Chapter 13 - 3D printing in tissue engineering: design of bioreactor systems

Abstract

In recent decades, bioreactor systems have been widely used in many fields of research such as pharmaceutics, biology, chemistry, and biomedicine. Focusing on biological applications, bioreactor systems are conventionally used to guide and support the development of in vitro tissues, thus to study the behavior of tissues in physiological or pathological conditions. To achieve this aim, components with complex geometries must be conceived, but limits to using conventional manufacturing methods are still present. 3D printing technology solves this issue by allowing the manufacture of custom-designed complex parts in a simple, fast, and low-cost manner. Several printing methods and materials are currently used. The right combination depends on the resolution, accuracy, and reproducibility needed for your applications, while always considering biocompatibility and biodegradability as fundamental properties. This chapter explores the state of the art of 3D printing in tissue engineering, with a specific focus on bioreactor systems. Several 3D-printed bioreactor systems/components have demonstrated improved biological performances for in vitro tissue cultures. To highlight these benefits, a series of examples are provided.