The development of a modular and open-source multi-head 3D bioprinter for fabricating complex structures

Abstract

Various 3D bioprinting techniques have been introduced and developed to fabricate biomimetic constructs based on biomaterials or cell-laden bioinks to create functionally engineered tissues or organs for tissue engineering applications. However, single-biomaterial printing techniques often fail to replicate the intricate compositions and diversity found in native tissues. Multi-bioinks or multi-biomaterials in bioprinting can be utilized through either a single printhead or multiple separate printheads. However, the cost of commercially available multi-heads for bioprinting is prohibitively high, hindering their application in tissue engineering endeavors. Additionally, each bioink or biomaterial possesses unique printing characteristics that are best suited for specific printing techniques. The current study presents the development of a modular and cost-effective dual-head position bioprinter based on an open-source approach using Marlin firmware. The highlighted features of the 3D bioprinter include the use of various power sources such as compressed air and electricity for the printheads, the integration of a movable printhead mechanism with a wiper arm to prevent collisions with large printed samples during printing, a printhead adapter, as well as nozzle kits designed in a modular form for easy replacement for specific bio-applications. Therefore, despite the presence of two positions to mount the printheads, the custom-designed bioprinter exhibits the capability to flexibly accommodate four distinct printhead modules and three modular nozzle kits to print various biomaterials, such as polycaprolactone (PCL) and its composites with sodium alginate (SA), tricalcium phosphate (TCP) and hydrogel mixtures including SA, gelatin (GL), and k-carrageenan (κ-Carr). Complex tissue scaffolds were successfully fabricated using multi-biomaterials to showcase the versatility of the bioprinter, thereby demonstrating its potential for a wide range of tissue engineering applications.