Electrostatically assisted biological 3D printing gun for in situ repair

Abstract

The present invention provides an electrostatically assisted biological 3D printing gun for in-situ repair, including a gun body; the gun body is provided with: a storage device for storing biological printing materials, and an external inflation device is connected to a connecting device to form a pneumatic circuit; a temperature regulating unit for collecting temperature signals of the storage device and performing temperature regulation; an air pressure regulating unit for respectively collecting air pressure signals of the storage device and the connecting device and respectively regulating the corresponding air pressures; a flow rate regulating unit, which is arranged at the gun head of the gun body, for collecting flow signals of biological printing materials and performing flow rate regulation; a control unit, which is electrically connected to and controls the temperature regulating unit, the air pressure regulating unit and the flow rate regulating unit respectively; and the control unit controls the 3D printing gun to perform in-situ printing based on the temperature, air pressure and flow signals. The present application sets a temperature regulating unit to ensure the constant temperature environment required for biological printing materials, and combines electrostatic spinning to achieve refined control of biological printing materials.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of biological 3D printing guns, and in particular to an electrostatically assisted biological 3D printing gun for in-situ repair. Background Art

[0002] With the remarkable progress of 3D bioprinting technology, it has become an important force in promoting a new round of technological innovation and industrial transformation. The biomedical field has become an important application field of 3D printing technology due to its large demand, high degree of personalization and high product added value. At present, most biological 3D printing technologies use hydrogels and natural polymer materials (fibrin, collagen, alginate, cellulose, chitosan, etc.) to make bio-inks, and have been widely used in preoperative planning, in vitro medical devices, dentistry, metal implants and other fields. With the rapid development of 3D bioprinting technology, in situ biological 3D printing technology has also been paid attention to by more and more scholars. In situ biological 3D printing is to use biological ink to print damaged soft tissue or cartilage in the damaged part of the human body. It can not only provide customized treatment plans according to the damaged part of the patient, but also avoid secondary injury to the injured.

[0003] Most of the current biological 3D printing devices can repair wounds on the surface soft tissue layer (such as skin), but cannot repair damaged tissues in the body in situ. Existing biological 3D printing guns usually use mechanical methods to output biological ink, which is not only difficult to control the output, but also has low stability and hysteresis. The existing in situ biological 3D printing technology also has the following problems: First, due to the excessive complexity of the biological tissue structure in the body, it is impossible to quickly establish an accurate damaged tissue model and a printing path for 3D biological printing, and it cannot guarantee that secondary damage to the damaged part will be avoided; second, the damaged tissue is printed in vitro, carefully cultivated in an experimental environment, and then transplanted into the body, which cannot guarantee the survival rate of tissue cells in the biological ink, and the complex cultivation process is not conducive to the recovery of the injured. Summary of the invention

[0004] In view of the shortcomings of the prior art described above, the purpose of the present application is to provide an electrostatically assisted biological 3D printing gun for in situ repair, which is used to solve the technical problems in the prior art that the biological 3D printing gun cannot perform in situ printing and is difficult to accurately control.

[0005] To achieve the above-mentioned purpose and other related purposes, the first aspect of the present application provides an electrostatically assisted biological 3D printing gun for in-situ repair, the 3D printing gun comprising a gun body; the gun body is provided with: a storage device for storing biological printing materials, and an external inflation device is connected to a connecting device to form a pneumatic circuit; a temperature regulating unit for collecting the temperature signal of the storage device and performing temperature regulation; an air pressure regulating unit for respectively collecting the air pressure signals of the storage device and the connecting device and respectively regulating the corresponding air pressures; a flow rate regulating unit, which is arranged at the gun head of the gun body, for collecting the flow signal of the biological printing material and performing flow rate regulation; a control unit, which is electrically connected to and controls the temperature regulating unit, the air pressure regulating unit and the flow rate regulating unit respectively; wherein the control unit controls the 3D printing gun to perform in-situ printing based on the temperature signal, the air pressure signal and the flow signal.

[0006] In some embodiments of the first aspect of the present application, the temperature adjustment unit includes: a temperature detection device and a refrigeration device; wherein, when the temperature signal detected by the temperature detection device does not meet the preset temperature of the biological printing material, the control unit controls the refrigeration device to cool down to adjust the temperature.

[0007] In some embodiments of the first aspect of the present application, the air pressure regulating unit includes: an air pressure detection device, a three-way solenoid valve; wherein a first three-way solenoid valve is arranged between the inflation device and the connecting device; a second three-way solenoid valve is arranged between the connecting device and the storage device; the opening and closing states of different channels in the first three-way solenoid valve are controlled by corresponding switching signals of the first three-way solenoid valve, so as to ventilate or exhaust between the inflation device and the connecting device; the opening and closing states of different channels in the second three-way solenoid valve are controlled by corresponding switching signals of the second three-way solenoid valve, so as to ventilate or exhaust between the connecting device and the storage device; a first air pressure detection device is arranged between the first three-way solenoid valve and the connecting device, for detecting the air pressure in the connecting device; a second air pressure detection device is arranged between the second three-way solenoid valve and the storage device, for detecting the air pressure in the storage device.

