A Continuum Robotic Bioprinter for in situ Vocal Fold Repair

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Regenerative Medicine
• Surgical Technology

Background:

• Phonosurgery for vocal fold lesions requires effective wound filling biomaterials like hydrogels.
• Accurate in situ hydrogel deposition is crucial for therapeutic efficiency but remains challenging.
• Existing in situ bioprinting shows promise for tissue repair in various anatomical sites.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and evaluate a minimally invasive in situ flexible endoscopic bioprinter for vocal fold tissue repair.
• To assess the accuracy and feasibility of depositing adhesive hydrogels onto vocal fold defect models.

Main Methods:

• Development of a flexible endoscopic bioprinter for in situ hydrogel deposition.
• Implementation of a data-driven model for real-time nozzle-position control.
• Evaluation of printing accuracy, resolution, and construct fabrication on simulated vocal fold defects.

Main Results:

• Achieved highly accurate nozzle-position control with a 1.33 mm position error.
• Demonstrated a printing resolution of 1.2 mm.
• Successfully printed 20 mm constructs and recreated natural vocal fold geometry on simulated defects.

Conclusions:

• The developed endoscopic bioprinter enables accurate and controlled deposition of hydrogels for vocal fold tissue repair.
• This technology shows significant potential for improving phonosurgery outcomes.
• Further research can explore clinical applications for treating vocal fold pathologies.