Biological synchronous printing nozzle

Abstract

The application discloses a biological synchronous printing nozzle, which belongs to the field of 3D printing equipment and comprises a nozzle body, a capillary tube, a storage module and a rotating module. The capillary tube is used for extruding biological materials to construct tissue or organ structures. The storage module comprises a plurality of needle cylinders which are installed on the nozzle body and used for storing and conveying the biological materials to the capillary tube. The capillary tube is a multi-cavity capillary tube. The multi-cavity capillary tube has a plurality of flow channels which are arranged in isolation from each other. Each flow channel is connected to one needle cylinder. The rotating module is connected between the storage module and the capillary tube and used for providing the capillary tube with a rotating degree of freedom. The biological synchronous printing nozzle is suitable for printing complex tissues and organs.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of 3D printing equipment, and more specifically, to a bio-synchronous printing nozzle. Background Technology

[0002] To alleviate organ shortages in clinical transplantation, the technology of artificially constructing biological tissues and organs based on tissue engineering and additive manufacturing (i.e., bioprinting) has developed rapidly. In existing technologies, extrusion-type bioprinting nozzles, possessing only basic extrusion functions, are severely limited in constructing complex tissues and organs with layered structures. Furthermore, bioprinting nozzles can only extrude a single material at a time, limiting printing throughput, affecting material activity, and consequently impacting the cell viability of the constructed tissues and organs. Simultaneously, the fidelity of the printed structure cannot be guaranteed due to limitations in repeatability, making it impossible to construct tissues or organs with complex layered structures. To meet the printing needs of complex tissues and organs and achieve in vitro construction of complex tissue and organ models, a new multi-material bioprinting nozzle is urgently needed. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The summary section of this application is intended to provide a brief overview of the concepts, which will be described in detail in the detailed description section below. This summary section is not intended to identify key or essential features of the claimed technical solutions, nor is it intended to limit the scope of the claimed technical solutions.

[0004] The purpose of this invention is to propose a novel multi-material bio-synchronous printing nozzle that can simultaneously extrude multiple materials and easily construct complex tissue and organ structures, in order to solve the technical problems mentioned in the background section above.

[0005] Some embodiments of this application provide a bio-synchronous printing nozzle, comprising: a nozzle body, a capillary, a material storage module, and a rotation module; wherein, the capillary is used to extrude biological material to construct tissue or organ structures; the material storage module includes multiple syringes mounted on the nozzle body for storing and delivering biological material to the capillary; the capillary is a multi-lumen capillary; the multi-lumen capillary has multiple mutually isolated flow channels; each flow channel is connected to a syringe; the bio-synchronous printing nozzle further includes: a rotation module connected between the material storage module and the capillary, for providing rotational freedom to the capillary.

[0006] This invention adds rotational freedom to the bioprinting process, enabling the printhead to adapt to complex printing conditions. Simultaneous extrusion of multiple materials via a multi-cavity capillary allows for high-throughput bioprinting and rapid construction of layered structures while maintaining material activity. The extrusion pore diameter can be customized by stretching the capillary, enabling printing at different scales. These features allow the printhead of this application to adapt to the printing needs of complex tissues and organs.

[0007] Furthermore, the rotating module includes: a transmission gear and a drive motor; the transmission gear is rotatably connected to the nozzle body, and the material storage module is fixedly connected to the transmission gear, so that when the transmission gear rotates, it drives each syringe to rotate synchronously; the drive motor is fixed to the nozzle body and is used to drive the transmission gear to rotate.

[0008] Furthermore, the material storage module also includes: a silicone tubing and a flexible needle; one end of the silicone tubing is fixedly installed at the outlet end of the syringe from which the biomaterial is output, and the other end is fixedly connected to the flexible needle; the flexible needle is fixed to the capillary by adhesive, so that the syringe is connected to the capillary through the silicone tubing and the flexible needle.

[0009] Furthermore, the material storage module also includes: a Luer connector; the Luer connector is disposed on the syringe, and the silicone tubing is clamped and fixed to the outlet end of the syringe that outputs biological material through the Luer connector.

[0010] Furthermore, the bio-synchronous printing nozzle also includes: a position adjustment module for mounting a capillary tube; the position adjustment module includes: a mounting component and a fixing component; the mounting component is fixedly connected to the nozzle body and is located on the side of the transmission gear away from the material storage module; the fixing component is set on the mounting component, and the capillary tube is fixedly set on the fixing component.

