La bioimpresión 3D sigue estudiándose y evolucionando como una herramienta en el ámbito de la medicina personalizada. En esta línea, un equipo de investigadores de la Universidad McMaster, en Ontario, ha desarrollado una nueva biotinta que replica la

Human organs could be bioprinted for transplants within 10 years, according to Lithuanian startup Vital3D. But before reaching human hearts and kidneys, the company is starting with something simpler: regenerating dog skin. Based in Vilnius, Vital3D is already bioprinting functional tissue constructs. Using a proprietary laser system, the startup deposits living cells and biomaterials in precise 3D patterns. The structures mimic natural biological systems — and could one day form entire organs tailored to a patient’s unique anatomy. That mission is both professional and personal for CEO Vidmantas Šakalys. After losing a mentor to urinary cancer, he set out to develop 3D-printed kidneys that could save others from the same fate. But before reaching that goal, the company needs a commercial product to fund the long road ahead. That product is VitalHeal — the first-ever bioprinted wound patch for pets. Dogs are the initial target, with human applications slated to follow. Šakalys calls the patch “a first step” towards bioprinted kidneys. “Printing organs for transplantation is a really challenging task,” he tells TNW after a tour of his lab. “It’s 10 or 15 years away from now, and as a commercial entity, we need to have commercially available products earlier. So we start with simpler products and then move into more difficult ones.” Register Now The path may be simpler, but the technology is anything but. Bioprinting goes to the vet VitalHeal is embedded with growth factors that accelerate skin regeneration. Across the patch’s surface, tiny pores about one-fifth the width of a human hair enable air circulation while blocking bacteria. Once applied, VitalHeal seals the wound and maintains constant pressure while the growth factors get to work. According to Vital3D, the patch can reduce healing time from 10–12 weeks to just four to six. Infection risk can drop from 30% to under 10%, vet visits from eight to two or three, and surgery times by half. Current treatments, the startup argues, can be costly, ineffective, and distressing for animals. VitalHeal is designed to provide a safer, faster, and cheaper alternative. Vital3D says the market is big — and the data backs up the claim. Vital3D’s FemtoBrush system promises high-speed and high-precision bioprinting. Credit: Vital3D Commercial prospects The global animal wound care market is projected to grow from $1.4bn (€1.24bn) in 2024 to $2.1bn (€1.87bn) by 2030, fuelled by rising pet ownership and demand for advanced veterinary care. Vital3D forecasts an initial serviceable addressable market (ISAM) of €76.5mn across the EU and US. By 2027-2028, the company aims to sell 100,000 units. Dogs are a logical starting point. Their size, activity levels, and surgeries raise their risk of wounds. Around half of dogs over age 10 are also affected by cancer, further increasing demand for effective wound care. At €300 retail (or €150 wholesale), the patches won’t be cheap. But Vital3D claims they could slash treatment costs for pet owners from €3,000 to €1,500. Production at scale is expected to bring prices down further.  After strong results in rats, trials on dogs will begin this summer in clinics in Lithuania and the UK — Vital3D’s pilot markets. If all goes to plan, a non-degradable patch will launch in Europe next year. The company will then progress to a biodegradable version. From there, the company plans to adapt the tech for humans. The initial focus will be wound care for people with diabetes, 25% of whom suffer from impaired healing. Future versions could support burn victims, injured soldiers, and others in need of advanced skin restoration. Freshly printed fluids in a bio-ink droplet. Credit: Vital3D Vital3D is also exploring other medical frontiers. In partnership with Lithuania’s National Cancer Institute, the startup is building organoids — mini versions of organs — for cancer drug testing. Another project involves bioprinted stents, which are showing promise in early animal trials. But all these efforts serve a bigger mission. “Our final target is to move to organ printing for transplants,” says Šakalys. Bioprinting organs A computer engineer by training, Šakalys has worked with photonic innovations for over 10 years.  At his previous startup, Femtika, he harnessed lasers to produce tiny components for microelectronics, medical devices, and aerospace engineering. He realised they could also enable precise bioprinting.  In 2021, he co-founded Vital3D to advance the concept. The company’s printing system directs light towards a photosensitive bio-ink. The material is hardened and formed into a structure, with living cells and biomaterials moulded into intricate 3D patterns. The shape of the laser beam can be adjusted to replicate complex biological forms — potentially even entire organs. But there are still major scientific hurdles to overcome. One is vascularisation, the formation of blood vessels in intricate networks. Another is the diverse variety of cell types in many organs. Replicating these sophisticated natural structures will be challenging. “First of all, we want to solve the vasculature. Then we will go into the differentiation of cells,” Šakalys says. “Our target is to see if we can print from fewer cells, but try to differentiate them while printing into different types of cells.”  