Search Results (323)

Hybrid metal–polymer components are used in many industries, such as in aerospace, automotives, and electronics, due to the possibility of reducing the weight of the final part while maintaining mechanical properties comparable to components made entirely of metal. Conventional 3D printing processes do not enable the direct fabrication of hybrid structures consisting of solid metal and polymer parts due to the significant differences in the processing temperatures of both materials. A solution to this problem is the integration of two processes, electrodeposition and photopolymerization, which allow fabrication to be carried out at room temperature. This paper presents preparatory studies aimed at developing a new 3D printing technology that uses the simultaneous application of electrodeposition and photopolymerization to manufacture hybrid metal–polymer elements in a single, integrated 3D printing process. Here, a hybrid metal–polymer element is defined as a component composed of at least two bonded parts, including at least one metal part fabricated by electrodeposition and at least one polymer part produced by photopolymerization. Thus, it is not a polymer component merely coated with an electrodeposited metal layer, but a true hybrid structure consisting of functional metallic and polymeric parts. Such components can be manufactured using the world’s first hybrid 3D printer, which integrates electrodeposition and photopolymerization to produce metal–polymer hybrid parts within a single 3D printing process (the device has been submitted to the Polish Patent Office). However, its design and operating principle are beyond the scope of this paper. The presented research focuses on initial study of selected feedstock materials for this printer, namely photocurable resins and electroplating baths. Since the entire hybrid printing process occurs in an electroplating bath environment, studies of these materials for 3D printing under such conditions were essential. This work includes a screening study of photocurable formulations with respect to rheological properties, 3D printing tests in a model copper electroplating bath, and selection of a suitable bath brightener to maximize the quality (fine grain size, homogeneous grain distribution) of additively deposited copper layers. The study was conducted using copper electrodeposition and acrylate resin photopolymerization as model processes for evaluating the proposed hybrid metal–polymer 3D printing technology. Finally, the most suitable feedstock materials for producing metal–polymer hybrid parts via the proposed 3D printing method were selected. Full article

Breast cancer remains the most frequently diagnosed malignancy in women worldwide, accounting for approximately 2.3 million new cases and 670,000 deaths annually. The diagnostic landscape has undergone a paradigm shift over the past two decades, evolving from morphology-based classification toward molecularly informed, precision-guided strategies. Early and accurate diagnosis is fundamental to improving outcomes; advances in imaging technology, including digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT), contrast-enhanced mammography (CEM), and abbreviated magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), have improved sensitivity and specificity in diverse patient populations. Simultaneously, the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) and radiomics into screening workflows offers unprecedented potential for risk stratification and a reduction in false-positives. At the pathological level, multi-gene expression profiling assays such as Oncotype DX, MammaPrint, Prosigna, and EndoPredict have refined prognostic classification and guide adjuvant chemotherapy decisions in early-stage hormone receptor-positive disease. The emergence of liquid biopsy, circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA), circulating tumor cells (CTCs), and exosomal biomarkers provides minimally invasive tools for real-time monitoring of response, residual disease, and the evolution of resistance mechanisms. Precision diagnostics now encompass next-generation sequencing (NGS)-based comprehensive genomic profiling, enabling identification of actionable alterations such as PIK3CA mutations, HER2 amplification, BRCA1/2 pathogenic variants, and NTRK fusions, each linked to approved therapeutic agents. The purpose of this review is to provide a comprehensive synthesis of current and emerging diagnostic modalities in breast cancer—from population-level screening to individualized molecular profiling—and to examine how integrative, multimodal diagnostic platforms are reshaping clinical decision-making in the era of precision medicine. Full article

Lumbar spine disorders often require surgical intervention using medical implants to stabilize or replace damaged structures. As the prevalence of these surgeries increases due to an aging population, rigorous preclinical evaluation is critical. This narrative review aims to summarize current testing methods, identify gaps in clinical translatability, and explore the role of emerging computational technologies. Mechanical testing protocols established by the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) and the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) provide essential standardized data on structural integrity but fail to replicate the complex biological interactions of the human spine. Similarly, animal models offer insights into biological responses like osseointegration but are limited by quadrupedal biomechanics and anatomical differences. Recent advancements in Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Finite Element Analysis (FEA) enable rapid, patient-specific modeling and high-throughput screening, significantly reducing the time and cost of physical testing. Future innovations include 3D-printed personalized implants, bio-responsive materials, and genetically modified animal models to bridge existing translatability gaps. In conclusion, improving the clinical success of lumbar spine implants requires an integrated framework that combines mechanical, biological, and computational approaches. This interdisciplinary collaboration is vital for developing safer and more effective treatments for patients. Full article