[0011] Furthermore, the position adjustment module also includes: a fine-tuning component; a fixing component that is slidably mounted on the mounting component and in contact with the fine-tuning component; and a fine-tuning component that is movably mounted on the mounting component to adjust the position of the fixing component relative to the mounting component, thereby fine-tuning the spatial position of the capillary relative to the nozzle body.

[0012] Furthermore, the fine-tuning component is an adjusting nut; the adjusting nut is rotatably connected to the mounting component; the fixing component is provided with a slider, and the adjusting nut is threadedly connected to the slider.

[0013] Furthermore, the bio-synchronous printing nozzle also includes a monitoring module, fixed on the nozzle body, for real-time monitoring of the position of the capillary relative to the nozzle body.

[0014] Furthermore, the monitoring module includes an industrial camera and a camera bracket for fixing the industrial camera to the nozzle body.

[0015] The beneficial effect of this application is that it provides a bio-synchronous printing nozzle specifically suitable for printing complex tissues and organs. Attached Figure Description

[0016] The accompanying drawings, which form part of this application, are used to provide a further understanding of the application and to make other features, objects, and advantages of the application more apparent. The illustrative embodiments and descriptions of this application are used to explain the application and do not constitute an undue limitation of the application.

[0017] Furthermore, throughout the accompanying drawings, the same or similar reference numerals denote the same or similar elements. It should be understood that the drawings are schematic, and the elements are not necessarily drawn to scale.

[0018] In the attached diagram:

[0019] Figure 1 This is an overall schematic diagram based on an embodiment of this application;

[0020] Figure 2 This is a structural diagram of a part of an embodiment, mainly showing structures such as mounting components;

[0021] Figure 3 This is a structural schematic diagram of a part of an embodiment, mainly showing structures such as transmission gears;

[0022] Figure 4 This is an exploded view of a portion of the structure in the embodiment, mainly showing structures such as clamps;

[0023] Figure 5 This is a cross-sectional view of a portion of the structure in the embodiment, mainly showing structures such as sliders;

[0024] Figure 6 This is a structural diagram of a part of the embodiment, mainly showing structures such as flexible needles;

[0025] Figure 7 This is a flowchart illustrating the use of the bio-synchronous printing nozzle according to an embodiment of this application.

[0026] Figure label:

[0027] 1. Position adjustment module; 11. Mounting component; 111. Groove; 12. Fixing component; 121. Plate; 122. Positioning groove; 123. Elastic washer; 124. Fixing plate; 13. Adjusting nut; 14. Slider;

[0028] 2. Rotating module; 21. Drive motor; 22. Transmission gear; 23. Support bearing; 24. Nylon gear;

[0029] 3. Material storage module; 31. Syringe; 32. Luer connector; 33. Silicone tubing; 34. Flexible needle; 35. Air circuit interface;

[0030] 4. Control module;

[0031] 5. Monitoring module; 51. Industrial camera; 52. Camera bracket;

[0032] 6. Nozzle body;

[0033] 7. Multi-lumen capillary. Detailed Implementation

[0034] Embodiments of this disclosure will now be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. While some embodiments of this disclosure are shown in the drawings, it should be understood that this disclosure can be implemented in various forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided to provide a more thorough and complete understanding of this disclosure. It should be understood that the accompanying drawings and embodiments of this disclosure are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of this disclosure.

[0035] It should also be noted that, for ease of description, only the parts relevant to the invention are shown in the accompanying drawings. Unless otherwise specified, the embodiments and features described in this disclosure can be combined with each other.

[0036] It should be noted that the concepts of "first" and "second" mentioned in this disclosure are used only to distinguish different devices, modules or units, and are not used to limit the order of functions performed by these devices, modules or units or their interdependencies.

[0037] It should be noted that the terms "a" and "a plurality of" used in this disclosure are illustrative rather than restrictive, and those skilled in the art should understand that, unless otherwise expressly indicated in the context, they should be understood as "one or more".

[0038] This disclosure will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments.