If successful, Vital3D could help ease the global shortage of transplantable organs. Fewer than 10% of patients who need a transplant receive one each year, according to the World Health Organisation. In the US alone, around 90,000 people are waiting for a kidney — a shortfall that’s fuelling a thriving black market. Šakalys believes that could be just the start. He envisions bioprinting not just creating organs, but also advancing a new era of personalised medicine. “It can bring a lot of benefits to society,” he says. “Not just bioprinting for transplants, but also tissue engineering as well.” Want to discover the next big thing in tech? Then take a trip to TNW Conference, where thousands of founders, investors, and corporate innovators will share their ideas. The event takes place on June 19–20 in Amsterdam and tickets are on sale now. Use the code TNWXMEDIA2025 at the checkout to get 30% off. Story by Thomas Macaulay Managing editor Thomas is the managing editor of TNW. He leads our coverage of European tech and oversees our talented team of writers. Away from work, he e (show all) Thomas is the managing editor of TNW. He leads our coverage of European tech and oversees our talented team of writers. Away from work, he enjoys playing chess (badly) and the guitar (even worse). 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New print jobs How 3D printing is personalizing health care Prosthetics are becoming increasing affordable and accessible thanks to 3D printers. Anne Schmitz and Daniel Freedman, The Conversation – May 20, 2025 5:43 pm | 20 German Chancellor Olaf Scholz shakes hands with the prosthetic hand of a worker of the German med-tech company Ottobock. Credit: JOHN MACDOUGALL/AFP via Getty Images German Chancellor Olaf Scholz shakes hands with the prosthetic hand of a worker of the German med-tech company Ottobock. Credit: JOHN MACDOUGALL/AFP via Getty Images Story text Size Small Standard Large Width * Standard Wide Links Standard Orange * Subscribers only   Learn more Three-dimensional printing is transforming medical care, letting the health care field shift from mass-produced solutions to customized treatments tailored to each patient’s needs. For instance, researchers are developing 3D-printed prosthetic hands specifically designed for children, made with lightweight materials and adaptable control systems. These continuing advancements in 3D-printed prosthetics demonstrate their increasing affordability and accessibility. Success stories like this one in personalized prosthetics highlight the benefits of 3D printing, in which a model of an object produced with computer-aided design software is transferred to a 3D printer and constructed layer by layer. We are a biomedical engineer and a chemist who work with 3D printing. We study how this rapidly evolving technology provides new options not just for prosthetics but for implants, surgical planning, drug manufacturing, and other health care needs. The ability of 3D printing to make precisely shaped objects in a wide range of materials has led to, for example, custom replacement joints and custom-dosage, multidrug pills. Better body parts Three-dimensional printing in health care started in the 1980s with scientists using technologies such as stereolithography to create prototypes layer by layer. Stereolithography uses a computer-controlled laser beam to solidify a liquid material into specific 3D shapes. The medical field quickly saw the potential of this technology to create implants and prosthetics designed specifically for each patient. One of the first applications was creating tissue scaffolds, which are structures that support cell growth. Researchers at Boston Children’s Hospital combined these scaffolds with patients’ own cells to build replacement bladders. The patients remained healthy for years after receiving their implants, demonstrating that 3D-printed structures could become durable body parts. As technology progressed, the focus shifted to bioprinting, which uses living cells to create working anatomical structures. In 2013, Organovo created the world’s first 3D-bioprinted liver tissue, opening up exciting possibilities for creating organs and tissues for transplantation. But while significant advances have been made in bioprinting, creating full, functional organs such as livers for transplantation remains experimental. Current research focuses on developing smaller, simpler tissues and refining bioprinting techniques to improve cell viability and functionality. These efforts aim to bridge the gap between laboratory success and clinical application, with the ultimate goal of providing viable organ replacements for patients in need. Three-dimensional printing already has revolutionized the creation of prosthetics. It allows prosthetics makers to produce affordable custom-made devices that fit the patient perfectly. They can tailor prosthetic hands and limbs to each individual and easily replace them as a child grows. Three-dimensionally printed implants, such as hip replacements and spine implants, offer a more precise fit, which can improve how well they integrate with the