The adoption of laser powder bed fusion (L-PBF) for metals by the industry has been limited despite the significant progress made in the development of the process chain. One of the key obstacles is the inconsistency of the parts obtained from L-PBF. Due to its complexity, there are many potential fluctuations that can occur within the process chain which can lead to quality inconsistency in L-PBF parts. Machine learning (ML) has the possibility to overcome this obstacle by utilising datasets obtained at various stages of the L-PBF process chain. In this perspective article, the integration of ML into the different stages of L-PBF process chain, which potentially lead to better quality control, is explored. Prior to L-PBF, ML can be used for part designs and file preparation. Then, ML algorithms can be applied in the process parameter optimisation and in situ monitoring. Finally, ML can also be integrated into the post-processing.

Mussel-inspired polydopamine (PDA) has emerged as a promising molecule used for anchoring synthetic and biological substances or forming an adhesive layer onto various substrates for biomedical and nanotechnology applications because of its outstanding properties. This review article provides an overview of the recent progress in the PDA-based materials, including synthesis of nanoparticles, capsules, structure-mechanism, physicochemical and biological properties, and medical applications. Frist, to understand how PDA nanoparticles, capsules and films produce the unique properties is insight on the processing parameters. Next, we highlight what is known regarding the mechanism of self-polymerization and the structure features of dopamine (DA), which is based on the formation of covalent bond or through a combination mode between monomers. The inherent hydrophilicity and adhesive property of PDA with the coexistence of catechol and amine functionalities provide desirable surface characteristics without the need for further modification. Finally, successful applications, such as grafting substances, biomineralization, antifouling and antibacterial coatings, drug/gene delivery, and tissue engineering, reported to date involving PDA will be focused. The future study of PDA to develop novel materials with unique properties is emerging for specific nanomedicine applications.

Medical models, or “phantoms,” have been widely used for medical training and for doctor-patient interactions. They are increasingly used for surgical planning, medical computational models, algorithm verification and validation, and medical devices development. Such new applications demand high-fidelity, patient-specific, tissue-mimicking medical phantoms that can not only closely emulate the geometric structures of human organs, but also possess the properties and functions of the organ structure. With the rapid advancement of three-dimensional (3D) printing and 3D bioprinting technologies, many researchers have explored the use of these additive manufacturing techniques to fabricate functional medical phantoms for various applications. This paper reviews the applications of these 3D printing and 3D bioprinting technologies for the fabrication of functional medical phantoms and bio-structures. This review specifically discusses the state of the art along with new developments and trends in 3D printed functional medical phantoms (i.e., tissue-mimicking medical phantoms, radiologically relevant medical phantoms, and physiological medical phantoms) and 3D bio-printed structures (i.e., hybrid scaffolding materials, convertible scaffolds, and integrated sensors) for regenerated tissues and organs

Gelatin-methacryloyl (GelMa) is a very versatile biomaterial widely used in various biomedical applications. The addition of methacryloyl makes it possible to have hydrogels with varying mechanical properties due to its photocuring characteristics. In addition, gelatin is obtained and derived from natural material; thus, it retains various cell-friendly motifs, such as arginine-glycine-aspartic acid, which then provides implanted cells with a friendly environment for proliferation and differentiation. In this study, we fabricated human dermal fibroblast cell (hDF)-laden photocurable GelMa hydrogels with varying physical properties (5%, 10%, and 15%) and assessed them for cellular responses and behavior, including cell spreading, proliferation, and the degree of extracellular matrix remodeling. Under similar photocuring conditions, lower concentrations of GelMa hydrogels had lower mechanical properties than higher concentrations. Furthermore, other properties, such as swelling and degradation, were compared in this study. In addition, our findings revealed that there were increased remodeling and proliferation markers in the 5% GelMa group, which had lower mechanical properties. However, it was important to note that cellular viabilities were not affected by the stiffness of the hydrogels. With this result in mind, we attempted to fabricate 5–15% GelMa scaffolds (20 × 20 × 3 mm³) to assess their feasibility for use in skin regeneration applications. The results showed that both 10% and 15% GelMa scaffolds could be fabricated easily at room temperature by adjusting several parameters, such as printing speed and extrusion pressure. However, since the sol-gel temperature of 5% GelMa was noted to be lower than its counterparts, 5% GelMa scaffolds had to be printed at low temperatures. In conclusion, GelMa once again was shown to be an ideal biomaterial for various tissue engineering applications due to its versatile mechanical and biological properties. This study showed the feasibility of GelMa in skin tissue engineering and its potential as an alternative for skin transplants.