Children are often underserved by adult-oriented oral medicines, leading to off-label use and dosage-form manipulation that may compromise dosing accuracy. This review summarises recent advances in paediatric orodispersible tablets (ODTs), focusing on manufacturing technologies, superdisintegrants, taste masking, and in vitro disintegration testing. Following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidance and a protocol registered with the International Platform of Registered Systematic Review and Meta-analysis Protocols (registration number INPLASY2025110022), we searched PubMed, EMBASE, MEDLINE, Scopus, and Google Scholar for experimental studies on paediatric-relevant ODT formulation and evaluation. Two reviewers screened studies and extracted data on manufacturing methods, excipients, disintegration/dissolution testing, and key outcomes. Risk of bias was assessed using a six-domain framework. Overall, 65 studies met the inclusion criteria for this review. Direct compression was the dominant method, with freeze-drying, sublimation, spray-drying, nanoparticle-in-tablet systems, and semi-solid extrusion/3D printing also reported. Crospovidone, croscarmellose sodium, and sodium starch glycolate were the most common superdisintegrants, while natural and co-processed disintegrants showed promise as cost-effective alternatives. Disintegration was usually assessed using pharmacopoeial methods, with some modified set-ups to better simulate oral conditions. Paediatric ODT development is advancing rapidly. Broader translation requires harmonised disintegration testing, age-stratified acceptability reporting, and GMP-ready workflows, alongside benchmarking of superdisintegrants and attention to dose flexibility, packaging, and affordability. Full article

Geometrical dot gain represents a fundamental physical phenomenon influencing tonal reproduction in halftone printing, particularly in offset and flexographic processes. However, a formally defined analytical framework capable of determining the tonal conditions of equal geometrical dot gain, particularly for hybrid screening design and tonal consistency optimization, has not yet been clearly established. In this study, a geometrical analytical model is formulated to determine the transition points of equal geometrical dot gain between AM and FM screening. Two analytical approaches were applied. The first compares the total contour length of halftone elements in both screening technologies, while the second relates the AM dot diameter to predefined FM microdot sizes. Calculations were performed for eight AM screen rulings (120–340 lpi) and six FM microdot diameters (20–50 μm) under predefined geometrical conditions (2540 dpi output resolution and circular dot shape). The results indicate that transition points predominantly occur within the highlight tonal region and systematically shift toward higher tonal percentages with increasing screen ruling. Both analytical procedures, although conceptually different, yield identical results, confirming the internal consistency of the model. The analytically determined transition points provide a geometrically justified basis for defining switching zones in hybrid and XM screening systems, enabling improved tonal stability and more consistent screening transitions. Full article

Candida albicans (C. albicans) is an opportunistic fungal pathogen and a major cause of nosocomial infections, especially in immunocompromised patients. Conventional diagnostic approaches such as blood culture and biochemical assays are accurate but require multi-step sample processing and prolonged turnaround times, limiting their applicability for rapid clinical screening. In the present study, we developed an electrochemical biosensor based on molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) technology for the rapid and selective detection of intact C. albicans cells. The MIP layer was electropolymerized onto a screen-printed carbon electrode (SPCE), forming selective recognition cavities complementary to the fungal morphology. Electrochemical characterization and detection were performed using cyclic voltammetry in phosphate-buffered saline (PBS). The system demonstrated a wide linear detection range, enabling reliable quantification of C. albicans across concentrations spanning from 1 to 10⁴ CFU/mL and achieved an ultralow limit of detection (LOD) of 1.30 CFU/mL, demonstrating high sensitivity. High selectivity was confirmed against E. coli, S. aureus, and P. aeruginosa, demonstrating that the imprinted cavities effectively distinguish fungal cells from bacterial contaminants. These findings highlight the promise of MIP-based electrochemical biosensors as a simple, low-cost, and portable alternative for early fungal diagnostics. Full article

Lab-on-a-Chip (LoC) and microfluidic technologies are rapidly reshaping the development pipeline for nano drug delivery systems (DDSs) by enabling precise control of physicochemical properties, high-throughput screening, and integrated biological evaluation within miniaturized platforms. This review synthesizes recent advances in microfluidic principles, fabrication strategies, and sensing modalities that facilitate continuous flow synthesis, real-time characterization, and adaptive formulation of nanoparticles. We highlight how LoC-enabled systems improve monodispersity, reproducibility, and tunability of liposomes, polymeric nanoparticles, and metallic nanocarriers, while providing powerful tools for assessing pharmacokinetics, drug release, and systemic responses using organ-on-chip (OoC) models. Emerging trends, including AI-driven autonomous optimization, stimuli-responsive materials, 3D-printed hybrid architectures, and self-powered portable devices, are discussed in the context of future integrated nano-pharmaceutics platforms. Despite existing challenges related to biocompatibility, standardization, data integration, and translation to industrial and clinical applications, the synergistic evolution of LoC engineering and nanomedicine holds transformative potential for personalized and next-generation therapeutic strategies. Full article