[0039] Reference Figure 1-7The illustrated bio-printing nozzle includes a capillary, a position adjustment module 1, a rotation module 2, a material storage module 3, a control module 4, a monitoring module 5, and a nozzle body 6. The capillary, position adjustment module 1, rotation module 2, material storage module 3, control module 4, and monitoring module 5 are all mounted on the nozzle body 6. The nozzle body 6 can move relative to the printing platform within a certain spatial range to complete the printing operation. The nozzle body 6 has six degrees of freedom relative to the printing platform in six directions: up, down, left, right, forward, and backward, which is similar to existing printing nozzles and will not be described further in this application. When the nozzle body moves, the material storage module 3 has a syringe 31 for storing bioprinting material and simultaneously supplies the bioprinting material to the capillary. The capillary then outputs bioprinting material to the printing platform, thereby constructing tissue or organ structures on the printing platform. The monitoring module is used for status monitoring, real-time monitoring of the capillary position and printing progress, so as to adjust the amount of bioprinting material output by the capillary and the position of the capillary in a timely manner. The control module 4 features human-machine interaction, acquiring information such as the capillary position and printing progress from the monitoring module, and promptly outputting signals to the corresponding components. This allows each component to provide timely feedback, adjusting the amount of biomaterial output from the capillary and the capillary position to control the printing progress. Through the cooperation of the control module 4, monitoring module 5, capillary, and material storage module 3, basic synchronous bioprinting functionality is achieved.

[0040] The improvement of this application compared to the prior art lies in the inclusion of multiple syringes 31 on the material storage module 3 for storing different types of biological materials. Correspondingly, a multi-lumen capillary 7 is used, meaning the capillary has multiple non-interconnected flow channels, each corresponding to a syringe 31. This allows for the simultaneous output of multiple biological materials during printing, ensuring high throughput and facilitating rapid construction of layered structures. The capillary can be stretched to form an extremely fine conical surface at its tip. Depending on the degree of capillary stretching, filaments of different sizes can be extruded. The extrusion pore diameter can be customized by stretching the capillary, enabling printing at different scales. In this application, the number of syringes 31 is preferably three, and the corresponding capillary is preferably a three-lumen capillary. Furthermore, this application also includes a rotating module 2. The rotating module 2 is connected between the material storage module 3 and the capillary tube to provide rotational freedom to the capillary tube. That is, by setting the rotating module 2, the capillary tube and the material storage module 3 can rotate relative to the nozzle body. By increasing the degree of freedom of the capillary tube, the capillary tube can quickly adjust its position within a small range to ensure that the nozzle body 6 can adapt to complex printing situations, thereby enabling the bioprinting nozzle of this application to adapt to the printing of complex tissues and organs.

[0041] The following section will further explain the specific feasible structure and working principle of each part of the bioprinting nozzle.

[0042] In this embodiment, the monitoring module 5 includes an industrial camera 51 and a camera bracket 52. The industrial camera 51 is mounted on the camera bracket 52. The industrial camera 51 acquires images of the printhead's operating status, and the printhead's operating status is confirmed by analyzing and processing the image data, thereby allowing for printhead calibration. The camera can be fixed and positioned to the required working position by adjusting the camera bracket 52. Based on the images acquired by the industrial camera 51, the displacement of the capillary tip after the printhead's rotational movement can be obtained. This displacement is then calculated to determine the stroke that the position adjustment module 1 needs to adjust, allowing for subsequent correction of the capillary position and ensuring the normal operation of the printing process.

[0043] In this embodiment, the control module 4 includes, but is not limited to, a microcontroller, a Bluetooth module, a WIFI module, and a display screen. During use, through information interaction between the various parts of the control module 4 and other components of the printer, the microcontroller processes the image signals returned by the monitoring module to acquire the information required for printhead capillary tip correction. Simultaneously, it processes the G-code information sent from the printer's host computer, generates a printhead rotation control signal, and controls the rotation module 2 to drive the syringe 31 and capillary to rotate. In this embodiment, the microcontroller can be an STM32 development board, an Arduino development board, a Raspberry Pi, etc.

