Application of 3D printing in bacterial detection

Diseases caused by bacterial infections, especially pathogen variations and drug-resistant bacteria, are a serious threat to human health globally. Accurate and rapid identification of bacterial pathogens is essential for early diagnosis of infections and timely treatment of disease. At present, the routine diagnostic methods for identifying bacterial pathogens in clinic are bacterial culture, immunological detection, genetic analysis, etc. These methods occupy foundational position for bacterial detection that favors for clinical diagnosis of pathogen infection in daily life. Notably, 3D printing technology, together with 3D bioprinting technology, provides more options for bacterial detection due to its personalized design and manufacturing. Compared with traditional methods, 3D printing provides a more convenient, rapid and accurate bacterial detection platform, thus meeting the urgent needs of clinical and scientific research. Here, we have summarized the research progress and given a comprehensive review of 3D printing technology in bacterial detection, including bacterial detection sensors, microfluidic chips, bioprinting microarray technology, AI and spectroscopy technology, providing a scientific reference and filling in gaps in 3D printing-assistance bacterial detection. At the same time, technical advantages, challenges and future development trends will also be discussed in related healthcare fields.