[0008] In some embodiments of the first aspect of the present application, the first three-way solenoid valve is a normally open solenoid valve; in normal state, the first channel connected to the inflation device and the second channel connected to the connecting device in the first three-way solenoid valve are respectively opened, and the third channel connected to the external atmosphere is closed to allow ventilation between the inflation device and the connecting device; when printing is completed, the first channel is closed and the third channel is opened through a switch signal to exhaust the connecting device; wherein, when the air pressure value detected by the first air pressure detection device is lower than a first preset value, the inflation device is opened to inflate the connecting device.

[0009] In some embodiments of the first aspect of the present application, the second three-way solenoid valve is a normally closed solenoid valve; in normal state, the fourth channel connected to the connecting device, the fifth channel connected to the storage device, and the sixth channel connected to the external atmosphere in the second three-way solenoid valve are respectively closed; when it is detected that the gas filled in the connecting device reaches a set value, the fourth channel and the fifth channel are opened by a switch signal to allow ventilation between the connecting device and the storage device; wherein the fourth channel or the fifth channel is closed by a switch signal to suspend operation during use; when printing is completed, the fourth channel is closed and the sixth channel is opened by a switch signal to exhaust the storage device.

[0010] In some embodiments of the first aspect of the present application, a first damper is further provided between the second three-way solenoid valve and the storage device; the first damper is connected to the first motor through a first transmission assembly; the first motor is electrically connected to and controlled by the control unit; wherein, when the air pressure value detected by the second air pressure detection device is lower than a second preset value, the control unit drives the first transmission assembly to drive the first damper to adjust the air pressure of the storage device by controlling the first motor.

[0011] In some embodiments of the first aspect of the present application, the flow rate regulating unit includes: a flow detection device, a second damper; the second damper is connected to a second motor through a second transmission assembly; the second motor is electrically connected to and controlled by the control unit; wherein, based on the flow signal detected by the flow detection device, the control unit controls the second motor to drive the second transmission assembly to drive the second damper to adjust the flow rate of the bio-printing material.

[0012] In some embodiments of the first aspect of the present application, the 3D printing gun also includes a liquid level alarm unit; the liquid level alarm unit is electrically connected to the control unit, and specifically includes: a liquid level detection device, disposed inside the storage device, for detecting the remaining amount of the biological printing material; an alarm device, disposed on the outer shell of the gun body, for issuing a warning signal; wherein, when the liquid level detection device detects that the remaining amount of the biological printing material is insufficient, the control unit controls the alarm device to issue a warning signal.

[0013] In some embodiments of the first aspect of the present application, the 3D printing gun is further provided with a display unit; the display unit is electrically connected to the temperature adjustment unit, the air pressure adjustment unit, and the liquid level alarm unit, and is used to respectively display the temperature value, air pressure value, and remaining value detected by the corresponding detection device.

[0014] In some embodiments of the first aspect of the present application, the gun head portion of the gun body is electrically connected to the positive electrode of the high voltage power supply and connected to the operating platform to generate an electrostatic field; the gun tail portion of the gun body is mechanically connected to the end effector for 3D printing.

[0015] In summary, the electrostatically assisted biological 3D printing gun for in-situ repair provided by the present application combines biological 3D printing technology and electrospinning technology to achieve fine control of the input and output of biological printing materials, thereby achieving smooth operation and controllability of the biological printing process, and thus being able to accurately repair damaged parts in situ; the specific beneficial effects include:

[0016] 1. This application reduces the weight of the 3D printing gun by connecting an external inflator; at the same time, according to the required pressure at the front end, the air pressure value of the entire circuit is adjusted through the inflator-air pressure sensor-three-way solenoid valve-end execution to make the air pressure more stable;

[0017] 2. Fine control: This application uses electrostatic assisted design to control the output of bio-ink at micro-nano precision, thereby improving the accuracy of 3D printing and achieving high-precision printing of damaged tissues;

[0018] 3. Precise temperature control. This application uses a microcontroller as the core, and uses temperature sensors, cooling sheets, and water-cooling heat dissipation devices to control temperature, so as to ensure the activity of the bio-ink before printing and after ejection, and to improve the survival rate of tissue cells in the bio-ink; and the large components of the water-cooling heat dissipation device are externally connected to reduce the weight of the 3D printing gun;

[0019] 4. Stable output. This application uses physical buttons to adjust and set the pressure value required for the bio-ink to achieve stable control of the bio-ink output;

[0020] 5. High controllability. This application uses an external display device to display the printing progress and various test values ​​in real time, which is intuitive and clear; and adjusts the air pressure value in real time to reduce the error rate during the printing process, thus achieving high controllability of the printing process;

[0021] 6. High cost performance. The components used in this application are cost-controllable, and the overall structure is compact, small in size, and highly scalable. It can also work with a robotic arm to achieve in-situ printing and repair of damaged parts in the body. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0022] Figure 1 Shown is a module schematic diagram of an electrostatically assisted biological 3D printing gun for in-situ repair in one embodiment of the present application.

[0023] Figure 2 Shown is a schematic structural diagram of an electrostatically assisted biological 3D printing gun for in-situ repair in one embodiment of the present application.

