Emerging polymeric materials in additive manufacturing for use in biomedical applications

Abstract

Additive manufacturing is poised to enable the next biomedical revolution, where customized, patient-specific tools, therapies, pharmaceuticals, and even replacement organs are taking strides in the biomedical research and development space. Polymeric materials are capable of making inroads in a wide variety of biomedical applications, and in recent years a growing number are being used with additive manufacturing techniques. This review highlights some of the emerging classes of polymers used in additive manufacturing and examples of their use in biomedical applications, with a focus on the delineation of ‘hard’ polymers versus ‘soft’ polymers and the specific applications where they are utilized.