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This review synthesizes progress across SMP chemistry, biomedical applications, manufacturing strategies, and clinical translation, emphasizing vat photopolymerization methods such as stereolithography (SLA) and digital light processing (DLP). It highlights spatiotemporally controlled architectures for minimally invasive implants, dynamic tissue scaffolds, and multifunctional drug delivery, while addressing key barriers to clinical adoption including cytotoxicity, sterilization, regulatory requirements, and device shelf-life. The work links resin design, processing, and biomedical performance to guide future directions and next-generation patient-centered devices.",{"@graph":69,"@context":122},[70,84,105],{"@type":71,"itemListElement":72},"BreadcrumbList",[73,77,79,82],{"item":74,"name":75,"@type":76,"position":8},"https://docshare.wps.com","Home","ListItem",{"item":78,"name":9,"@type":76,"position":14},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/",{"item":80,"name":35,"@type":76,"position":81},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/healthcare/",3,{"item":83,"name":65,"@type":76,"position":19},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/four-dimensional-printing-of-shape-memory-polymers-for-biomedical-applications-advances-in-dlp-and-sla-manufacturing/466917/",{"url":83,"name":65,"@type":85,"image":86,"author":91,"headline":65,"publisher":94,"fileFormat":97,"inLanguage":63,"description":67,"dateModified":98,"datePublished":99,"encodingFormat":97,"isAccessibleForFree":100,"interactionStatistic":101},"DigitalDocument",{"url":87,"@type":88,"width":89,"height":90},"https://docshare.wps.com/thumbnails/four-dimensional-printing-of-shape-memory-polymers-for-biomedical-applications-advances-in-dlp-and-sla-manufacturing/466917.png","ImageObject",300,407,{"name":92,"@type":93},"Ben ","Person",{"url":74,"name":95,"@type":96},"DocShare","Organization","application/pdf","2026-10-31","2026-09-30",true,{"@type":102,"interactionType":103,"userInteractionCount":39},"InteractionCounter",{"@type":104},"ViewAction",{"@type":106,"mainEntity":107},"FAQPage",[108,114,118],{"name":109,"@type":110,"acceptedAnswer":111},"What are shape memory polymers (SMPs) and what capability do they provide?","Question",{"text":112,"@type":113},"SMPs are stimuli-responsive smart materials that return to a predetermined permanent shape after mechanical deformation when exposed to external triggers. This behavior is governed by the shape memory effect (SME).","Answer",{"name":115,"@type":110,"acceptedAnswer":116},"How do 4D-printed SMPs support biomedical applications?",{"text":117,"@type":113},"4D-printed SMPs enable spatiotemporally controlled architectures that can be used for minimally invasive implants, dynamic tissue scaffolds, and multifunctional drug delivery. 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Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license.  \n1 Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of North Texas, Denton, TX 76203, USA  \n2 Texas Academy of Mathematics and Science, University of North Texas, Denton, TX 76203, USA  \n* [Correspondence: melanie.ecker@unt.edu](Correspondence: melanie.ecker@unt.edu)  \nAbstract  \nShape memory polymers (SMPs) represent an innovative class of materials that possess programmed, reversible shape-changing capabilities in response to external stimuli. The recent emergence of SMPs’ advanced manufacturing, specifically 4D printing, has created exceptional opportunities for use in biomedical engineering. This review presents a critical synthesis of the latest advances in the chemistry, biomedical applications, manufacturing strategies, and clinical translation of SMPs, highlighting vat photopolymerization techniques, such as stereolithography (SLA) and digital light processing (DLP) . Notably, 4D-printed SMPs can promote spatiotemporally controlled architectures, and applications include minimally invasive implants, dynamic tissue scaffolds, and multifunctional drug delivery. This paper focuses on recent advances in resin design, multi-responsive and nanocomposite resins, AI-guided material discovery, and emerging biocompatible and biodegradable formulations, while outlining current roadblocks to clinical implementation, including cytotoxicity, sterilization, regulatory compliance, and device shelf-life. Our goal is to elucidate the relationship between material design, processing, and biomedical performance to inform researchers of potential future directions for 4D-printed SMPs and next-generation, patient-centered medical devices.  \nKeywords: shape memory polymers (SMPs); DLP; SLA; 4D-printing; biomedical applications; smart materials  \n1. Introduction  \nShape memory polymers (SMPs) are stimuli-responsive smart materials, which possess a preeminent ability to return to their predetermined permanent shape following mechanical deformation through the application of certain external triggers. This is achieved through induction of shape memory effect (SME), which causes the polymer chains to assume an entropically favorable conformation, varying with chemical composition and morphology [1] . The mechanism utilized during SMP synthesis, either physically or chemically crosslinked, defines the structural properties, which can be physically or chemically crosslinked. Activation of SME (Figure 1) is based on external stimuli, such as temperature, electromagnetic radiation, hydration, and/or chemical cues [2–6] . Most commonly reported in the literature, temperature-induced triggers have been explored for their biocompatibility, tunable mechanical properties, and responsiveness. SMPs are tackling existing biomedical problems with novel solutions, and recent advances in manufacturing techniques,  \nlike 4D and vat printing, open new possibilities for customizing functionality with nearlimitless control over material design, architecture, and fabrication [7–9] .  \nFigure 1. Schematic representation of shape memory effect (SME), in which the material can be temporarily deformed below the transition temperature (T trans), and returns to the permanent, preprogrammed shape upon subsequent heating.  \nThis comprehensive review aims to provide an in-depth analysis of the current state and future prospects of 4D-printed SMPs in biomedical applications, specifically outlining up-to-d","cbCaikJqCOkUTqao","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCaikJqCOkUTqao","pdf",6760472,45,"English","# Introduction\n## Shape memory polymers and stimuli-responsive mechanisms\n## 4D printing as a paradigm shift for biomedical devices\n## SMP programming using physiological signals\n## Challenges and enabling strategies for clinical translation","[{\"question\":\"What are shape memory polymers (SMPs) and what capability do they provide?\",\"answer\":\"SMPs are stimuli-responsive smart materials that return to a predetermined permanent shape after mechanical deformation when exposed to external triggers. This behavior is governed by the shape memory effect (SME).\"},{\"question\":\"How do 4D-printed SMPs support biomedical applications?\",\"answer\":\"4D-printed SMPs enable spatiotemporally controlled architectures that can be used for minimally invasive implants, dynamic tissue scaffolds, and multifunctional drug delivery. They can use physiological signals such as temperature, pH, and moisture to activate SME.\"},{\"question\":\"Which vat photopolymerization techniques are highlighted for manufacturing 4D-printed SMPs?\",\"answer\":\"The review emphasizes stereolithography (SLA) and digital light processing (DLP) as key vat photopolymerization techniques for producing SMP structures with advanced design control.\"}]","Four-Dimensional Printing of Shape Memory Polymers for Biomedical Applications - Advances in DLP and SLA Manufacturing | PDF",1790772054,113]