[0024] Figure 3 Shown is a schematic structural diagram of the gun head portion of an electrostatically assisted biological 3D printing gun for in-situ repair in one embodiment of the present application.

[0025] Figure 4 Shown is a schematic structural diagram of the gun tail portion of an electrostatically assisted biological 3D printing gun for in-situ repair in one embodiment of the present application.

[0026] Figure 5 Shown is a flow chart of a control method for an electrostatically assisted biological 3D printing gun for in-situ repair in one embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0027] The following describes the embodiments of the present invention by specific examples, and those skilled in the art can easily understand other advantages and effects of the present invention from the contents disclosed in this specification. The present invention can also be implemented or applied through other different specific embodiments, and the details in this specification can also be modified or changed in various ways based on different viewpoints and applications without departing from the spirit of the present invention. It should be noted that the following embodiments and features in the embodiments can be combined with each other without conflict.

[0028] It should be noted that in the following description, reference is made to the accompanying drawings, which describe several embodiments of the present application. It should be understood that other embodiments may also be used, and that mechanical composition, structural, electrical, and operational changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present application. The following detailed description should not be considered restrictive, and the scope of the embodiments of the present application is limited only by the claims of the published patents. The terms used herein are only for the purpose of describing specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the present application.

[0029] Throughout the specification, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, the terms "install", "connect", "connect", "fix", "hold" and the like should be understood in a broad sense, for example, it can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it can be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can be a direct connection, or it can be an indirect connection through an intermediate medium, or it can be the internal communication of two components. For those of ordinary skill in the art, the specific meanings of the above terms in this application can be understood according to specific circumstances.

[0030] Furthermore, as used herein, the singular forms "a", "an" and "the" are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context indicates otherwise. The terms "first", "second", "third", "fourth", etc. (if any) in the specification and claims of the present invention and the above-mentioned drawings are used to distinguish similar objects, and are not necessarily used to describe a specific order or sequence. It should be understood that the data used in this way can be interchanged where appropriate, so that the embodiments described here can be implemented in an order other than that illustrated or described here. It should be further understood that the terms "comprising" and "including" indicate the presence of the described features, operations, elements, components, items, kinds, and / or groups, but do not exclude the presence, occurrence or addition of one or more other features, operations, elements, components, items, kinds, and / or groups. The terms "or" and "and / or" used herein are interpreted as inclusive, or mean any one or any combination. Therefore, "A, B or C" or "A, B and / or C" means "any of the following: A; B; C; A and B; A and C; B and C; A, B and C". Exceptions to this definition occur only when a combination of elements, functions, or operations are inherently mutually exclusive in some manner.

[0031] In order to make the purpose, technical solution and advantages of the present invention more clearly understood, the technical solution in the embodiments of the present invention is further described in detail through the following embodiments and in combination with the accompanying drawings. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are only used to explain the present invention and are not used to limit the invention.

[0032] In order to solve the existing problems, the present application proposes an electrostatically assisted biological 3D printing gun for in-situ repair, which is used to solve the technical problems in the prior art that the biological 3D printing gun cannot perform in-situ printing and is difficult to accurately control.

[0033] With the rapid development of 3D printing technology and its wide application in many new fields, it has attracted the attention of medical equipment and tissue engineering. Since 3D printing can tailor specific medical products for patients in a short time and at a low cost, 3D printing technology has great development prospects in the future era of personal medical care. At present, many biomaterials have been used to prepare bone tissue engineering scaffolds or other medical products through 3D printing.

[0034] However, there are currently few devices for in situ biological 3D printing, and it is difficult to solve the problem of treating the patient's injured part through high-precision printing. There are two main reasons why "in situ printing" is currently limited: demanding biological ink and printing process requirements.

[0035] Electrospinning technology is a process in which a solution or material with a very small surface is accelerated at the top of a cone under an electric field formed by high voltage to eject a thin stream. The electrospinning formed can achieve nanometer precision and high material density. The technology is widely used in tissue engineering, microelectronics, biomedicine, etc. Electrospinning technology can be combined with 3D printing to produce three-dimensional solid parts with micro-nano structures, thereby meeting the requirements of refined control.

[0036] In order to facilitate the understanding of the electrostatically assisted biological 3D printing gun for in-situ repair provided by this application, reference may be made to the prior patent of the applicant of this case (application publication number: CN 113320154 A, invention name: a pneumatic portable biological 3D printing gun). Based on this, this application first explains the important components required for printing to introduce the overall structure for explanation, and then explains the specific use method of the 3D printing gun.

[0037] like Figure 1 As shown, it is a schematic diagram of a module of an electrostatically assisted biological 3D printing gun for in-situ repair in one embodiment of the present application. The 3D printing gun 100 includes a gun body; the gun body is provided with: a storage device for storing biological printing materials, and an external inflation device is connected to the connecting device to form a pneumatic circuit; the gun body is also provided with:

[0038] A temperature adjustment unit 110, used to collect a temperature signal of the storage device and perform temperature adjustment;

[0039] An air pressure regulating unit 120, used to respectively collect air pressure signals from the storage device and the communication device and respectively regulate the corresponding air pressures;

[0040] The flow rate regulating unit 130 is disposed at the gun head portion of the gun body (eg Figure 2 The needle part in the middle is used to collect the flow signal of the biological printing material and adjust the flow rate;

[0041] A control unit 140 , electrically connected to and controlling the temperature regulating unit 110 , the air pressure regulating unit 120 , and the flow rate regulating unit 130 ;

[0042] The control unit 140 controls the 3D printing gun to perform in-situ printing based on the temperature signal, air pressure signal and flow signal, and combines the electrospinning technology to achieve precise control of the biological printing material.