Additive manufacturing (AM) has rapidly evolved from a prototyping tool into an effective method for producing end-use components, thanks to its ability to produce complex, lightweight and customised parts. However, this technique requires a thorough understanding of the long-term behaviour and degradation mechanisms of components, especially when polymers are involved in the printing process. Unlike polymer components manufactured using traditional methods, polymers produced through AM exhibit unique microstructures, anisotropies, and interfacial characteristics due to the layer-by-layer fabrication process. These features can affect how these materials respond to thermal, mechanical and environmental stresses over time. Furthermore, technology-specific processing parameters directly govern porosity distribution, crystallinity evolution, interlayer bonding quality, and residual stress development, all of which are key factors for ensuring long-term performance. This review aims to support researchers in the development of durable additively manufactured polymer components by systematically analysing polymer degradation mechanisms, accelerated ageing and lifetime prediction methodologies. Following a PRISMA-based screening process, approximately 160 international standards relevant to polymer durability in additive manufacturing were selected from an initial corpus of about 620 documents for in-depth analysis. Processing–structure–property relationships specific to the AM processing of polymers, including the commonly used FFF (fused filament fabrication), SLA (stereolithography) and SLS (selective laser sintering), are examined in relation to crucial aspects for long-term structural integrity and degradation behaviour. Finally, limitations within the current normative framework are identified, emphasising the absence of process-aware durability assessment protocols and the need for dedicated standards tailored to additively manufactured polymer components. Full article

Reliable models of the lung environment are important for research on inhalation products, drug delivery, and how aerosols interact with tissue. pH fluctuations frequently accompany real physiological processes in pulmonary environments, so monitoring pH changes in lung-on-a-chip devices is of considerable relevance. Presented here are flexible, miniaturized, inkjet-printed pH sensors that have been developed with the aim of integration into lung-on-a-chip systems. Different types of functional pH-sensitive materials were tested: hydrogen-selective plasticized PVC membranes and polyaniline (both electrodeposited and dropcast). Their deposition and performance were evaluated on different flexible conducting substrates, including screen-printed carbon electrodes (SPE) and inkjet-printed graphene electrodes (IJP-Gr). Finally, a biocompatible dropcast polyaniline-modified IJP was selected and paired with an inkjet-printed Ag/AgCl quasireference electrode. The printed potentiometric device showed Nernstian sensitivity (58.8 mV/pH) with good reproducibility, reversibility, and potential stability. The optimized system was integrated with a developed lung-on-a-chip model with an electrospun polycaprolactone membrane and alginate, simulating the alveolar barrier and the natural mucosal environment, respectively. The permeability of the system was studied by monitoring the pH changes upon the introduction of a 10 wt.% acetic acid aerosol. Overall, the presented approach shows that electrospun-hydrogel materials together with integrated microsensors can help create improved models for studying aerosol transport, diffusion, and chemically changing environments that are relevant for inhalation therapy and respiratory research. These results show that our system can combine mechanical behavior with chemical sensing in one platform, which may be useful for future development of lung-on-a-chip technologies. Full article

Three-dimensional (3D) bioprinting is a rapidly evolving technology that uses complementary biomaterials to emulate native extracellular matrices, enabling the generation of finely patterned, multicellular tissue architectures. Autoimmune diseases (AD), which are characterized by chronic, often organ-specific, immune response, are ideally suited to these in vitro models. This review summarizes the current state of 3D bioprinting for modelling AD, focusing on rheumatoid arthritis (RA), type 1 diabetes (T1D) and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), as well as applications to systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), neuroinflammatory conditions such as multiple sclerosis (MS) and other AD. Bioprinting modalities, advances in immune competent bioinks, strategies for vascularization and approaches to the hybridization of printed tissues with organoids and organ-on-chip systems are reviewed. From a clinical perspective, this review focuses on applications with translational potential, including immune-competent models derived from patients for biomarker discovery, drug screening and treatment response prediction. The key challenges, notably the reconstitution of full immune complexity, stable and perfusable vasculature, and maintenance of long-term viability and function are highlighted. Finally, future directions are defined to enhance the clinical utility and impact of 3D bioprinting across preclinical development and precision medicine. Full article

