Imagine a world where you no longer have to wait for an organ transplant. Thanks to a team of innovative biomedical engineers at Carnegie Mellon University, this dream is becoming a reality. They have developed the first flexible, full-size 3D printed human heart that closely mimics the structure and elasticity of a real heart. This groundbreaking invention holds the promise of significant advancements in the medical field, potentially saving countless lives in the future.
You might be familiar with 3D printers that create objects by layering materials like plastic or metal. While these are great for making hard objects, they aren’t practical for replicating the soft, flexible nature of human organs. However, by using softer materials such as biological hydrogels, these printers can create more realistic organ models. The challenge has been that these soft materials often collapse during the printing process. But a new technique is changing the game.
The innovative 3D-printing method is known as Freeform Reversible Embedding of Suspended Hydrogels, or FRESH. This technique allows for the creation of biological structures using soft materials like alginate, a biomaterial derived from seaweed that closely resembles human tissue. FRESH addresses the collapsing issue by suspending the flexible materials within a gelatin support, allowing for precise and stable printing.
The process begins with an MRI scan of a real heart, which is digitally sliced into horizontal sections. These slices are then translated into code that guides the printer. A needle-like nozzle moves through a gelatin support bath, extruding thin layers of alginate that stack to form the heart shape. After printing, the model is placed in an incubator overnight, where the temperature is raised to gently melt away the gelatin, leaving only the 3D-printed heart.
Researchers have successfully reproduced features as thin as two sheets of paper, and in smaller-scale tests, as fine as a human hair. While previous 3D-printed hearts were often small and more suitable for animals, full-sized models can now serve as valuable educational tools for surgeons. These models allow surgeons to practice techniques on structures that behave more like real tissue.
One of the most exciting aspects of this technology is the potential for personalized medical solutions. For example, if a patient needs a stent for a blocked artery, a surgeon can test the stent on a 3D-printed model of the patient’s heart to ensure a perfect fit. The technology is also being used to design complex parts like collagen-printed heart valves and coronary arteries.
Despite these advancements, creating a fully functional beating heart remains a significant challenge. Using actual human tissues as “bio-ink” is currently very expensive, and scaling up from an artery to a complete heart is complex. A full-scale FRESH model takes about four days to complete, and producing a full-size heart requires billions of cells, which current technology cannot yet provide.
Nevertheless, the team at Carnegie Mellon is committed to refining FRESH technology to build more complex models. In the future, these printed tissues could be used to test drugs more safely, reduce animal testing, and even replace or repair damaged organs with new 3D-printed duplicates.
If you’re intrigued by the potential of 3D printed hearts, explore more about how researchers are using light to advance 3D printing technology. Stay tuned for more exciting developments in this field!
Participate in a hands-on workshop where you will use 3D printers to create simple models. This will help you understand the basics of 3D printing technology and the challenges involved in printing with flexible materials like biological hydrogels.
Analyze a case study on the application of FRESH technology in medical scenarios. Discuss in groups how this technology can revolutionize organ transplants and personalized medicine, and present your findings to the class.
Engage in a virtual reality session that allows you to explore a 3D model of a human heart. This immersive experience will give you a deeper understanding of heart anatomy and the complexities involved in replicating it through 3D printing.
Conduct research on the latest advancements in 3D bioprinting and present your findings. Focus on the potential future applications and the current limitations of this technology in the medical field.
Participate in a debate about the ethical implications of 3D printing human organs. Consider topics such as accessibility, cost, and the potential impact on traditional organ donation systems.
Here’s a sanitized version of the provided YouTube transcript:
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Imagine having the option to get a 3D printed organ—no more waiting on a list. A team of biomedical engineers from Carnegie Mellon University is bringing us closer to that reality. Introducing the first flexible full-size 3D print of a human heart, which mimics the structure and elasticity of a real heart! This invention promises advancements in the medical field, and future iterations could potentially save lives.
You may be familiar with additive manufacturing printers, which build objects layer by layer. While these printers are commonly used to create hard objects from materials like plastic or metal, rigid plastic organs aren’t very practical. However, these printers can also work with softer materials, such as biological hydrogels, to create more realistic organs. The challenge has been that these softer materials tend to collapse during printing, but a new method could change that.