[0043] It should be noted that the control unit 140 includes any one or more combinations of an MCU (Microcontroller Unit) chip, a CPU (Central Process Unit) chip, an MPU (Microprocessor Unit) chip, a DSP (Digital Signal Processing) chip, etc.

[0044] For example, the control unit 140 described in the present application may use an embedded single-chip microcomputer of the STM32 series as a microcontroller because of its high performance, low cost, low power consumption, and scalability.

[0045] In one embodiment of the present application, the 3D printing gun 100 further includes a liquid level alarm unit 150 for detecting the remaining amount of the biological printing material and issuing a warning signal; the liquid level alarm unit 150 is electrically connected to the control unit 140 .

[0046] In one embodiment of the present application, the 3D printing gun 100 further includes a display unit 160, which is electrically connected to the temperature adjustment unit 110, the air pressure adjustment unit 120, and the liquid level alarm unit 150, respectively, and is used to respectively display the temperature value, air pressure value, and remaining value detected by the corresponding detection device (such as the temperature detection device, the air pressure detection device, and the liquid level detection device).

[0047] It should be noted that the display unit 160 includes a display screen, which can be disposed on the 3D printing gun 100 (such as disposed on the outer surface of the gun body), or can be externally connected to the 3D printing gun 100 to reduce the weight of the printing gun.

[0048] In addition, the 3D printing gun 100 also includes a power supply for supplying power to each power-consuming unit. The power supply can be built into the gun body or externally connected at the rear of the gun body.

[0049] like Figure 2As shown, it is a schematic structural diagram of an electrostatically assisted biological 3D printing gun for in-situ repair in one embodiment of the present application, wherein the 3D printing gun comprises a gun body 200; the gun body 200 is provided with: a storage device 210 for storing biological printing materials, and an external inflation device 230 is connected through a connecting device 220 to form a pneumatic circuit.

[0050] It should be noted that, in combination with the prior patent CN113320154A, the storage device 210 can be set as a syringe, or any other storage structure such as a cube or a cylinder for storing biological printing materials; the connecting device 220 can be a gas storage structure such as a trachea and a tracheal joint, which is used to connect the storage device 210 and the inflation device 230 and adjust the internal air pressure of the 3D printing gun during use or stop; the inflation device 230 is preferably an air pump, because the air pump is easy to adjust, automatically maintains pressure, is safe to operate, and is simple to maintain. The inflation device 230 can be set inside the gun body 200, or on the outer shell of the gun body 200. This application reduces the weight of the printing gun by externally connecting the air pump to the 3D printing gun.

[0051] It should be noted that the gun body 200 is further provided with an auxiliary groove for fixing the storage device 210; a fixing block is provided at the tail of the auxiliary groove; and an adapter connected to the storage device 210 is also provided on the fixing block. For example, the adapter may be a syringe adapter.

[0052] Among them, the bioprinting material can be bio-ink, bio-concrete, etc. Bio-ink is an ink that can be used for 3D printers. By injecting mesenchymal stem cells into the tissue that needs to be regenerated, artificial tissue that is extremely similar to the actual organ tissue is produced by a 3D printer. In the past, 3D printers used "bio-ink", mostly using hydrogels produced with collagen as raw materials, but there are major obstacles in achieving complex tissue printing. The new "bio-concrete" ink uses pre-functionalized cell-laden microspheres as "stones" and high-concentration GelMA hydrogel prepolymer as "cement", and has developed a robotic in-situ biological 3D printing system. According to the morphology of the patient's tissue defect, the "bio-concrete" is directly deposited at the defect to achieve tissue regeneration and repair.

[0053] In one embodiment of the present application, the temperature adjustment unit 110 includes: a temperature detection device 111, a refrigeration device (not shown); the refrigeration device may include: a refrigeration plate 112, a water-cooled radiator 113; wherein, when the temperature signal detected by the temperature detection device 111 does not meet the preset temperature of the biological printing material, the control unit 140 controls the refrigeration device to cool down to adjust the temperature. Figure 2, wherein port A represents the water inlet of the water cooling radiator 113 , and port B represents the water outlet of the water cooling radiator 113 .

[0054] It should be noted that the temperature detection device 111 is preferably a temperature sensor because of its accurate measurement, timely response and easy output adjustment.

[0055] The water-cooled heat sink 113 has multiple water channels inside, which can give full play to the advantages of water cooling and take away more heat. The present application preferably uses an external water-cooled heat sink, which not only reduces the space occupied by the gun body, but also reduces the weight of the printing gun, and can achieve better heat dissipation effect.