body. Traditional implants often come only in standard shapes and sizes. Some patients have received custom titanium facial implants after accidents. Others had portions of their skulls replaced with 3D-printed implants. Additionally, 3D printing is making significant strides in dentistry. Companies such as Invisalign use 3D printing to create custom-fit aligners for teeth straightening, demonstrating the ability to personalize dental care. Scientists are also exploring new materials for 3D printing, such as self-healing bioglass that might replace damaged cartilage. Moreover, researchers are developing 4D printing, which creates objects that can change shape over time, potentially leading to medical devices that can adapt to the body’s needs. For example, researchers are working on 3D-printed stents that can respond to changes in blood flow. These stents are designed to expand or contract as needed, reducing the risk of blockage and improving long-term patient outcomes. Simulating surgeries Three-dimensionally printed anatomical models often help surgeons understand complex cases and improve surgical outcomes. These models, created from medical images such as X-rays and CT scans, allow surgeons to practice procedures before operating. For instance, a 3D-printed model of a child’s heart enables surgeons to simulate complex surgeries. This approach can lead to shorter operating times, fewer complications, and lower costs. Personalized pharmaceuticals In the pharmaceutical industry, drugmakers can three-dimensionally print personalized drug dosages and delivery systems. The ability to precisely layer each component of a drug means that they can make medicines with the exact dose needed for each patient. The 3D-printed anti-epileptic drug Spritam was approved by the Food and Drug Administration in 2015 to deliver very high dosages of its active ingredient. Drug production systems that use 3D printing are finding homes outside pharmaceutical factories. The drugs potentially can be made and delivered by community pharmacies. Hospitals are starting to use 3D printing to make medicine on-site, allowing for personalized treatment plans based on factors such as the patient’s age and health. However, it’s important to note that regulations for 3D-printed drugs are still being developed. One concern is that postprinting processing may affect the stability of drug ingredients. It’s also important to establish clear guidelines and decide where 3D printing should take place – whether in pharmacies, hospitals or even at home. Additionally, pharmacists will need rigorous training in these new systems. Printing for the future Despite the extraordinarily rapid progress overall in 3D printing for health care, major challenges and opportunities remain. Among them is the need to develop better ways to ensure the quality and safety of 3D-printed medical products. Affordability and accessibility also remain significant concerns. Long-term safety concerns regarding implant materials, such as potential biocompatibility issues and the release of nanoparticles, require rigorous testing and validation. While 3D printing has the potential to reduce manufacturing costs, the initial investment in equipment and materials can be a barrier for many health care providers and patients, especially in underserved communities. Furthermore, the lack of standardized workflows and trained personnel can limit the widespread adoption of 3D printing in clinical settings, hindering access for those who could benefit most. On the bright side, artificial intelligence techniques that can effectively leverage vast amounts of highly detailed medical data are likely to prove critical in developing improved 3D-printed medical products. Specifically, AI algorithms can analyze patient-specific data to optimize the design and fabrication of 3D-printed implants and prosthetics. For instance, implant makers can use AI-driven image analysis to create highly accurate 3D models from CT scans and MRIs that they can use to design customized implants. Furthermore, machine learning algorithms can predict the long-term performance and potential failure points of 3D-printed prosthetics, allowing prosthetics designers to optimize for improved durability and patient safety. Three-dimensional printing continues to break boundaries, including the boundary of the body itself. Researchers at the California Institute of Technology have developed a technique that uses ultrasound to turn a liquid injected into the body into a gel in 3D shapes. The method could be used one day for delivering drugs or replacing tissue. Overall, the field is moving quickly toward personalized treatment plans that are closely adapted to each patient’s unique needs and preferences, made possible by the precision and flexibility of 3D printing. Anne Schmitz, Associate Professor of Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Stout and Daniel Freedman, Dean of the College of Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics & Management, University of Wisconsin-Stout. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. Anne Schmitz and Daniel Freedman, The Conversation The Conversation is an independent source of news and views, sourced from the academic and research community. Our team of editors work with these experts to share their knowledge with the wider public. Our aim is to allow for better understanding of current affairs and complex issues, and hopefully improve the quality of public discourse on them. 20 Comments