Background: Three-dimensional printing (3DP) is a promising technology for advancing pharmaceutical research by enabling the production of personalized drug products. However, its progress has been hindered by the conventional trial-and-error approach to excipient selection and optimization. Methods: In this study, the blend module was employed to determine the miscibility parameters—mixing energy (E_mix) and Flory–Huggins interaction parameter (χ) to find the right excipients and drug–excipient ratio and examine the incorporation of plasticizers and lipids to enhance printability. Furthermore, molecular dynamics (MD) simulations were employed to calculate the cohesive energy density (CED) for predicting the dissolution behavior of 3DP formulations. Results: Data from 51 formulations were analyzed, enabling correlation and experimental validation of the in silico predictions. The predicted miscibility values demonstrated a strong correlation with experimental printability results. Furthermore, using a miscibility parameter, it was possible to accurately forecast minor changes in the drug-to-excipient ratio, plasticizer/lipid concentration, and hot-melt extrusion (HME) temperature that affect printability. Hydrophilic carriers exhibited lower CED values corresponding to faster drug release. In contrast, more hydrophobic carriers revealed high CED values, indicating stronger drug entrapment and sustained release. Conclusions: The miscibility parameters and MD-simulated CED values provide a practical framework for early-stage, high-throughput excipient screening. Overall, in silico prediction offers a viable strategy for modeling the entire 3DP workflow, minimizing the need for trial-and-error experimentation, and thereby accelerating the clinical translation of 3DP drug delivery systems. Full article

This review examines modern approaches to layer formation in solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs), focusing on traditional, thin-film, and additive manufacturing methods. A systematic comparison of technologies, including slip casting, screen printing, CVD, PLD, ALD, HiPIMS, inkjet, aerosol, and microextrusion printing, is provided. It is shown that traditional methods remain technologically robust but are limited in their capabilities for miniaturization and interfacial architecture design. Modern thin-film and additive approaches provide high spatial accuracy, improved ion-electron characteristics, and flexibility in the design of multilayer structures; however, they require addressing issues related to scalability, ink stability, interfacial compatibility, and reproducibility. Particular attention is paid to interfacial engineering methods, such as functionally graded layers, nanostructured infiltration, and temperature-controlled 3D printing. Key challenges are discussed, including thermal instability of materials, the limited gas impermeability of ultra-thin electrolytes, and degradation during long-term operation. Development prospects lie in the integration of hybrid methods, the digitalization of deposition processes, and the implementation of intelligent control of printing parameters. The presented analysis forms the basis for further research into the scalable and highly efficient production of next-generation SOFCs designed for low-temperature operation and long-term operation in future energy systems. Full article

The integration of molecular imprinting technology with electrochemical methods has become fundamental in the development of next-generation sensors. This study explores two different strategies for developing a dopamine-based molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) for the electrochemical sensing of levofloxacin. In the first case, the MIP is developed by electropolymerization on a screen-printed carbon electrode (SPCE) surface using cyclic voltammetry, while in the second, the MIP is obtained by an oxidation process, and the resulting dispersion is drop-cast on the SPCE surface. The same approach is used for a non-imprinted polymer. The physicochemical properties of the synthesized materials and the surface morphology of the modified electrodes are investigated by several techniques. Differential pulse voltammetry is used to evaluate the performance of the modified electrodes, assessing their linear concentration range, limit of detection, and limit of quantification, together with repeatability and selectivity. MIP-based SPCEs obtained with these two fabrication strategies exhibited comparable imprinting factor values and linear concentration ranges, along with comparable limits of detection and quantification. The MIP-based SPCE obtained by electropolymerization showed greater repeatability, whereas the MIP-based SPCE produced by drop-casting provided higher sensitivity in levofloxacin detection. Full article

Hydrogel additive manufacturing underpins soft tissue models, biointerfaces, and soft robotics. The coupled choices of formulation, rheology, and process conditions limit the progress. This review maps how artificial intelligence links composition to printability across direct ink writing, inkjet, vat photopolymerization, and laser-induced forward transfer, and how vision-guided control improves fidelity and viability during printing. Interpretable predictors connect routine rheology to strand stability, data-driven classifiers chart droplet regimes, and optical dose models with learning enhance voxel accuracy. Polymer informatics, including BigSMILES based representations, supports generative screening of precursors and crosslinkers. Bayesian optimization and active learning reduce experimental burden while honoring biological constraints, and emerging autonomous platforms integrate in situ sensing with rapid iteration. A strategic framework outlines a technological progression from current open-loop data gathering toward real-time closed-loop correction and ultimately predictive fault prevention through digital twins. The synthesis provides quantitative routes from formulation through process to function, establishing a practical foundation for predictive, reproducible hydrogel manufacturing and application-oriented design. Full article

In this work, an eco-friendly 3D screen printing technique implemented in roll-to-roll technology for the manufacturing of flexible electronics is presented. The conductive ink was prepared through the decomposition of hydrogen peroxide, an eco-friendly reagent, onto the surfaces of silver nanoparticles. A biodegradable master pattern for screen printing was printed by 3D fused deposition modeling using a polylactic acid filament. This technique was implemented to fabricate hybrid touch-sensitive sensors, to be used as electrical switches, on both photographic and conventional office papers. The functionality of these sensors was demonstrated, and the systems were tested under aging and bending conditions, proving the reliability of this technological approach in flexible electronics and offering a biodegradable alternative. Full article