F3DB (robot for printing tissues inside the body)

2023: Product Announcement

In late February 2023, engineers from the University of New South Wales unveiled a miniature and flexible soft robotic F3DB arm that could be used to 3D print biomaterials directly on organs inside the human body.

By February 2023, bioprinting is used mainly for research and development of new drugs. Designing designs that are surgically implanted into the body requires the use of large 3D printers, with risks. Among them are tissue damage and the risk of infection. Since biomaterials are usually soft, fragile structures, they can be damaged either in the patient's hands or during the process of implantation into it.

As a result of the work of scientists from the University of New South Wales, a flexible 3D bioprinter was created, which can be introduced into the body like an endoscope and directly apply multilayer biomaterials to the surface of internal organs and tissues. F3DB is equipped with a highly maneuverable rotary head, which prints bio-ink, attached to the end of a long and flexible serpentine robotic manipulator, which can be controlled from the outside. Device size is 11-13 mm.

With further development, and possibly until 2028-2030, the technology could be used by medical professionals to access hard-to-reach areas inside the body through small skin incisions or natural openings, the research team claims. The rotary tip applies bio-ink to the surface of the tissue, making up complex multilayer structures. The shape and size can be programmed in advance or printed in real time. This could be particularly important in surgery to remove certain cancers, especially colorectal cancer, through a process known as endoscopic submucosal dissection, according to F3DB engineers. The researchers also plan to introduce additional features such as a built-in camera and a real-time scanning system that will allow 3D tomography of moving tissues inside the body to be reconstructed.

Scientists tested their device inside the artificial colon at the end of 2022, as well as 3D printing of various materials of different shapes on the surface of the pig's kidney. A week after printing, doctors noted a quadruple increase in the number of cells.

Engineers from the University of New South Wales found that the printing process did not affect the cells and after printing most of the cells were still alive. In addition to printing biomaterials, the device works like a conventional endoscope by cleaning structures with water jets, noting damage and dissecting tissues.^[1]

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