[0056] In order to ensure the activity of the bioprinting material before printing and after ejection, the bioprinting material needs to be controlled within a preset temperature; the present application uses a control unit 140 as the core, and implements temperature control (for example, the temperature can be controlled within the range of 0-10°C) through a temperature detection device 111, a cooling plate 112, and a water-cooled radiator 113, so as to improve the survival rate of tissue cells in the bioprinting material.

[0057] In one embodiment of the present application, the air pressure regulating unit 120 includes: an air pressure detection device 121, a three-way solenoid valve 122;

[0058] Wherein, a first three-way solenoid valve 122 - 1 is provided between the inflation device 230 and the communication device 220 ; a second three-way solenoid valve 122 - 2 is provided between the communication device 220 and the storage device 210 ;

[0059] By corresponding to the switching signal of the first three-way solenoid valve 122-1, the opening and closing states of different channels in the first three-way solenoid valve 122-1 are controlled, so as to perform ventilation or exhaust between the inflation device 230 and the connecting device 220; by corresponding to the switching signal of the second three-way solenoid valve 122-2, the opening and closing states of different channels in the second three-way solenoid valve 122-2 are controlled, so as to perform ventilation or exhaust between the connecting device 220 and the storage device 210.

[0060] In order to better observe the pressure conditions between the airways in the printing gun, accurately implement pressure regulation, achieve stable output pressure and convenient operation, the present application also provides a first air pressure detection device 121-1 between the first three-way solenoid valve 122-1 and the connecting device 220, which is used to detect the air pressure in the connecting device 220, that is, to detect whether the air pressure provided by the inflation device 230 meets the requirements of the biological printing material; a second air pressure detection device 122-2 is provided between the second three-way solenoid valve 122-2 and the storage device 210, which is used to detect the air pressure in the storage device 210.

[0061] Preferably, the air pressure detection device 121 uses an air pressure sensor, because the air pressure sensor has little limitation in operation, can adapt well to harsh environments, and can maintain strong stability and high sensitivity and accuracy when working.

[0062] In one embodiment of the present application, the first three-way solenoid valve 122 - 1 is a normally open solenoid valve;

[0063] In normal state, the first channel of the first three-way solenoid valve 122-1 connected to the inflatable device 230 and the second channel connected to the connecting device 220 are respectively opened, and the third channel connected to the external atmosphere is closed, so that the inflatable device 230 and the connecting device 220 are ventilated;

[0064] When printing is finished, the first channel is closed and the third channel is opened through a switch signal, so as to exhaust the connecting device 220 to relieve the pressure therein;

[0065] When the air pressure value detected by the first air pressure detection device 121 - 1 is lower than a first preset value, the inflation device 230 is opened to inflate the connecting device 220 .

[0066] In one embodiment of the present application, the second three-way solenoid valve 122 - 2 is a normally closed solenoid valve;

[0067] In normal state, the fourth channel of the second three-way solenoid valve 122-2 connected to the communication device 220, the fifth channel connected to the storage device 210, and the sixth channel connected to the external atmosphere are respectively closed;

[0068] When it is detected that the gas filled in the connecting device 220 reaches the set value, the fourth channel and the fifth channel are opened through the switch signal to allow ventilation between the connecting device 220 and the storage device 210. As mentioned above, after the connecting device 220 is filled with enough gas, the first air pressure detection device 121-1 can be used to detect the air pressure value of the connecting device 220 to intuitively obtain whether the gas filled is sufficient. It should be noted that when the connecting device 220 has enough gas, its pressure increases accordingly. When the gas channel between the connecting device 220 and the storage device 210 is opened, under the action of pressure, the gas in the connecting device 220 will be squeezed into the storage device 210, thereby causing the storage device 210 to squeeze the cell-containing biological printing material therein, and finally the stable output of the biological printing material can be achieved through the needle of the storage device 210.

[0069] When the printing gun of the present application needs to be paused during use, the second three-way solenoid valve 122-2 can be restored to the normal channel opening and closing state, that is, the fourth channel or the fifth channel is closed through a switch signal to pause the operation during use.

[0070] When printing is finished, the fourth channel is closed and the sixth channel is opened through a switch signal to exhaust the storage device 210 .

[0071] It should be noted that in the present application, the above-mentioned various operations corresponding to the first three-way solenoid valve 122-1 and the second three-way solenoid valve 122-2 can be realized by powering on and off or the normal setting key and the exhaust setting key, as well as the trigger of the print gun.

[0072] For example, when the print gun senses a power-on or power-on signal, or through the normal mode setting key of the physical button, a switch signal is automatically sent to restore the first three-way solenoid valve 122-1 to a normally open state, and restore the second three-way solenoid valve 122-2 to a normally closed state; and when the print gun senses a power-off or power-off signal, or through the exhaust mode setting key of the physical button, a switch signal corresponding to the end of printing is automatically sent through the pre-stored power, and the first three-way solenoid valve 122-1 is controlled to close the first channel and open the third channel to achieve the pressure relief in the connecting device 220, and the second three-way solenoid valve 122-2 is controlled to close the sixth channel and open the fourth channel and the fifth channel to achieve the exhaust of the gas in the storage device 210. Correspondingly, when the print gun is powered on again, the first three-way solenoid valve 122-1 will be restored to a normally open state first, and the second three-way solenoid valve 122-2 will be restored to a normally closed state.

