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High-resolution projection-based 3D bioprinting

Nature Reviews Bioengineering (2024)Cite this article

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Abstract

Projection-based 3D printing is a vat polymerization printing method that works by generating bitmaps as dynamic masks to project onto a photosensitive material surface for layer-by-layer curing. Projection-based 3D printing has the highest resolution/time for manufacturing ratio among all 3D printing technologies; however, projection-based 3D bioprinting, which uses bioinks as printing materials that contain cells and/or biomolecules, suffers from low printing resolution, with a substantial gap between the theoretical and the actual resolution. In this Review, we summarize the steps and challenges to achieve high-resolution projection-based 3D bioprinting and provide pragmatic optimization strategies for tissue engineering and regenerative medicine applications.

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Fig. 1: Projection-based 3D printing resolutions and configurations.
Fig. 2: Step 1: constructing a precision light field.
Fig. 3: Step 2: bioinks response to light field.
Fig. 4: Step 3: maintaining mechanical equilibrium.

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Acknowledgements

The authors acknowledge support from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (grant numbers: 52235007, T2121004 and 52325504).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. State Key Laboratory of Fluid Power and Mechatronic Systems, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China

    Chao-Fan He, Tian-Hong Qiao, Yuan Sun & Yong He

  2. Key Laboratory of 3D Printing Process and Equipment of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China

    Chao-Fan He, Tian-Hong Qiao, Yuan Sun & Yong He

  3. School of Mechanical Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China

    Chao-Fan He, Tian-Hong Qiao, Yuan Sun & Yong He

  4. School of Mechanical Engineering, Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, Hangzhou, China

    Guang-Hao Wang

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C.-F.H. and T.-H.Q. researched data for the article. All authors contributed substantially to discussion of the content, wrote the article and reviewed and/or edited the manuscript before submission.

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He, CF., Qiao, TH., Wang, GH. et al. High-resolution projection-based 3D bioprinting. Nat Rev Bioeng (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s44222-024-00218-w

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