Paunović N, Meyer D, Krivitsky A, Studart AR, Bao Y, Leroux JC. 4D printing of biodegradable elastomers with tailorable thermal response at physiological temperature.
J Control Release 2023;
361:417-426. [PMID:
37532144 DOI:
10.1016/j.jconrel.2023.07.053]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2023] [Revised: 07/13/2023] [Accepted: 07/30/2023] [Indexed: 08/04/2023]
Abstract
4D printing has a great potential for the manufacturing of soft robotics and medical devices. The alliance of digital light processing (DLP) 3D printing and novel shape-memory photopolymers allows for the fabrication of smart 4D-printed medical devices in high resolution and with tailorable functionalities. However, most of the reported 4D-printed materials are nondegradable, which limits their clinical applications. On the other hand, 4D printing of biodegradable shape-memory elastomers is highly challenging, especially when transition points close to physiological temperature and shape fixation under ambient conditions are required. Here, we report the 4D printing of biodegradable shape-memory elastomers with tailorable transition points covering physiological temperature, by using poly(D,L-lactide-co-trimethylene carbonate) methacrylates at various monomer feed ratios. After the programming step, the high-resolution DLP printed stents preserved their folded shape at room temperature, and showed efficient shape recovery at 37 °C. The materials were cytocompatible and readily degradable under physiological conditions. Furthermore, drug-loaded devices with tuneable release kinetics were realized by DLP-printing with resins containing polymers and levofloxacin or nintedanib. This study offers a new perspective for the development of next-generation 4D-printed medical devices.
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