A scientific and technological breakthrough can become a solution for many patients who undergo surgery and have large scars on their body. It involves 3D printing human skin for use in reconstructive procedures.
Scientists at Penn State University in the USdeveloped a technology called IOB (Intraoperative Bioprinting) that allows for intraoperative three-dimensional skin printing, It speeds up the recovery process and reduces visible marks.
3D bioprinting of skin was patented by this group of scientists at the United States Patent and Trademark Office, It’s not just medical progress, Technology in Advances in 3D PrintingIt is used in various industries.
The research, published in Bioactive Materials, has achieved something that has not been done to date: Print a large number of skin layers, including the hypodermis, the deepest layer of the human body.
The scientists conducted experiments using laboratory mice to evaluate the effectiveness of this technology in hair regeneration and the aesthetic appearance of the reconstructions. Lab animals treated with 3D printed skin showed significant hair growth in the affected areas, This technology not only contributes to skin regeneration, but also proves to improve the aesthetic appearance of the affected areas.
Prof. Ibrahim D. Osbolat, the head of the research, assures that This approach Applications may include areas such as dermatology, hair transplantation, plastic and reconstructive surgery, Provides more aesthetic and accurate results.
„With the potential for fully automated bioprinting and clinically graded compatible materials, this technology will have a significant impact on precision skin reconstruction,” said the professor.
Most of these good results are due to the fact that bioprinting is performed automatically and the material is directly compatible with the patient. It creates a positive impact on quality of life and recovery processes.
The compounds used to make the mold-activated biotin were produced by Milton S. of the University, who was responsible for the research. Blocked adipose tissue from patients undergoing surgery at Hershey Medical Center. But stem cells are used to feed the printer and a freezing solution is used to bind all the organs together.
Although the advances in this research have already been patented, the report does not yet reveal details on specific cases or its widespread commercial use, so we will have to wait to determine the scope of this development.
A team of researchers from the Federal Institute of Technology Zurich (ETHZ) in Switzerland, in collaboration with US startup Inkbit, 3D printing combined to create an anatomically correct model of a hand (including bones, muscles and ligaments) using only 3D printing technology.
As part of the project, The research team also used different types of polymers for 3D printers, All the components of the device fulfill an anatomical function and allow the installation of sensors and motors that allow the natural movement of a real human hand.
Although the hand they created includes these types of elements, the reality is that the nature of the project creates the need to work using more than one type of material so that it can replicate a real element.
The development team of this technology was able to print a full-scale prototype. It is lightweight and can be made in minutes by a printer with the right materials, without implying a sudden change in weight for patients to bear on an extremity.