Surgeons may one day be able to ‘print’ cellular structures directly inside the human body. — AFP Relaxnews
It appears that a fundamental step toward 3D bioprinting inside the human body becoming a reality has been taken. Researchers at the University of New South Wales, Australia, have developed a robotic arm that can 3D print living cells inside the human body. This could revolutionise surgical procedures in the future.
This printing prototype, named F3DB, takes the form of a soft and flexible miniature robotic arm. It is capable of 3D printing living cells directly onto internal organs such as a kidney. For their research, the scientists tested the device within an artificial colon, directing it to reach the targeted organ.
Three-dimensional bioprinting consists in producing biomedical parts from ‘bioinks’. Until now, it has been used outside the living body. The new research, however, looks at how it could be used directly on the organs of a patient to reconstruct damaged tissue.
The team's work has led to the creation of a tiny 3D biological printer with a rotating head that can be inserted into the body like an endoscope, in order to ‘print’ cells directly on the surface of internal organs. Two printing techniques are possible: pre-programmed shapes or shapes created manually during the intervention.
Water can also be directed through the nozzle to clean blood and excess tissue away from the area during the printing process. The smallest of the prototypes produced has a diameter similar to that of conventional medical endoscopes, about 12 mm, but in the future all of this equipment may well be further shrunk down.
The next step in the development of this new technology will be to conduct tests on live animals. According to the developers, a model that can be used by professionals could be available within five to seven years. It could then be used to access areas that are difficult to reach with traditional skin incisions, such as injuries to the gastric wall or disease-related damage inside the colon.
The whole process is detailed in an article published in Advanced Science. – AFP Relaxnews
