Abstract
Recent advances in 3D printing technologies and materials have enabled rapid development of innovative sensors for applications in different aspects of human life. Various 3D printing technologies have been adopted to fabricate biosensors or some of their components thanks to the advantages of these methodologies over the traditional ones, such as end-user customization and rapid prototyping. In this review, the works published in the last two years on 3D-printed biosensors are considered and grouped on the basis of the 3D printing technologies applied in different fields of application, highlighting the main analytical parameters. In the first part, 3D methods are discussed, after which the principal achievements and promising aspects obtained with the 3D-printed sensors are reported. An overview of the recent developments on this current topic is provided, as established by the considered works in this multidisciplinary field. Finally, future challenges on the improvement and innovation of the 3D printing technologies utilized for biosensors production are discussed.
Highlights
Three-dimensional (3D) printing was born in 1986, with the publication of ChuckHull’s patent [1], who invented stereolithography; from here it has evolved and differentiated, with the introduction of new printing techniques and numerous materials with different characteristics
We grouped publications used to fabricate biosensors or the parts of a biosensor, the material used for printing, the on the basis of the 3D printing technology used in the biosensor preparation and we discuss them as a function of the application field
In the last two years, all these Material extrusion extrusion (ME) 3D printing technologies have been used for biosensors or, at least, some of their components have been fabricated with applications in electrochemistry studies, from bioelectronics applied to medical purposes [67] to environmental monitoring [68] and food safety assessment [69]
Summary
Hull’s patent [1], who invented stereolithography; from here it has evolved and differentiated, with the introduction of new printing techniques and numerous materials with different characteristics. File is created from the digital data and allows for the conversion of the object of interest into thinly sliced horizontal cross sections for the successive printing processes based on a layer-by-layer deposition of material [5]. 3D printing is considered one of the most potent opportunities for the manufacture of complex geometries with high precision, rapid prototyping, cost and material savings, flexibility in making object modifications, and personal customization [6]. Directed energy deposition (DED): refers to an AM technique known by other names such as laser-engineered net shaping (LENS), direct metal deposition (DMD), electron beam additive manufacturing (EBAM), directed light fabrication, and 3D laser cladding, where thermal energy is used to melt the raw materials in layer-by-layer fashion.
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