A team of engineers from the University of New South Wales in Sydney, Australia has developed a small and flexible robotic arm that can 3D print materials directly onto the surface of living human organs.
The device, which works similarly to an endoscope, can be inserted at specific sites on a patient's body and layers of specialized biomaterials can be layered to rebuild tissues, clean wounds, and even make small incisions, said developers. surgery.
“Current 3D bio-printing technologies require creating biomaterials in a laboratory, implanting them into the human body that then requires extensive open surgery,” said Than Nhu Do, UNSW Professor of Biomedical Engineering and team leader, in a press release. infection. "
Du added, “Our 3D bioprinter means that biomaterials can be delivered directly to target tissues or organs using minimally invasive methods. The system provides the ability to accurately reconstruct wounds in the body in three dimensions, for example: injuries to the stomach wall or the inside of the colon.” Injury and disease.
It should be noted that this is not the first dedicated integrated 3D printer. For example, in 2020, a group of Chinese researchers developed a small robot that can be used to treat stomach ulcers.
But Du and his colleagues say their bot is better in several ways. It's small for starters, less than half an inch in diameter, and it can also bend and twist its body thanks to hydraulics. So far, the team has tested the proof-of-concept in an artificial colon, performing experiments that imprinted different shapes on the surface of pig kidneys.
In addition to 3D printing of biomaterials, the robot could be used to remove certain types of cancer with an "electric scalpel," a needle-like tool that makes incisions with a precise arc. The water pumped through the nozzle can also be used to clean excess blood and tissue.
The researchers point out that these different instruments can be used simultaneously, making it a "universal endoscopic instrument," thus avoiding the use of interchangeable instruments, which often extend procedure time and increase the risk of infection.
The engineers say the next step will be to test the new soft robot on live animals to see if it is safe for use on humans. Engineers also plan to expand the tool with a 3D scanner and integrated cameras for real-time imaging.