Chapter 8 - 4D and 5D Printing: Healthcare’s New Edge

Abstract

Printing technology has revolutionized access to various applications, broadly healthcare pharmaceutical and aerospace industries. The three-dimensional (3D) printing technology techniques have become a key power tool in different sectors of healthcare. It has grown with latest technology and extended to four-dimensional (4D) and five-dimensional (5D) printing technology. The techniques and methods of 4D and 5D printing overlook the 3D printing technology, which are superior to conventional manufacturing techniques in terms of performance, efficiency, and quality; these may create new products with increased capabilities. 4D and 5D printing have the capability to transform the shape of one object to another. This technology goes one step ahead to design static objects using dynamics and performance capabilities into the material itself. 4D and 5D printing also allow parts to adapt their shape, geometry, and structure, as forces and requirements change, further increasing material efficiency. These technologies can be printed in a manner that allows for customized shape or material changes and can react to specific biological stimuli. 4D and 5D printing has various applications including tissue engineering, self-assembling human-scale biomaterials, design of nanoparticles, and nanorobots for chemotherapy and it is most applicable in the areas of artificial organs and nanotechnology. In this chapter, we provide an overview and idea about technology, concept, and applications of 4D and 5D printing in the healthcare sector.