New robot can 3D bioprint inside the human body

By Dean Murray via SWNS

A new device can 3D print living cells - inside the human body.

Researchers have unveiled a prototype for direct use on internal organs with potential for use as an all-in-one endoscopic surgical tool.

Engineers from UNSW Sydney have developed a miniature and flexible soft robotic arm which could be used to 3D print biomaterial directly onto organs inside a person’s body.

3D bioprinting is a process whereby biomedical parts are fabricated from so-called bioink to construct natural tissue-like structures.

Bioprinting is predominantly used for research purposes such as tissue engineering and in the development of new drugs – and normally requires the use of large 3D printing machines to produce cellular structures outside the living body.

The research team tested the device inside an artificial colon where it was able to traverse through confined spaces before successfully 3D printing.

The new research from UNSW Medical Robotics Lab, led by Dr. Thanh Nho Do and his PhD student, Mai Thanh Thai, is in collaboration with other researchers from UNSW.

Their work has resulted in a tiny flexible 3D bioprinter that has the ability to be inserted into the body just like an endoscope and directly deliver multilayered biomaterials onto the surface of internal organs and tissues.

The proof-of-concept device, known as F3DB, features a highly maneuverable swivel head that prints the bioink, attached to the end of a long and flexible snake-like robotic arm, all of which can be controlled externally.

The research team says that with further development, and potentially within five to seven years, the technology could be used by medical professionals to access hard-to-reach areas inside the body via small skin incisions or natural orifices.

Do and his team have tested their device inside an artificial colon, as well as 3D printing a variety of materials with different shapes on the surface of a pig’s kidney.

“Existing 3D bioprinting techniques require biomaterials to be made outside the body and implanting that into a person would usually require large open-field open surgery which increases infection risks,” said Do, a Scientia Senior Lecturer at UNSW’s Graduate School of Biomedical Engineering (GSBmE) and Tyree Foundation Institute of Health Engineering (IHealthE).

“Our flexible 3D bioprinter means biomaterials can be directly delivered into the target tissue or organs with a minimally invasive approach.

“This system offers the potential for the precise reconstruction of three-dimensional wounds inside the body, such as gastric wall injuries or damage and disease inside the colon.

“Our prototype is able to 3D print multilayered biomaterials of different sizes and shape through confined and hard-to-reach areas, thanks to its flexible body.

The findings, developed with Scientia professor Nigel Lovell, Dr. Hoang-Phuong Phan, and associate professor Jelena Rnjak-Kovacina, are detailed in a paper published in Advanced Science.

The next stage of development for the system, which has been granted a provisional patent, is in vivo testing on living animals to demonstrate its practical use.

The researchers also plan to implement additional features, such as an integrated camera and real-time scanning system which would reconstruct the 3D tomography of the moving tissue inside the body.