[0044] In this embodiment, the material storage module 3 includes a syringe 31, a Luer connector 32, a silicone tubing 33, and a flexible needle 34. Preferably, the syringe 31 has a capacity of 10cc, but syringes of different capacities can be selected to store different biological materials according to actual usage requirements. The syringe 31 is connected to the pressure supply circuit via an air interface 35, and the material is extruded normally by air pressure, completing the basic printing process. Specifically, one end of the silicone tubing 33 is fixedly installed at the outlet end of the syringe 31 where the biological material is output, and the other end is fixedly connected to the flexible needle 34. The Luer connector 32 is installed on the syringe 31, and the silicone tubing 33 is clamped and fixed to the outlet end of the syringe 31 where the biological material is output through the Luer connector 32. The flexible needle 34 is fixed to the capillary tube by adhesive, so that the syringe 31 is connected to the capillary tube through the silicone tubing 33 and the flexible needle 34, ensuring the integrity of the extrusion channel. In a more specific embodiment, the connection between the flexible needle 34 and the capillary is sealed with hot melt adhesive to prevent the biomaterial from leaking out of the capillary tail during printing. Furthermore, the remaining space in the material storage module 3 can house a temperature control module. This module uses electric heating to heat and maintain the temperature of the space surrounding the syringe 31, ensuring a relatively stable ambient temperature outside the syringe 31 and preserving the activity of the biomaterial stored within.

[0045] In this embodiment, the rotation module 2 includes a drive motor 21, a drive motor 21 controller, a transmission gear 22, and a support bearing 23. The printer's absolute encoder obtains the current rotational position information of the printhead body 6 and feeds it back to the control module 4 for data processing. The drive motor 21 drives the multi-cavity capillary tube 7 and each syringe 31 to rotate via the transmission gear 22. Specifically, the drive motor 21 is preferably a stepper motor. The stepper motor receives pulse input signals from the control module 4 and drives itself to move at a set angle. The stepper motor drives the transmission gear 22 to rotate via a nylon gear 24 with a module of 1 and a gear ratio of 10:4. The bracket on the material storage module 3, used to fix the syringes 31 to the printhead body, is fixedly connected to the transmission gear 22, so that when the transmission gear 22 rotates, it drives the printhead body to move. Simultaneously, the multi-cavity capillary tube 7 also rotates with the rotation of the syringes 31 and the flexible needle 34, realizing the adjustment of the angle of the multi-cavity capillary tube 7. The rotation axis of the multi-cavity capillary tube coincides with the axis of the transmission gear. The support bearing 23 is located at the position where the printhead body is mounted on the printing platform. It supports and positions the printhead body and reduces friction during printhead body rotation, ensuring smooth printhead rotation. The support bearing 23 is preferably an angular contact bearing.

[0046] In this embodiment, the position adjustment module 1 is used to install the capillary tube. The position adjustment module 1 includes: a mounting component 11 and a fixing component 12. The mounting component 11 is fixedly connected to the nozzle body and located on the side of the transmission gear 22 away from the material storage module 3. The fixing component 12 is disposed on the mounting component 11, and the capillary tube is fixedly disposed on the fixing component 12. The fixing component 12 is preferably a two-dimensional adjustment module, meaning that the fixing component 12 can slide in a plane with the rotation axis of the capillary tube as the normal, thereby making the position of the capillary tube relative to the nozzle body adjustable. Specifically, a fine-tuning component is movably disposed on the mounting component 11. The fixing component 12 contacts the fine-tuning component, which is used to adjust the position of the fixing component 12 relative to the mounting component 11, thereby fine-tuning the spatial position of the capillary tube relative to the nozzle body. Specifically, as... Figure 4-5 As shown, the fine-tuning component is preferably an adjusting nut 13. There are two adjusting nuts 13, each rotatably connected to the mounting component. A slider 14 is provided on the fixing component, and the slider is slidably connected to the fixing component. The adjusting nut is threadedly connected to the slider, so that rotating the adjusting nut 13 will drive the two sliders to move the fixing component in two mutually perpendicular directions. This allows the fixing component 12 to be finely adjusted relative to the nozzle body within a spatial position of ±2mm, thereby adjusting the spatial position of the tip of the capillary extrusion of biomaterial. This ensures that the extrusion part of the capillary will not shift after the nozzle body rotates, thus ensuring the accuracy of bioprinting.

[0047] In a further embodiment, the fixing member 12 secures the capillary tube as follows: the fixing member 12 is composed of a capillary clamp and an elastic washer 123. The capillary clamp comprises two independent plates 121, each plate 121 having a positioning groove 122 engraved on it to conform to the outer surface contour of the capillary tube. After the capillary tube passes through the groove, the two plates 121 are clamped together by bolts to fix the capillary tube on the capillary clamp, ensuring that the capillary tube will not slip during the movement of the printhead and thus affecting the printing effect. The elastic washer 123 is disposed between the two plates 121, limiting the deformation of the plates 121 of the capillary clamp. One of the plates 121 is provided with a fixing plate 124, and the mounting part 11 is provided with a slot 111 for the fixing plate 124 to be inserted. The part of the fixing plate 124 inserted into the slot 111 abuts against the adjusting nut 13, so that when the adjusting nut 13 is rotated, the fixing plate 124 can be pushed to move in the slot 111, thereby finely adjusting the position of the capillary relative to the nozzle body.

