Heavy damages sustained to internal organs are often difficult to repair. Moreover, failure of such organs are even more difficult to deal with and can cause catastrophic effects. But with the help of 3d printing technology, scientists may finally be able to help overturn this situation. So recently, a group of researchers from Carnegie Mellon University took the next step in the 3d printing revolution and devised a way to print actual working components of the human heart. Such a feat had only been seen in sci fi movies before but now, with this advancement, it could soon become a part of our day to day lives! So let us take a look at what went on behind the birth of this technological marvel. 

The team, after rigorous research, managed to develop an advanced version of the Freedom Reversible Embedding Of Suspended Hydrogels (FREEDOM) technology. This technology was made with the capability to 3d print collagen with immaculate detail and construct parts of the human heart such as small blood vessels, ventricles, valves, etc. 

The patented technology was seen as one that could carry a lot of potential. So Fluidform, an up and coming startup from Massachusetts made it its mission to expand the capabilities of this technology, and procured the licensing to its patent.  Led by Andrew Lee and Andrew Hudson, the company made changes to the technology and eventually took it to the next level. 

Initially, the direct printing of living cells and soft biomaterials had proved to be a difficult task. This is because, earlier methods were not able to support soft and dynamic biological materials during the printing process resulting in poor resolution and fidelity. Due to this, such methods were not good enough to recreate complex 3D structures and functions. 

Later, when FRESH was introduced, the situation was improved greatly as it made the printing of complex scaffolds of collagen possible. It opened doors to the manufacturing of more detailed 3d structures through the usage of a temporary support gel. But beyond a certain point of complexity, printing of soft materials with fidelity beyond a few layers still proved to be difficult due to sag. 

This is where Hudson and Lee’s method comes into play. The duo and their team managed to solve this problem through an approach that uses rapid pH change to drive collagen assembly. 3D printed hearts that were manufactured using their method accurately reproduced patient specific anatomical structure. Even the smaller ventricles printed with cardiomyocytes showed synchronised contractions, directional action potential propagation, and wall thickening upto 14% during peak systole. 

However, there are certain obstacles that still remain. Recreating the billions of cells required for printing larger tissues and achieving manufacturing scale are still challenges that are yet to be tackled. But that being said, the development of this technology is definitely a step in the right direction. With the commencement in the sales of Fluidform’s first product, LifeSupport bioprinting support gel, the commercialisation of FRESH technology is already underway. And as the company continues to work towards bettering this technology, the introduction of new, more advanced devices will become nothing but an eventuality.