Advances in 3D bioprinting have yielded new materials for regenerative medicine, such as scaffolds for cell The new 3D printing process uses a polymer-based hydrogel in which particles have been manipulated to create a self-healing gel. Source: University of BirminghamThe new 3D printing process uses a polymer-based hydrogel in which particles have been manipulated to create a self-healing gel. Source: University of Birminghamgrowth and replacement tissues. However, the low viscosity of the biopolymer hydrogels used for these applications often results in materials that sag and cannot maintain their desired shape. A new approach based on a polymer hydrogel overcomes this drawback by yielding a self-healing material that maintains its elastic properties.

The Suspended Layer Additive Manufacturing (SLAM) technique devised by researchers from the U.K.’s University of Huddersfield and University of Birmingham produces gel microparticles that can be combined with fluids or additional gels to form strong polymer networks.

The embedded particles can be twisted and otherwise manipulated to induce separation but some measure of linkage between them remains to provide self-healing properties. Soft biomaterials can be printed with two or more different materials and without sagging. These physical characteristics can also support the 3D printing of complex tissue structures, such as heart valves or blood vessels.

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