[0073] Pressing the trigger executes the corresponding printing action, and releasing the trigger executes the corresponding printing pause action. First, the storage device 210 is filled with printing materials, and then the charging device 230 is powered on to start charging, and the connecting device 220 is charged through the first three-way solenoid valve 122-1. When the first air pressure detection device 121-1 detects that the gas filled in the connecting device 220 reaches the set value, the trigger can be pulled to press the state, and a switch signal will be issued accordingly to control the second three-way solenoid valve 122-2 to open the fourth channel and the fifth channel, thereby realizing ventilation between the connecting device 220 and the storage device 210; then, when it is necessary to pause during the use of the printing gun, the trigger is released to the release state, and another switch signal will be issued to control the second three-way solenoid valve 122-2 to close the fourth channel or the fifth channel to realize the pause operation.

[0074] It should be noted that, in the present application, the corresponding set value or preset value on the first air pressure detection device 121 - 1 or the second air pressure detection device 121 - 2 can be set by physical buttons.

[0075] In one embodiment of the present application, a first damper 123 is further provided between the second three-way solenoid valve 122-2 and the storage device 210; the first damper 123 is connected to the first motor through a first transmission component (such as a transmission screw, etc.); the first motor is electrically connected to and controlled by the control unit 140; wherein, when the air pressure value detected by the second air pressure detection device 121-2 is lower than the second preset value, the control unit 140 controls the first motor to drive the first transmission component to drive the first damper 123 to adjust the air pressure of the storage device 210.

[0076] In summary, the 3D printing gun described in the present application uses a pneumatic extrusion method, through the mode executed by the inflation device 230 (such as an air pump)-three-way solenoid valve 122-storage device 210 (such as a syringe), to adjust the air pressure value of the entire circuit according to the front-end demand pressure, so that the output pressure is more stable; the rapid exhaust mode of the three-way solenoid valve is adopted to quickly remove the original chamber pressure and quickly stop extrusion; the knob is used to adjust the set pressure value to achieve stable extrusion of biological printing materials with different viscosities.

[0077] like Figure 3 , which is a schematic diagram of the structure of the gun head portion of an electrostatically assisted biological 3D printing gun for in-situ repair in one embodiment of the present application. The gun head portion of the 3D printing gun 100 is provided with a capillary hose 240, and the storage device 210 is connected thereto, so that the biological printing material flows into the damaged part of the human body through the capillary hose 240.

[0078] In one embodiment of the present application, the flow rate regulating unit 130 includes: a flow detection device 131, a second damper 132; the second damper 132 is connected to a second motor 134 through a second transmission component 133 (such as a transmission screw); the second motor 134 is electrically connected to and controlled by the control unit 140.

[0079] Preferably, the flow detection device 131 adopts a flow sensor, because it is not only sensitive in response, high in measurement accuracy and reliability, but also not affected by external power supply.

[0080] Among them, based on the flow signal detected by the flow detection device 131, the control unit 140 controls the second motor 134 to drive the second transmission assembly 133 to drive the second damper 132 to adjust the flow rate of the biological printing material and achieve refined control of the printing material.

[0081] Combination Figure 3 , and the C end represents the positive electrode connected to the high voltage power supply. When the capillary hose 240 of the gun tip penetrates into the damaged part, it is connected to the insulating operating platform on which the damaged part is placed to generate an electrostatic field. Based on the electrospinning technology, the output of the bioprinting material can be controlled at micro-nano precision to improve the accuracy of in-situ printing.

[0082] In one embodiment of the present application, the 3D printing gun 100 further includes a liquid level alarm unit 150; the liquid level alarm unit 150 is electrically connected to the control unit 140, and the liquid level alarm unit 150 includes:

[0083] A liquid level detection device 151, disposed inside the storage device 210, for detecting the remaining amount of the bioprinting material;

[0084] Preferably, the liquid level detection device 151 adopts a liquid level sensor, because it not only has high measurement accuracy, good stability, strong anti-interference performance, high reliability, and long service life, but also has the characteristics of reverse protection and current limiting protection circuit.

[0085] An alarm device 152, provided on the outer shell of the gun body 200, for issuing a warning signal;

[0086] The alarm device 152 includes any one or more combinations of alarm lights, alarm bells, etc., to send out visual, auditory, and other warning signals.

[0087] Specifically, when the liquid level detection device 151 detects that the remaining amount of the bio-printing material is insufficient, the control unit 140 controls the alarm device 152 to send out a warning signal.

[0088] In one embodiment of the present application, the 3D printing gun 100 is further provided with a display unit 160; the display unit 160 is electrically connected to the temperature adjustment unit 110, the air pressure adjustment unit 120, and the liquid level alarm unit 150, and is used to respectively display the temperature value, air pressure value, and remaining value detected by the corresponding detection devices (such as the temperature detection device 111, the air pressure detection device 121, and the liquid level detection device 151).

[0089] In addition, the display unit 160 may also be electrically connected to the flow rate regulating unit 130 to display the flow rate of the bioprinting material detected by the flow rate detecting device 131 in real time.

[0090] It should be noted that the gun head shell of the gun body 200 is also provided with an ultraviolet curing lamp 250 for curing the bioprinting material.

