An academic, clinical and industrial update on electrospun, additive manufactured and imprinted medical devices

Expert Rev Med Devices. 2015;12(5):601-12. doi: 10.1586/17434440.2015.1062364. Epub 2015 Jun 29.

Abstract

Electrospinning, additive manufacturing and imprint lithography scaffold fabrication technologies have attracted great attention in biomedicine, as they allow production of two- and three- dimensional constructs with tuneable topographical and geometrical features. In vitro data demonstrate that electrospun and imprinted substrates offer control over permanently differentiated and stem cell function. Advancements in functionalisation strategies have further enhanced the bioactivity and reparative capacity of electrospun and additive manufactured devices, as has been evidenced in several preclinical models. Despite this overwhelming success in academic setting, only a few technologies have reached the clinic and only a fraction of them have become commercially available products.

Keywords: clinical trials; commercialisation; medical device; scaffold functionalisation approaches; scaffold manufacturing technologies; technology readiness level.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Biomedical Technology
  • Clinical Trials as Topic
  • Equipment and Supplies*
  • Humans
  • Industry*
  • Printing, Three-Dimensional*
  • Tissue Engineering / methods*