A team from the National Research Council Canada and the University of Victoria has developed a fully automatic exposure control system for tomographic volumetric additive manufacturing (VAM), a technique that fabricates entire objects at once using projected light patterns inside a rotating resin vat, significantly improving the process’s accuracy and repeatability. The results, shared in a non-peer-reviewed preprint on arXiv, show that the technique enables hands-free printing with comparable or better feature resolution than commercial SLA and DLP printers, while printing parts up to ten times faster. Dubbed AE-VAM (Automatic Exposure Volumetric Additive Manufacturing), the new system uses real-time monitoring of light scattering inside the resin to automatically terminate exposure during printing. This eliminates the need for manual adjustments, which previously limited the consistency and commercial viability of VAM. The researchers demonstrated their system by printing 25 iterations of the widely used 3DBenchy model. AE-VAM achieved an average RMS surface deviation of 0.100 mm and inter-print variation of 0.053 mm. Notably, all fine features, including blind holes, chimneys, and underside text, were successfully reproduced, outperforming prints from commercial SLA and DLP systems in some key respects. Schematic of the AE-VAM system, which uses light scattering measurements to determine the optimal exposure endpoint in real-time. Image via Antony Orth et al., National Research Council Canada / University of Victoria. From lab to potential production Tomographic VAM differs from conventional 3D printing in that it exposes the entire resin volume at once, rather than layer by layer. While this allows for faster printing and the elimination of support structures, previous implementations suffered from unpredictable exposure levels due to resin reuse and light diffusion, often requiring experienced operators and frequent recalibration. AE-VAM addresses this by using a simple optical feedback system that measures scattered red light during curing. When the measured signal reaches a calibrated threshold, the UV exposure is halted automatically. According to the authors, this makes the process “insensitive to geometry” and viable for multi-part assembly printing, such as gear systems and threaded components. A step toward commercial VAM The team benchmarked AE-VAM against the Formlabs Form 2, Form 4, and Asiga PRO4K. While the Form 2 achieved slightly higher accuracy (0.081 mm RMS error), AE-VAM outperformed on small feature reproduction and consistency, especially as resin was re-used. The system printed the same 3DBenchy model in under a minute, compared to over 8 minutes on the fastest SLA system. “AE-VAM has repeatability and accuracy specifications that are within the range measured for commercial systems,” the authors wrote, noting that it also enables resin reuse up to five times with minimal degradation. They anticipate that broader testing of AE-VAM with different resins could bring the technology closer to commercialization. The team notes the approach is computationally lightweight and suitable for general-purpose use with minimal operator training. The work has been funded by the National Research Council of Canada’s Ideation program. Several authors are listed as inventors on provisional patents related to the system. AE-VAM-printed mechanical components: a functional ¼-20 screw and nut, and a gear assembly with 50 μm tolerances. Parts could also be mated with standard metal hardware. Image via Antony Orth et al., National Research Council Canada / University of Victoria. Volumetric 3D printing gains momentum across research and industry Volumetric additive manufacturing (VAM) has garnered increasing attention in recent years as a fast, support-free alternative to conventional layer-based 3D printing. Previous VAM advancements include Manifest Technologies’ (formerly Vitro3D) launch of a high-speed P-VAM evaluation kit aimed at commercial adoption, and EPFL’s demonstration of opaque resin printing using volumetric techniques. Meanwhile, researchers at Utrecht University have leveraged volumetric bioprinting to fabricate miniature liver models for regenerative medicine, and University College London explored rapid drug-loaded tablet fabrication. More recently, a holographic variant of tomographic VAM (TVAM) showed promise in reducing print times and improving light efficiency. These developments underscore the broad applicability and accelerating pace of innovation in volumetric 3D printing technologies. Subscribe to the 3D Printing Industry newsletter to keep up with the latest 3D printing news. You can also follow us on LinkedIn and subscribe to the 3D Printing Industry YouTube channel to access more exclusive content. At 3DPI, our mission is to deliver high-quality journalism, technical insight, and industry intelligence to professionals across the AM ecosystem. Help us shape the future of 3D printing industry news with our 2025 reader survey. Feature image shows comparison of 3DBenchy models printed with VAM, SLA and DLP. Antony Orth et al., National Research Council Canada / University of Victoria.

