A Pill That Prints-An Ingestible Bioprinter for Non-Invasive Structured Bioink Deposition

A foundational demonstration of a tetherless, ingestible bioprinter capable of controlled bioink deposition and patterning for potential applications in endoluminal tissue repair is presented. This ingestible microdevice, the first-of-its-kind, operates without tethers or onboard electronics and is guided using external imaging and magnetic actuation. By integrating near-infrared triggering and magnetic guidance, both applied from outside the body, the ability to guide the pill over target sites and deposit bioink in defined patterns, for ulcer coverage or hemorrhage sealing in ex vivo models is demonstrated. To enable this, the interplay is modeled and optimized between magnetic forces and stick-slip dynamics at the tissue interface, facilitating predictable surface-mediated navigation and patterning. In vivo studies in rabbit models showcase the technical feasibility of deployment, positioning, and controlled extrusion under fluoroscopic guidance. This work thus establishes core engineering principles for future development of non-invasive and untethered endoluminal bioprinting systems.