A Continuum Robotic Bioprinter for in situ Vocal Fold Repair

Phonosurgery to remove large lesions may require the local delivery of wound filling biomaterials, such as hydrogels. Accurate deposition of hydrogels in situ remains challenging, reducing therapeutic efficiency. In-situ bioprinting has demonstrated efficient and accurate hydrogel delivery for skin, bone and, muscle tissue. Here we present a minimally invasive in situ flexible endoscopic bioprinter and demonstrate its ability to deposit adhesive hydrogels onto vocal fold defect models for tissue repair. A data-driven model for real-time control was developed, resulting in highly accurate control of the nozzle-position with a 1.33 mm position error. The printing resolution was 1.2 mm. Functionality of the design was demonstrated by printing 20 mm constructs on a flat surface. Printing functionality was further demonstrated by recreating the natural geometry of the vocal fold body on simulated defects. The results indicate the feasibility for accurate control on the deposition location and distribution of hydrogels on vocal folds.