4D bioprinting involves changing the shape of an implant that has already been printed, Fedor Senov, REC director of NUST MISIS Biomedical Engineering, told socialbites.ca.
“We are actively developing the field of smart materials to get closer to 4D printing. They are materials that can change any of their properties in a controlled manner under the influence of an external factor. For example, the most common are shape memory materials. Respiratory stents for dogs were placed in the larynx in a compressed form, and from the warmth of the dog’s body the implant opened, taking a different, desired shape, ”the socialbites.ca interlocutor said.
According to him, there are also substances that react to light, electromagnetic radiation, changes in acidity and humidity.
“We are mainly concerned with form change. This is required for minimally invasive implant placement. But all of this is still far from the laboratory and application level,” he said.
Learn more about what a bioimplant is, why it can be considered live, and how you can print skin directly on a person. material “socialbites.ca”.