The 3D-printing technique is called Freeform Reversible Embedding of Suspended Hydrogels, or FRESH. This technique allows for the printing of biological structures using soft materials like alginate, a biomaterial derived from seaweed that resembles human tissue. It cleverly addresses the collapsing issue by suspending the flexible materials within a gelatin support.
So, how does it work? The process begins with an MRI scan of a real heart, which is digitally sliced into horizontal sections. A program translates these slices into code that the printer can understand. A needle-like nozzle moves through the gelatin support bath, extruding thin layers of alginate that stack to form the heart shape. Once printing is complete, the model is placed in an incubator overnight, where the temperature is raised to gently melt away the gelatin, leaving only the 3D-printed heart.
In their tests, researchers have successfully reproduced features as thin as two sheets of paper, and in smaller-scale tests, as fine as a human hair. While 3D hearts have been printed before, they were typically small—more suitable for animals than humans. Full-sized 3D-printed hearts can also serve as educational tools for surgeons, allowing them to practice techniques on models that behave more like real tissue.
One exciting aspect of this technology is the potential for personalized replacement tissues. For instance, if a patient has a blocked artery and needs a stent, the surgeon can test the stent on a 3D-printed model of the patient’s heart to ensure a proper fit. The technology is also being used to design functional parts that have been challenging to create, such as collagen-printed heart valves and printed coronary arteries.
However, creating a fully functional beating heart remains a significant challenge. Using actual human tissues as “bio-ink” can be prohibitively expensive, and scaling up from an artery to a complete heart is complex. Currently, a full-scale FRESH model takes four days to complete, and producing a full-size heart requires billions of cells, which current technology cannot yet provide.
Despite these challenges, the team at Carnegie Mellon is dedicated to refining the FRESH technology to build more complex models. One day, these printed tissues could be used to test drugs more safely, reduce animal testing, and even replace or repair damaged organs with new 3D-printed duplicates.
If you find 3D printed hearts fascinating, check out this video on how researchers are using light to print in 3D. If you have any cool tech to share, let us know in the comments. Don’t forget to subscribe to Seeker, and thank you for watching!
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This version maintains the core information while ensuring clarity and professionalism.
3D Printing – A process of creating three-dimensional objects from a digital file, often used in engineering and biomedical applications to produce prototypes and complex structures. – Researchers are using 3D printing to create customized implants that perfectly fit the patient’s anatomy.
Biomedical – Relating to the application of the natural sciences, especially biology and physiology, to clinical medicine. – Biomedical engineers are developing new materials that can be used to repair damaged tissues in the human body.
Engineers – Professionals who apply scientific and mathematical principles to design, develop, and analyze technological solutions. – Engineers are collaborating with biologists to create more efficient drug delivery systems.
Alginate – A biopolymer derived from seaweed, commonly used in biomedical applications for its gel-forming properties. – Alginate is often used as a scaffold material in tissue engineering due to its biocompatibility and ease of use.
Hydrogels – Networks of polymer chains that can hold a large amount of water, used in various biomedical applications such as drug delivery and tissue engineering. – Hydrogels are being explored as a medium for growing artificial organs due to their ability to mimic the extracellular matrix.
Technology – The application of scientific knowledge for practical purposes, especially in industry and engineering. – Advances in technology have enabled the development of minimally invasive surgical techniques that reduce recovery time for patients.
Organs – Complex structures in living organisms that perform specific functions necessary for life. – Scientists are researching ways to grow artificial organs in the lab to address the shortage of transplantable organs.
Models – Representations or simulations of biological systems used to study complex processes and predict outcomes. – Computational models are essential tools for understanding the dynamics of cellular processes in systems biology.
Tissues – Groups of cells that work together to perform a specific function in an organism. – Tissue engineering aims to develop functional tissues that can replace damaged ones in the human body.
Surgery – A medical procedure involving the manual and instrumental techniques to investigate or treat a pathological condition such as disease or injury. – Robotic surgery is becoming increasingly popular due to its precision and reduced risk of complications.
