Table 1.
A brief review of common bioprinting techniques.
| Laser Assisted Bioprinting | Inkjet | Extrusion | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Advantages | High resolution, deposition of biomaterials in solid or liquid phase, and nozzle free and non-contact printing. | Ability to print low viscosity biomaterials, fast fabrication speed, low cost, high resolution, multi-material printing, Simple operation. | Simple, capable of printing various biomaterials, ability to print high cell densities, multi-material printing, and ability to control ejection speed. |
| Drawbacks | High cost, thermal damage due to nanosecond/femtosecond laser irritation, metallic residuals possible damage of tissue from use of laser lights, slow printing speed, and difficulty in handling heterogenous cells. | Inherent inability to provide a continuous flow, poor functionality for vertical structures, low cell densities, clogging of nozzle, imposing thermal or acoustic stress to cells, and limited variety of bioink. | Only applicable for viscous liquids, gelation and solidification, and limited material selection (shear thinning ability required). |
| Speed | Medium | Fast | Slow |
| Cell viability | <85% | ~80% | >90% |
| Resolution | 10 μm | 50 μm | 100 μm |
| Cell density | Medium | Low | High |
| Viscosity | 1–300 mPa s | <10 mPa s | 30–6 × 107 mPa s |
| Scalability | Low | Low | Low–Medium |
| Structural integrity | Low | Low | High |
| Cost | High | Low | Low–Medium |