3D printing for the development of implantable devices for cardiovascular disease treatment

Additive manufacturing (also known as 3D printing) has proven to be an effective technology for pharmaceutical and biomedical applications [1,2]. Additive manufacturing is a family of technologies used to prepare 3D objects by adding layers of material in a sequential way [1]. Typically, 3D-printing techniques are classified according to the mechanism followed to add the layers of materials including photopolymerization, sintering or extrusion, among many others [1]. Accordingly, additive manufacturing offers a high degree of flexibility in terms of techniques and materials. In the last decade, there has been growing interest in the use of additive manufacturing for pharmaceutical and medical applications [1,2]. One of the key advantages over conventional methods of manufacturing is that additive manufacturing can be used to prepare dosage forms adapted to patients’ needs [3]. In addition to its versatility, another factor that has contributed to the interest of the scientific community in 3D printing in research laboratories is its availability. Over the past decade, the price of certain types of 3D printers (mainly stereolithography and fused deposition modeling) has significantly dropped. Due to these factors, a wide range of dosage forms has been produced using 3D printing, including tablets, capsules and suppositories, among many other examples [4–6]. As a result of extensive work, the first 3D-printed pharmaceutical product (Spritam^®) approved by the US FDA was introduced to the market in 2016 [7]. In addition to pharmaceutical products, 3D printing has also been used to fabricate medical devices such as implants for drug delivery, orthopedic prostheses, medicated catheters or cardiovascular stents, among many others [8–12]. This editorial is focused on 3D-printed medical devices for the treatment of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs).

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