Additive manufacturing potential for medical devices and technology

Additive manufacturing (AM) techniques have been remarkably stirring up the medical fields; especially tissue engineering and implantable medical devices, with the on-demand adjustable fabrication of complex geometries. AM technology has the potential to effectively address the shortage of organ donor supply for transplantations. Personalized implants incorporated with bioactive drugs and cells are the main strategy to repair the defected patient tissues. Despite the substantial recent progress in AM technologies, the perpetual limitations regarding the bioink development and processing conditions hinder the fabrication of live organs. This review introduces most common types of AM technologies, key factors of the printing processes, uses of bioink and existing challenges with recent achievements of AM technologies.