[0091] like Figure 4As shown, it is a schematic diagram of the structure of the tail portion of the electrostatically assisted biological 3D printing gun for in-situ repair in one embodiment of the present application. Among them, port A represents the water inlet of the water-cooled radiator 113; port D represents the air inlet connected to the inflator 230; end E represents the power interface, and the present application uses an external power supply to reduce the weight of the 3D printing gun 100; end F represents the interface for connecting the end execution component, and the present application uses an external end execution component to perform in-situ 3D printing. Among them, the end execution component can be an execution component such as a robotic arm that has been loaded with a printing track.

[0092] In summary, the 3D printing gun provided in this application reduces its own weight by connecting some external devices, and the overall structure is compact and small, and the operation is more convenient by connecting external actuators; at the same time, based on the display of the measurement values ​​on the display screen, it can be combined with the control unit to perform control and adjustment more intuitively and timely.

[0093] like Figure 5 As shown, it is a flow chart of a control method of an electrostatically assisted biological 3D printing gun for in-situ repair in one embodiment of the present application. The specific use steps include:

[0094] 1. Fill the bioprinting material. Open the tail of the 3D printing gun 100, put the storage device 210 filled with sufficient bioprinting material into the auxiliary slot and carefully check the position of each component. After confirming that it is correct, close the tail and install the 3D printing gun 100 to the end effector component loaded with the printing track;

[0095] 2. Create a constant temperature environment to meet the requirements of in-situ printing. Start the power supply, the UV curing lamp 250 is always on, and the internal temperature of the gun body 200 is detected by the temperature detection device 111. When the temperature does not meet the preset temperature of the biological printing material, the control unit 140 sends a command to the refrigeration device to cool down, including controlling the cooling plate 112 to cool down and starting the water-cooled radiator 113 to simultaneously enhance the heat dissipation effect; at the same time, the temperature detection device 111 detects the temperature inside the gun body in real time and displays it on the display unit 160; until the required temperature for in-situ printing of the biological printing material is reached, the cooling plate 112 and the water-cooled radiator 113 stop working under the control of the control unit 140, and then go to the next step;

[0096] 3. Provide required air pressure. Inflate through the inflation device 230, for example, power on the external air pump to inflate, use the air pressure monitoring device 121 to measure the current air pressure value and display it in real time on the display unit 160, when the first air pressure detection device 121-1 detects that the air pressure provided by the inflation device 230 meets the requirements of the biological printing material, the gas flows into the storage device 210 through the first damper 123 and the second three-way solenoid valve 122-2, otherwise, the air pressure is adjusted by controlling the first three-way solenoid valve 122-1; when the second air pressure detection device 121-2 detects that the air pressure value in the storage device 210 does not meet the preset requirements, the control unit 140 controls the first motor to drive the first transmission assembly to drive the first damper 123 to adjust the air pressure of the storage device 210 until the second preset value is met, and the biological printing material flows through pneumatic extrusion;

[0097] 4. Construct an electrostatic field to finely control the printing speed and amount. When the capillary hose 240 penetrates into the damaged part, the gun tip electrically connected to the positive electrode of the high-voltage power supply is connected to the insulating operating platform where the damaged part is placed, and an electrostatic field is generated. Under the pneumatic extrusion circuit, combined with the operation of the robotic arm, the electrostatic spinning technology is used to finely control the dripping of biological printing materials into the damaged part for in-situ repair;

[0098] 5. Real-time control and precise printing. When the temperature and air pressure meet the preset requirements, the bioprinting material flows into the capillary hose 240 at the damaged part along the gun head, and the current flow rate is detected by the flow detection device 131. When the detected flow rate does not meet the requirements (i.e. "No"), the control unit 140 controls the second motor 134 to drive the second transmission assembly 133 to drive the second damper 132 to adjust the flow rate of the bioprinting material and realize the refined control of the printing material, otherwise continue printing; the remaining amount of the bioprinting material is detected by the liquid level detection device 151 and displayed in real time on the display unit 160. When the remaining amount detected by the liquid level detection device 151 is insufficient (i.e. "Yes"), the alarm device 152 sends a warning signal to suspend printing to replenish raw materials or stop printing directly; when the remaining amount detected by the liquid level detection device 151 is sufficient, the flow rate can also be accurately controlled by the flow rate adjustment unit 130. During the printing process, the temperature adjustment unit 110 and the air pressure adjustment unit 120 are both in operation, so that real-time control can be performed by the control unit 140.

[0099] In summary, the present application provides an electrostatically assisted biological 3D printing gun for in-situ repair, comprising: a gun body; the gun body is provided with: a storage device for storing biological printing materials, and an external inflation device is connected to a connecting device to form a pneumatic circuit; a temperature regulating unit for collecting the temperature signal of the storage device and performing temperature regulation; an air pressure regulating unit for respectively collecting the air pressure signals of the storage device and the connecting device and respectively adjusting the corresponding air pressures; a flow rate regulating unit, which is arranged at the gun head of the gun body, for collecting the flow signal of the biological printing material and performing flow rate regulation; a control unit, which is electrically connected to and controls the temperature regulating unit, the air pressure regulating unit and the flow rate regulating unit respectively; wherein the control unit controls the 3D printing gun to perform in-situ printing based on the temperature signal, the air pressure signal and the flow signal.

