A new field of tissue engineering aims to harness the natural ability of humans
A key area of activity for biomedicalengineers have been designing and developing 3D-printed scaffolds that can be implanted into the body to support cell regrowth. But making these structures small and complex enough for cells to develop normally remains a major challenge.
Instead of doing bioscaffolds directly,The team 3D printed shapes with intricately patterned cavities and then filled them with biocompatible materials. Using an indirect approach, the team created fingernail-sized biolocations filled with complex structures that were previously considered impossible with standard 3D printers.
Lead researcher Dr Cathal O'Connell said the new biotechnology method was cost-effective and easily scalable because it relied on widely available technology.
"The shapes you can create withA standard 3D printer is limited by the size of the print nozzle—the hole has to be big enough to let the material through, and ultimately that affects how small you can print,” O'Connell said. “But the gaps between printed materials can be much smaller and much more complex. So we essentially draw the desired structure into the empty space inside our 3D printed mold. This allows us to create tiny, complex microstructures in which cells will thrive.”
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