Medical Research Archives - 3D Printing Media Network

Tess Boissonneault March 19, 2019

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University of Pretoria prof performs first 3D printed ear bone transplant

A medical specialist from the University of Pretoria (UP) Faculty of Health Sciences has pioneered a new surgical procedure that uses 3D printed middle ear bones to treat conductive hearing loss. The innovative solution was recently demonstrated in the world’s first 3D printed middle ear transplant. Conductive hearing loss is…

Tess Boissonneault March 11, 2019

1,108

3D printed device shows promise for treating Parkinson’s disease

The impact 3D printing is having on life-changing applications is truly something to behold. Though the technology is not yet living up to the much-hyped expectations of 3D printed organs, it is still being used in a variety of ways to innovate within the healthcare sector. Metal 3D printing, for…

Davide Sher March 4, 2019

884

Functional bioprinted kidney tubules to be used for drug testing and improved dialysis

Wyss Institute Core Faculty member Jennifer Lewis, Sc.D. is leading some of the most advanced and yet very real progress in 3D bioprinting. Unlike others, her team is not promising 3D bioprinted organs for transplants any time soon but nevertheless her research does focus on the body’s most complex biostructures,…

Tess Boissonneault February 14, 2019

693

Aspect Biosystems, NRC developing 3D bioprinted models for brain disease

Aspect Biosystems, a Vancouver-based biotech company is working with the National Research Council of Canada (NRC) to develop 3D bioprinted therapeutic models which could improve treatments for central nervous systems diseases, such as Alzheimer’s and ALS. The partners are currently developing 3D therapeutic models of the blood-brain barrier, an important…

A team of engineers from the University of Maryland (UMD) have developed the world’s smallest 3D printed fluid circuit element using a new nanoprinting technique. The 3D printed fluid circuit diode, which measures just one-tenth of the width of a human hair, helps liquids flow in a single direction in microfluidic devices and could be used in implantable devices to release drugs into the body in a controlled manner. Scientists around the globe have been exploring and advancing 3D nanoprinting processes to create tiny medical devices and organ-on-a-chip systems. Up until now, however, the technology has been somewhat limited in terms of scale because of challenges of printing microfluidic devices with no leakages and extremely precise fluid control. In other words, while the devices could be made on a small scale, it was too expensive and too challenging to print features at a scale as tiny as the one recently demonstrated. “This really put a limit on how small your device could be," said Andrew Lamont, a bioengineering student who developed the approach and led the tests as part of his doctoral research. "After all, the microfluidic circuitry in your microrobot can't be larger than the robot itself." The breakthrough microfluidic helical coil spring diode from UMD was 3D printed using an in situ direct laser writing process (inDLW) that is not tethered by the same cost and complexity challenges as existing systems. The innovative strategy was developed by Ryan Sochol, an assistant professor in mechanical engineering and bioengineering at UMD and graduate students Andrew Lamont and Abdullah Alsharhan. The novel technique uses a process called sol-gel to fully achor the diode to the walls of a micro-scale channel 3D printed from a common polymer material. The tiny diode could be printed directly inside the channel, from the top down, using a layer-by-layer method. This technique, the engineers explain, results in a “fully sealed, 3D microfluidic diode” that is both faster to produce and significantly cheaper than an equivalent part made using another approach. The microfluidic diode was further improved by reshaping the microchannel walls to have increased outward tapering, which ensured a stronger seal. Having a strong seal is essential as it protects the circuit from contamination and ensures that the fluid in the device is only released when it is intended. "Where previous methods required researchers to sacrifice time and cost to build similar components, our approach allows us to essentially have our cake and eat it too," Sochol explained. "Now, researchers can 3D nanoprint complex fluidic systems faster, cheaper, and with less labor than ever before.” He added: “Just as shrinking electric circuits revolutionized the field of electronics, the ability to dramatically reduce the size of 3D printed microfluidic circuitry sets the stage for a new era in fields like pharmaceutical screening, medical diagnostics, and microrobotics.” The full study was recently published in the journal Scientific Reports.

Victor Anusci January 25, 2019

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3D nanoprinting technique enables faster and cheaper microfluidic devices

A team of engineers from the University of Maryland (UMD) have developed the world’s smallest 3D printed fluid circuit element using a new nanoprinting technique. The 3D printed fluid circuit diode, which measures just one-tenth of the width of a human hair, helps liquids flow in a single direction in…

Tess Boissonneault January 15, 2019

1,766

3D printed implant shows promise for treating spinal cord injuries

In a big step forward for medical 3D printing, researchers from the University of California San Diego School of Medicine and the Institute of Engineering in Medicine have 3D printed spinal cord scaffolds and successfully implanted them into the spines of rats to treat spinal injuries. The 3D printed spinal…

Tess Boissonneault January 9, 2019

1,013

3D printed absorber could reduce toxic side effects of chemotherapy

A joint team of researchers from American universities has developed a 3D printed device that is capable of absorbing excess chemotherapy drugs from a patient’s body. The novel device could make chemotherapy treatments more effective while reducing the negative side effects of the harsh drugs on cancer patients. Though an…

Tess Boissonneault January 2, 2019

910

Researcher 3D prints life-size human phantom model for radiation therapy

A researcher from the Louisiana State University (LSU) Biological and Agricultural Engineering department has 3D printed a life-sized phantom body for radiation therapy research and testing. Measuring 5’1”, the 3D printed model is the first of its kind. About a year ago, LSU researcher Meagan Moore set out to create…

Tess Boissonneault December 23, 2018

1,137

Are 3D printed ingestible capsules the future of drug delivery?

The days of weekly pill boxes and carefully planning dosages could soon be over thanks to a number of innovations brought about with 3D printing. The latest on this front comes from MIT, Draper and Brigham and Women’s Hospital, which have collectively developed a 3D printed ingestible capsule capable of…

Tess Boissonneault December 19, 2018

1,086

3D printed scaffolds enable scientists to isolate breast cancer cells

A biomedical research team from the University of Girona in Spain has found a way to isolate breast cancer stem cells in part thanks to 3D printed scaffolds. The team says that this ability will make it easier to study breast cancer cells and to develop pharmaceutical treatments that will…