Digital Light Processing Based Three-dimensional Printing for Medical Applications

Abstract

An additive manufacturing technology based on projection light, digital light processing (DLP) 3D printing, has been widely applied in the field of medical products production and development. The precision projection light, reflected by a million pixels instead of a focused point, provides this technology both printing accuracy and printing speed. In particular, this printing technology provides a relatively milder condition to cells due to its non-direct contact. This review introduces the DLP-based 3D printing technology and its applications in medicine, including precise medical devices, functionalized artificial tissues and specific drug delivery systems. The products are particularly discussed for their significance for medicine. We believe that this technology provides a potential tool for biological research and clinical medicine, while challenges of scale-up and regulatory approval are also discussed.