3D bioprinting using hollow multifunctional fiber impedimetric sensors

Abstract

3D bioprinting is an emerging biofabrication process for the production of adherent cell-based products, including engineered tissues and foods. While process innovations are rapidly occurring in the area of process monitoring, which can improve fundamental understanding of process-structure-property relations as well as product quality by closed-loop control techniques, in-line sensing of the bioink composition remains a challenge. Here, we report that hollow multifunctional fibers enable in-line impedimetric sensing of bioink composition and exhibit selectivity for real-time classification of cell type, viability, and state of differentiation during bioprinting. Continuous monitoring of the fiber impedance magnitude and phase angle response from 102 to 106 Hz during microextrusion 3D bioprinting enabled compositional and quality analysis of alginate bioinks that contained fibroblasts, neurons, or mouse embryonic stem cells (mESCs). Fiber impedimetric responses associated with the bioinks that contained differentiated mESCs were consistent with differentiation marker expression characterized by immunocytochemistry. 3D bioprinting through hollow multifunctional fiber impedimetric sensors enabled classification of stem cells as stable or randomly differentiated populations. This work reports an advance in monitoring 3D bioprinting processes in terms of in-line sensor-based bioink compositional analysis using fiber technology and provides a non-invasive sensing platform for achieving future quality-controlled bioprinted tissues and injectable stem-cell therapies.

3D Printing in Fiber-Device Technology

“…This latter metal-core polymer filament was produced by conventional microextrusion under pressure alike typical top-down bioprinting meaning that it is limited to room temperature materials and performances unlike the thermally-drawn fibers reviewed in this publication. Thermally drawn fibers used specifically in bioprinting include impedimetric fiber electrodes to monitor the bioprinted material in terms of cell type, differentiation stage, and survival at the nozzle during the micorextrusion process only [103]. This works shows the multi-faceted uses of fibers as they can be useful at different stages of the bioprinting process.…”

Nano-optoelectrodes Integrated with Flexible Multifunctional Fiber Probes by High-Throughput Scalable Fabrication

“…Two conductive polymer electrodes (conductive polyethylene, CPE) were incorporated into a macroscopic preform via a machining process while the center of the preform remained hollow (Figure a). We then inserted the silica fiber with a polyimide coating into the center orifice, which was then pulled down to converge with the surrounding polymer during the thermal drawing process shown in Figure b. , The optical property of the silica fiber was not altered during the fiber drawing process based on the transmission spectrum measurement before and after drawing (Figure S1). The drawn fibers were cut, bundled, and inserted into an alumina tube and fixed using phenyl salicylate (Figure c­(i)).…”

3D printing of bone and cartilage with polymer materials

“…Custom designed 3D printed microfluidic chip was applied for spatial interaction between organoid and vasculature with a matched co-culture system. Studies have shown that during the co-culture of hESCs and chondrocytes (Chds), morphogenetic factors secreted by chondrocytes can induce hESCs to differentiate into the chondrocyte lineage ( Haring et al, 2020 ).…”