UPDATE


Editorial: Facilitating collaboration and minimizing compatibility issues with 3D printing –up- date to rapid prototyping using 3D printing in bioanalytical research


Chengsen Zhang*,1 , Brandon J Bills2 , Greta Ren2 & Nicholas E Manicke2 1Global technology center, Firestone building products, Fishers, IN 46037, USA 2Department of Chemistry & Chemical Biology, Indiana University-Purdue, University Indianapolis,


Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA *Author for correspondence: zchengsen@gmail.com


Following the publication of our Editorial, ‘Rapid prototyping using 3D printing in bioanalytical research’ in Bioanalysis, our lab continues to find more applications for 3D printing. In a recently published paper, we described an all-in-one 3D printed mass spectrometry cartridge with built in protein enrichment and ionization for targeted protein biomarker detection from human plasma [1]. We benefited from the fast and low-cost technology of 3D printing by facilitating collaboration between lab groups. Specifically, our collaborator was interested in applying the SPE cartridge in her research to decrease the detection limit for a target molecule. In this case, we would typically send one cartridge prototype and our collaborator would be required to clean and re-package the SPE cartridge after each analysis. Tis would be laborious and time-consuming. However, with 3D printing, we shortened the process by printing copies and shipping the cartridges to our collaborator. Te 3D printed cartridges were ready-for-use and disposable, so our collaborator could perform a quick test. In the future, we may not even need to ship cartridges at all. After we develop a new cartridge, its electronic design can be shared with our collaborator and the device could be printed in their lab. In this way, the up-to-date versions are synchronously used between collaborating labs.


The chemical compatibility of printing materi- als is an important consideration for 3D printed analytical devices, as many common 3D printed materials exhibit poor chemical resistance. For example, polylactic acid and acrylonitrile butadiene styrene will swell or dissolve when exposed to organic solvents commonly used in mass spectrometry, such as methanol and aceto- nitrile. These issues may result in sample solu- tion leaking or severe background noise in the mass spectrum. Recently, we explored another material, polypropylene, which is widely used in laboratory equipment due to its resistance to many solvents, acids and bases. Our lab has been printing with it for a while and test results have shown that it is more rugged and presents less chemical interferences than other 3D printed materials. In the case of medical devices, bio- compatibility of a printing material is more critical. Polydimethylsiloxane, a widely recognized biocompatible material, has been 3D printed as the tip of a MasSpec Pen for in vivo can- cer diagnosis [2]. As more


materials become 3D printable, the compatibility issues may be eliminated entirely.


Financial & competing interests disclosure The authors have no relevant affiliations or finan- cial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript. This includes employment, con- sultancies, honoraria, stock ownership or options, expert testimony, grants or patents received or pending, or royalties. No writing assistance was utilized in the pro-


duction of this manuscript.


References 1. Zhang C, Glaros T, Manicke NE. Targeted protein detection using an all-in-one mass spec- trometry cartridge. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 139 (32), 10996–10999 (2017). 2. Zhang J, Rector J, Lin JQ et al. Nondestructive tissue analysis for ex vivo and in vivo cancer diag- nosis using a handheld mass spectrometry system. Sci. Transl. Med. 9, eaan3968 (2017).


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