A team led by researchers at the University of Illinois Chicago and UC Davis has developed a method to 3D bioprint tissue-specific, high cell-density bioinks capable of forming complex multiphase constructs. Published in Materials Today, the study introduces a platform that combines individual or aggregate-based stem cell bioinks with localized growth factor delivery, offering precise control over spatial differentiation and tissue development. Using a shear-thinning, photocrosslinkable alginate microgel supporting bath, the research team successfully printed structures with high shape fidelity and tunable degradation. These constructs enable self-assembly through cellular condensation and localized differentiation into distinct tissues such as cartilage and bone. After four weeks of culture, the bioprinted structures maintained their original geometry and exhibited clear phase separation between chondrogenic and osteogenic regions. A new approach to bioink precision Conventional bioprinting approaches often rely on biomaterial-laden inks that can interfere with direct cell–cell interactions and degrade unpredictably. To overcome these limitations, the researchers developed bioinks containing either individual stem cells or multicellular aggregates, combined with gelatin microparticles (GMs) loaded with growth factors such as TGF-β1 and BMP-2.These formulations demonstrated favorable rheological properties, shear-thinning, self-healing, and low yield stress, making them well-suited for extrusion-based bioprinting. Critically, the growth factor-loaded GMs allowed for spatially controlled, sustained biochemical signaling without requiring external supplementation.Following 3D printing and stabilization of the supporting bath, stem cells underwent lineage-specific differentiation, resulting in stable osteochondral constructs. Histological and biochemical analyses confirmed targeted extracellular matrix deposition and distinct tissue boundaries at the cartilage–bone interface.3D printing of the tissue specific high cell-density bioinks within the OMA microgel supporting bath, which fluidizes via its shear-thinning property. When the printing needle fluidizes the mechanical stable OMA microgels (i, disordered region), tissue specific high cell-density bioinks can fill the shear-thinning region (ii). After the needle passes, the OMA microgel bath can be stabilized by its self-healing property (iii, self-healing region) to firmly hold the printed bioinks. Image via Jeon et al., Materials Today. From biomaterials to biofunction While 3D bioprinting has long promised the recreation of complex biological architectures, printing functional, multicellular, multi-tissue constructs remains a key challenge. Cell-only bioinks often require preformed strands or aggregates, limiting resolution and design flexibility. The approach developed by Jeon et al. addresses this gap, enabling high-resolution deposition of cell-dense bioinks that self-organize into biologically relevant structures. Characterization of resolution and shape fidelity and chondrogenic differentiation of 3D bioprinted constructs. (A) Photomicrographs of the 3D printed individual cell-based tissue specific bioink filaments [i and ii; TGF-β1-loaded GM + hMSCs. iii and iv; bone morphogenic protein-2 (BMP-2)-loaded GM + hASCs] into OMA microgel supporting baths with a 22G printing needle and (B) quantification of their mean diameters, demonstrating the capability of high-resolution printing with narrow filament diameter distribution. Scale bars indicate 500 μm. N.S.: Not significant. (C) Digital images and (D) photographs of the 3D printed structures, demonstrating high shape fidelity. The scale bars indicate 5 mm. (E) Photomicrographs of Saf-O/Fast Green stained construct sections cultured in BPM (i and ii) and CPM (iii and iv). The scale bars indicate 500 μm. (F) Quantification of GAG/DNA in the chondrogenically differentiated 3D printed constructs. These demonstrate hMSC differentiation and deposition of chondrogenic extracellular matrix (ECM) in the individual cell-based tissue specific bioink printed constructs. N.S.: Not significant. Image via Jeon et al., Materials Today. Recent innovations have similarly advanced bioink design and tissue engineering. Researchers at Seoul National University of Science and Technology, developed a  SCOBY-derived bioink to 3D print cellulose scaffolds for direct tissue repair, while another team created a personalized heart-on-a-chip using photopolymerizable, patient-specific bioinks. Bio INX and Readily3D launched a ready-to-use bioink for volumetric bioprinting, and Texas A&M engineered a specialized vascular-specific bioink tailored for blood vessel formation. Elsewhere, studies have demonstrated functional brain tissue constructs with active neural networks, and Frontier Bio received a 2024 3DPI Award for developing lung-like tissue in vitro. Jeon et al.’s work builds on these efforts by integrating localized growth factor delivery into high cell-density bioinks, enabling the fabrication of multiphase tissues with fine spatial control and biological fidelity.By controlling the spatial presentation of bioactive cues within densely cellular environments, the platform holds promise for regenerative medicine, disease modeling, and drug screening. Future research will aim to enhance tissue maturation and incorporate vascularization to improve functionality and translational potential. What 3D printing trends should you watch out for in 2025? How is the future of 3D printing shaping up? Subscribe to the 3D Printing Industry newsletter to keep up with the latest 3D printing news.You can also follow us onLinkedIn and subscribe to the 3D Printing Industry Youtube channel to access more exclusive content.