also investigated for printing living cells for producing tissues and organs. The first patent covering printing living cells was filled in 2003 disclosing the printing of living cells using a desktop printer.

Bioprinting Process

Step 01 — Pre-processing

3D modelling
Biological blueprint is created via computer-aided design of target tissue or organs.

 

Step 02 — Pre-processing

Bio-ink
Bio-ink is produced from living cells culture and optionally hydrogel or collagen.

 

Step 03 — Processing

Ink cartridge
The Bio-ink is loaded into the cartridges of the 3D-printer.

 

Step 04 — Processing

3D-Printing
Print heads, driven by computer software and executing their programmed designs, deposit patterned cell aggregates in precise layers.

 

Step 05 — Processing

Incubation
Bio-ink spheroids fuse together without outside interference in order to form the desired three-dimensional structure.

 

Step 06 — Post-processing

Maturation
Tissue is removed from the printer and placed in a wet environment, where it is left to mature and grow.

 

Step 07 — Post-processing

Accelerated Maturation
Accelerated tissue maturation is compounded by necessary mechanical and chemical conditioning of the bio-printed product.

 

Step 08 — Post-processing

Tissue or Organ
The tissue or organ is now ready for use as a transplant or research material.

 

Technology Evolution

 

1983

Chuck Hull invented the first 3D printing process called “stereolithography”.

 

1992

3D Systems (founded by Chuck Hull) introduced the first 3D printer, “Stereolithographic Apparatus (SLA)”.

 

1999

First 3D printed organ, a Bladder made by Dr. Anthony Atala.

 

2000

Thomas Boland and his team reconfigured a Hewlett-Packard DeskJet 550C to print with E. coli bacteria.

 

2001

Dr. Atala transplanted the bladder made from the patient’s own cells.

 

2003

Thomas Boland filed a patent for inkjet printing of living cells.

 

2004
First patent application for NovoGen™ bioprinting platform filed by Organovo, Missouri University of Science & Technology, Missouri.

2009
Organovo & Invotech develop first commercially viable 3D Bioprinter; Organovo bioprints the first blood vessel.

2012
Wake Forest Institute created hybrid 3D printer for creating cartilage, organ & tissue; develop 3D bioprinting software.

2015
Sichuan Revotek launched 3D bioprinter, a cloud computing platform, and stem cell bio-ink technology called Biosyn... which offers patient-specific bioprinting for stem cells.

2016
Wyss Institute and Harvard SEAS team build a thick vascularized tissue structure comprising human stem cells, connective matrix, and blood vessel endothelial cells.

2017
Organovo Presents New Preclinical Data on 3D Bioprinted Human Liver Tissues at World Advanced Therapies and Regenerative Medicine Congress.

Conclusion

3D bioprinting has evolved from a technology primarily used for engineering and manufacturing into a promising tool for medicine and regenerative healthcare. The development of computer-aided modelling, bio-inks, specialized bioprinters, and tissue maturation techniques has made it possible to create increasingly complex tissues and organ structures using living cells. The progress from early stereolithography in the 1980s to vascularized tissues and bioprinted human liver tissues demonstrates the rapid advancement of this field.

Although challenges such as vascularization, tissue maturation, long-term functionality, safety, and regulatory approval remain, continued research is bringing bioprinted tissues and organs closer to clinical application. In the future, 3D bioprinting could potentially enable patient-specific tissues and organs, reduce dependence on organ donors, improve drug testing, and transform regenerative medicine. Overall, 3D bioprinting represents a significant convergence of technology, biology, and medicine with the potential to reshape the future of healthcare.