Cambridge, UK

In the near future, it might become possible to carry out medical surgeries without having to cut the skin open; all thanks to researchers at Duke University and Harvard Medical School.

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In a new proof of concept published Thursday (Dec 7) in Science, they demonstrated a 3D printer that uses ultrasound to print biomaterials inside an organ.

The researchers behind the path-breaking technology are Junjie Yao, a bioengineer at Duke University; and his co-primary investigator Yu Shrike Zhang.

Biggest problem that the researchers faced

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Many 3D printing technologies utilise light to solidify ink into structures, often requiring printing on surfaces. 

This poses challenges for creating minimally invasive structures, as surgery is typically necessary for implantation. 

“That’s really the limit of current bioprinting technology,” said Yao. So, the researchers came up with the idea to make a printer that uses ultrasound waves which travel deeper through opaque materials.

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“So we are developing this ultrasound printer, which uses ultrasound waves to convert the sono-ink developed by Shirke’s lab into three-dimensional structures actually inside the tissue without the need to print it out, then implant it into the tissue,” Yao was quoted as saying by STAT News.

Finding solution

The printer, designed by Yao and his team, employs a focused ultrasound transducer to convert electrical energy into sound waves, enabling the creation of intricate structures layer by layer within tissues. 

The researchers successfully printed a bone-shaped structure through pig skin and muscle, simulated bone reconstruction, treated atrial fibrillation by printing a patch on an ex vivo heart, and delivered chemotherapy through a 14-millimetre-thick pig liver.

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“I think what was pretty innovative was the use of ultrasound to do this kind of gelling of materials so deep into the [organ] with a non-invasive technology like ultrasound, which really has minimal side effects,” Adam Feinberg, a professor at Carnegie Mellon University with expertise in biomedical engineering and material science, was quoted as saying by STAT. 

Feinberg, who did not participate in the study, described the research as a “unique” application of technology.

(With inputs from agencies)