[0048] like Figure 6 As shown, the usage process of the bio-synchronous printing nozzle in this embodiment is as follows: After the printing nozzle is assembled and the capillary is clamped and fixed, the offset of the capillary from the working position is obtained through the monitoring module 5. The capillary is adjusted by the position adjustment module 1 to ensure normal operation, that is, the position of the extrusion tip of the capillary will not shift after the nozzle body is rotated. The prepared biological material to be printed is loaded into the syringe 31, and the syringe 31 is mounted on the material storage module 3. The syringe 31 is connected to the multi-lumen capillary 7 through the silicone tubing 33, Luer connector 32 and flexible needle 34 to form a complete flow channel. After the nozzle operation is tested and found to be qualified, the G code is entered to perform complete printing, extruding the biological material to construct complex biological tissue or organ structures. The above description is only some preferred embodiments of this disclosure and an explanation of the technical principles used. Those skilled in the art should understand that the scope of the invention involved in the embodiments of this disclosure is not limited to the technical solutions formed by the specific combination of the above technical features, but should also cover other technical solutions formed by any combination of the above technical features or their equivalent features without departing from the above inventive concept. For example, technical solutions can be formed by replacing the above features with (but not limited to) technical features with similar functions disclosed in the embodiments of this disclosure.

Claims

1. A bio-synchronous printing nozzle, comprising: Nozzle body; Capillaries are used to extrude biological materials to construct tissue or organ structures; The material storage module includes multiple syringes mounted on the nozzle body for storing and delivering biological materials to the capillary. Its features include: the capillary is a multi-lumen capillary; the multi-lumen capillary has multiple mutually isolated flow channels; each flow channel is connected to a syringe; The bio-synchronous printing nozzle also includes: a rotation module connected between the material storage module and the capillary tube, used to provide rotational freedom to the capillary tube; The rotating module includes: a transmission gear and a drive motor; the transmission gear is rotatably connected to the nozzle body, and the material storage module is fixedly connected to the transmission gear, so that when the transmission gear rotates, it drives each syringe to rotate synchronously; the drive motor is fixed to the nozzle body and is used to drive the transmission gear to rotate. The bio-synchronous printing nozzle also includes: a position adjustment module for installing a capillary tube; The position adjustment module includes: mounting components and fixing components; The mounting component is fixedly connected to the nozzle body and is located on the side of the transmission gear away from the material storage module; the fixing component is set on the mounting component, and the capillary tube is fixedly set on the fixing component; The position adjustment module further includes: a fine-tuning component; The fixing component is slidably mounted on the mounting component and contacts the fine-tuning component; the fine-tuning component is movably mounted on the mounting component and is used to adjust the position of the fixing component relative to the mounting component, thereby fine-tuning the spatial position of the capillary relative to the nozzle body. The fine-tuning component is an adjusting nut; the adjusting nut is rotatably connected to the mounting component; the fixing component is provided with a slider, and the adjusting nut is threadedly connected to the slider.

2. The bio-synchronous printing nozzle according to claim 1, characterized in that: The material storage module also includes: a silicone tubing and a flexible needle; one end of the silicone tubing is fixedly installed at the outlet end of the syringe from which the biomaterial is output, and the other end is fixedly connected to the flexible needle; the flexible needle is fixed to the capillary by adhesive, so that the syringe is connected to the capillary through the silicone tubing and the flexible needle.

3. The bio-synchronous printing nozzle according to claim 2, characterized in that: The storage module also includes: a Luer connector; The Luer connector is mounted on the syringe, and the silicone tubing is clamped and fixed to the outlet end of the syringe where the biomaterial is output.

4. The bio-synchronous printing nozzle according to claim 1, characterized in that: The bio-synchronous printing nozzle also includes a monitoring module, fixed on the nozzle body, for real-time monitoring of the position of the capillary relative to the nozzle body.

5. The bio-synchronous printing nozzle according to claim 4, characterized in that: The monitoring module includes an industrial camera and a camera bracket for fixing the industrial camera to the nozzle body.

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