The Otto H. York Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, New Jersey Institute of Technology Newark College of Engineering, Newark, NJ, USA.
Department of Biomedical Engineering, New Jersey Institute of Technology Newark College of Engineering, Newark, NJ, USA.
SLAS Technol. 2021 Aug;26(4):333-366. doi: 10.1177/24726303211020297. Epub 2021 Jun 17.
Three-dimensional (3D) bioprinting has become mainstream for precise and repeatable high-throughput fabrication of complex cell cultures and tissue constructs in drug testing and regenerative medicine, food products, dental and medical implants, biosensors, and so forth. Due to this tremendous growth in demand, an overwhelming amount of hardware manufacturers have recently flooded the market with different types of low-cost bioprinter models-a price segment that is most affordable to typical-sized laboratories. These machines range in sophistication, type of the underlying printing technology, and possible add-ons/features, which makes the selection process rather daunting (especially for a nonexpert customer). Yet, the review articles available in the literature mostly focus on the technical aspects of the printer technologies under development, as opposed to explaining the differences in what is already on the market. In contrast, this paper provides a snapshot of the fast-evolving low-cost bioprinter niche, as well as reputation profiles (relevant to delivery time, part quality, adherence to specifications, warranty, maintenance, etc.) of the companies selling these machines. Specifically, models spanning three dominant technologies-microextrusion, droplet-based/inkjet, and light-based/crosslinking-are reviewed. Additionally, representative examples of high-end competitors (including up-and-coming microfluidics-based bioprinters) are discussed to highlight their major differences and advantages relative to the low-cost models. Finally, forecasts are made based on the trends observed during this survey, as to the anticipated trickling down of the high-end technologies to the low-cost printers. Overall, this paper provides insight for guiding buyers on a limited budget toward making informed purchasing decisions in this fast-paced market.
三维（3D）生物打印已成为主流，可精确且可重复地制造用于药物测试和再生医学、食品产品、牙科和医疗植入物、生物传感器等领域的高通量复杂细胞培养物和组织构建体。由于需求的巨大增长，最近大量硬件制造商涌入市场，推出了不同类型的低成本生物打印机模型——这是典型规模实验室最负担得起的价格区间。这些机器在复杂性、底层打印技术类型和可能的附加功能/功能方面存在差异，这使得选择过程相当令人生畏（尤其是对于非专家客户而言）。然而，文献中的综述文章主要侧重于开发中的打印机技术的技术方面，而不是解释市场上已有产品的差异。相比之下，本文提供了低成本生物打印机利基市场快速发展的快照，以及销售这些机器的公司的声誉概况（与交货时间、零件质量、符合规格、保修、维护等相关）。具体而言，对三种主要技术（微挤出、基于液滴/喷墨和基于光/交联）的模型进行了审查。此外，还讨论了高端竞争对手（包括新兴的基于微流控的生物打印机）的代表性示例，以突出它们相对于低成本模型的主要差异和优势。最后，根据本调查期间观察到的趋势，对高端技术向低成本打印机的预期渗透做出预测。总体而言，本文为有限预算的买家提供了在这个快速发展的市场中做出明智购买决策的指南。
