Recent progress in 3D printing piezoelectric materials for biomedical applications

Abstract

Three-dimensional (3D) printing technology has attracted significant attention for fabricating piezoelectric materials due to its high efficiency and capability to produce complex structures. Motivated by the desire to address limitations in conventional methods for fabricating piezoelectric materials, this review first introduces commonly used 3D-printing technologies to fabricate piezoelectric materials. The advantages of the technologies are evaluated. Subsequently, typical piezoelectric materials produced by 3D-printing methods are specifically discussed. The properties of the printed materials, such as dielectric and piezoelectric properties, are presented. Significant applications of 3D-printed piezoelectric materials are further explored, highlighting the potential of fabricating 3D-printed piezoelectric materials for biomedical applications. Finally, future directions and opportunities for 3D-printed piezoelectric materials are highlighted.

Piezoelectric Metamaterial Blood Pressure Sensor

“…To obtain a solid model of the proposed design, the structure was expanded with a thickness ( t ) for in-plane and out-of-plane directions that was fixed at 200 μm. The thickness of the structure was selected according to the acceptable range of thickness reported in recent piezoelectric 3D printing studies, which was in a range from 100 μm to several millimeters . The θ range was specified between −30° and 30°, which was defined as a controllable parameter.…”

“…The thickness of the structure was selected according to the acceptable range of thickness reported in recent piezoelectric 3D printing studies, which was in a range from 100 μm to several millimeters. 25 The θ range was specified between −30°and 30°, which was defined as a controllable parameter. According to constant parameters of piezoelectric metamaterial, θ more than 30°or less than −30°leads to a closed unit cell, which was not desirable for the design.…”

“…However, according to advances in 3D printing technology of piezoelectric materials, − the piezoelectric element can be fabricated in various architectures beyond regular disc, sheet, and film shapes to overcome the wastage of materials in cutting and punching processes while increasing the maximum strain of the system . Furthermore, the thickness range of piezoelectric material for 3D printing is on the order of hundreds of micrometers (μm) to several millimeters, which makes them suitable to be fabricated in complex structures. Thus, metamaterials can potentially be designed for the piezoelectric element of MEMS devices to enhance the output response in BP monitoring systems.…”

An Emerging Era: Conformable Ultrasound Electronics

“…[146] The 3Dprinted high-performance piezoelectric materials hold substantial potential for a wide range of applications, such as sensors, energy harvesting, and medical devices. [146,147] Zhou's groups have reported several interesting works on 3D printed ultrasound transducers for biomedical applications, [148] including BaTiO 3 piezoceramic (d 33 = 160 pC N −1 and k t = 0.47) for ultrasonic focusing imaging on the porcine eyeball, [149] BaTiO 3 with honeycomb structure (d 33 = 60 pC N −1 and k t = 0.31) to avoid the dicing-filling method, [150] and lithium niobate helical-like config-uration for microparticle manipulation. [151] For example, the 3Dprinted dense piezoelectric elements achieve high piezoelectric properties (d 33 = 583 pC N −1 and k t = 0.57) and complex architectures for localized cavitation (Figure 4h-j).…”

Engineering Biosensors and Biomedical Detection Devices from 3D-Printed Technology

“…Each 3D printing technique has different characteristics and application scenarios. 36 For example, i3DP has good resolution and biocompatibility, and can be used to prepare microfluidic devices. 37,38 FDM is fast and low-cost, and often used to prepare device supports and housings.…”