The inkjet technique has the capability
of generating droplets
in the picoliter volume range, firing thousands of times in a few
seconds and printing in the noncontact manner. Since its emergence,
inkjet technology has been widely utilized in the publishing industry
for printing of text and pictures. As the technology developed, its
applications have been expanded from two-dimensional (2D) to three-dimensional
(3D) and even used to fabricate components of electronic devices.
At the end of the twentieth century, researchers were aware of the
potential value of this technology in life sciences and tissue engineering
because its picoliter-level printing unit is suitable for depositing
biological components. Currently inkjet technology has been becoming
a practical tool in modern medicine serving for drug development,
scaffold building, and cell depositing. In this article, we first
review the history, principles and different methods of developing
this technology. Next, we focus on the recent achievements of inkjet
printing in the biological field. Inkjet bioprinting of generic biomaterials,
biomacromolecules, DNAs, and cells and their major applications are
introduced in order of increasing complexity. The current limitations/challenges
and corresponding solutions of this technology are also discussed.
A new concept, biopixels, is put forward with a combination of the
key characteristics of inkjet printing and basic biological units
to bring a comprehensive view on inkjet-based bioprinting. Finally,
a roadmap of the entire 3D bioprinting is depicted at the end of this
review article, clearly demonstrating the past, present, and future
of 3D bioprinting and our current progress in this field.