Printable organs
Encyclopedia
Using modified inkjet printer
s into 3d printers
, scientists are producing three-dimensional living biological tissue
. The printer cartridges are washed out and filled with a suspension of living cells and a "smart gel". Alternating patterns of the smart gel and living cells are printed using a standard print nozzle. The cells fuse together to form tissue, and tube formation has been demonstrated with ovarian hamster
cells. When finished, the gel is cooled and washed away, leaving behind only the live cells.
The gel is heat sensitive - solidifying at 32 degrees celsius and liquifying at 20 degrees.
Researchers:
Inkjet printer
An inkjet printer is a type of computer printer that creates a digital image by propelling droplets of ink onto paper. Inkjet printers are the most commonly used type of printer and range from small inexpensive consumer models to very large professional machines that can cost up to thousands of...
s into 3d printers
3D printing
3D printing is a form of additive manufacturing technology where a three dimensional object is created by laying down successive layers of material. 3D printers are generally faster, more affordable, and easier to use than other additive manufacturing technologies. However, the term 3D printing is...
, scientists are producing three-dimensional living biological tissue
Biological tissue
Tissue is a cellular organizational level intermediate between cells and a complete organism. A tissue is an ensemble of cells, not necessarily identical, but from the same origin, that together carry out a specific function. These are called tissues because of their identical functioning...
. The printer cartridges are washed out and filled with a suspension of living cells and a "smart gel". Alternating patterns of the smart gel and living cells are printed using a standard print nozzle. The cells fuse together to form tissue, and tube formation has been demonstrated with ovarian hamster
Hamster
Hamsters are rodents belonging to the subfamily Cricetinae. The subfamily contains about 25 species, classified in six or seven genera....
cells. When finished, the gel is cooled and washed away, leaving behind only the live cells.
The gel is heat sensitive - solidifying at 32 degrees celsius and liquifying at 20 degrees.
External links
- http://feed.proteinos.com/item/3820
- http://www.newscientist.com/article.ns?id=dn3292
- Saunders (PDF)
- Organ printing: Fiction or science?
- pictures
Researchers:
- Vladmir Mironov http://cba.musc.edu/faculty/MironovV.htm
- Thomas Boland http://people.clemson.edu/~tboland/OP/
- Anthony AtalaAnthony AtalaAnthony Atala, M.D., is the W.H. Boyce Professor and Director of the Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine, and Chair of the Department of Urology at the Wake Forest University School of Medicine in North Carolina...
http://www1.wfubmc.edu/oprd/physdetail.htm?PhysicianID=843 - Anna Gutowska (developed the thermo sensitive smartgel)