A handheld bioprinter for multi-material printing of complex constructs.

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Regenerative Medicine
• Materials Science

Background:

• In situ bioprinting offers site-specific delivery of pro-healing constructs for tissue repair.
• Printing multiple materials simultaneously or sequentially allows for tissue biomimicry.
• Existing bioprinting technologies often lack portability and precise control over material properties.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a novel, low-priced, modular handheld bioprinter for in situ bioprinting.
• To demonstrate the fabrication of shape-controlled, multi-component fibers with controlled properties.
• To explore the applications of the bioprinted fibers in drug delivery, biosensing, and cancer modeling.

Main Methods:

• Integration of stereolithography 3D printing and microfluidic technologies.
• Development of an ergonomic handheld bioprinter for controlled biofabrication.
• Incorporation of drug-loaded microcarriers, conductive materials, and pH-responsive dyes into bioinks.

Main Results:

• Successful fabrication of multi-component fibers with diverse cross-sectional shapes and material compositions.
• Demonstration of on-demand, temporal, and dosage-controlled drug delivery using printed fibers.
• Creation of functional biosensors, wearable electronics, and cell-laden fibers with high cell viability.
• Modeling of cancer cell invasion into adjacent tissues using multi-component cell-laden fibers.

Conclusions:

• The developed handheld bioprinter provides exquisite control over bioink properties for in situ applications.
• The platform offers versatile applications in regenerative medicine, drug delivery, and wearable technology.
• This technology facilitates site-specific cell delivery and advanced tissue modeling, including cancer invasion.