[0100] The present application reduces the weight of the 3D printing gun by connecting an external inflation device; at the same time, according to the front-end required pressure, the air pressure value of the entire circuit is adjusted through the inflation device-air pressure sensor-three-way solenoid valve-end execution to make the air pressure more stable; the output of the biological ink is controlled at micro-nano precision by adopting an electrostatic assisted design, thereby improving the accuracy of 3D printing and achieving high-precision printing of damaged tissues; the present application is based on a pneumatic circuit and combines 3D printing technology with electrostatic spinning technology to make the output more stable and easy to control, while the operation is simple and timely; a microcontroller is used as the core, and temperature control is performed through a temperature sensor, a refrigeration sheet, and a water-cooled heat dissipation device to ensure the activity of the biological ink before printing and after ejection, and to improve the survival rate of tissue cells in the biological ink; and the large components of the water-cooled heat dissipation device are connected externally to reduce the weight of the 3D printing gun.

[0101] The present invention effectively overcomes various shortcomings of the prior art and has high industrial utilization value.

[0102] The above embodiments are merely illustrative of the principles and effects of the present invention, and are not intended to limit the present invention. Anyone familiar with the art may modify or alter the above embodiments without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Therefore, all equivalent modifications or alterations made by a person of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the spirit and technical concept disclosed by the present invention shall still be covered by the claims of the present invention.

Claims

1. An electrostatically assisted biological 3D printing gun for in-situ repair, characterized in that: The 3D printing gun includes a gun body; The gun body is provided with: A storage device, used for storing bioprinting materials, and connected to an external inflation device through a connecting device to form a pneumatic circuit; A temperature adjustment unit, used for collecting a temperature signal of the storage device and performing temperature adjustment; An air pressure regulating unit, used to respectively collect air pressure signals from the storage device and the communication device and respectively regulate the corresponding air pressures; A flow rate regulating unit, disposed at the gun head of the gun body, for collecting the flow signal of the bioprinting material and regulating the flow rate; A control unit, electrically connected to and controlling the temperature regulating unit, the air pressure regulating unit and the flow rate regulating unit respectively; Wherein, the control unit controls the 3D printing gun to perform in-situ printing based on the temperature signal, the air pressure signal and the flow signal; The air pressure regulating unit comprises: an air pressure detection device and a three-way solenoid valve; wherein a first three-way solenoid valve is arranged between the inflatable device and the connecting device; a second three-way solenoid valve is arranged between the connecting device and the storage device; the opening and closing states of different channels in the first three-way solenoid valve are controlled by a switch signal corresponding to the first three-way solenoid valve, so as to ventilate or exhaust between the inflatable device and the connecting device; the opening and closing states of different channels in the second three-way solenoid valve are controlled by a switch signal corresponding to the second three-way solenoid valve, so as to ventilate or exhaust between the connecting device and the storage device; a first air pressure detection device is arranged between the first three-way solenoid valve and the connecting device, so as to detect the air pressure in the connecting device; a second air pressure detection device is arranged between the second three-way solenoid valve and the storage device, so as to detect the air pressure in the storage device; A first damper is further provided between the second three-way solenoid valve and the storage device; the first damper is connected to the first motor through a first transmission assembly; the first motor is electrically connected to and controlled by the control unit; wherein, when the air pressure value detected by the second air pressure detection device is lower than a second preset value, the control unit controls the first motor to drive the first transmission assembly to drive the first damper to adjust the air pressure of the storage device; The flow rate regulating unit includes: a flow detection device, a second damper; the second damper is connected to a second motor via a second transmission assembly; the second motor is electrically connected to and controlled by the control unit.

2. The electrostatically assisted biological 3D printing gun for in-situ repair according to claim 1, characterized in that: The temperature adjustment unit includes: a temperature detection device and a refrigeration device; When the temperature signal detected by the temperature detection device does not meet the preset temperature of the biological printing material, the control unit controls the refrigeration device to cool down to adjust the temperature.

3. The electrostatically assisted biological 3D printing gun for in-situ repair according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first three-way solenoid valve is a normally open solenoid valve; In a normal state, the first channel of the first three-way solenoid valve connected to the inflatable device and the second channel connected to the connecting device are respectively opened, and the third channel connected to the external atmosphere is closed, so that ventilation is performed between the inflatable device and the connecting device; When printing is finished, the first channel is closed and the third channel is opened through a switch signal to exhaust the connecting device; When the air pressure value detected by the first air pressure detection device is lower than a first preset value, the inflation device is opened to inflate the connecting device.

4. The electrostatically assisted biological 3D printing gun for in-situ repair according to claim 1, characterized in that: The second three-way solenoid valve is a normally closed solenoid valve; In normal state, the fourth channel connected to the communication device, the fifth channel connected to the storage device, and the sixth channel connected to the external atmosphere in the second three-way solenoid valve are respectively closed; When it is detected that the gas filled in the communication device reaches a set value, the fourth channel and the fifth channel are opened through a switch signal to enable ventilation between the communication device and the storage device; Wherein, the fourth channel or the fifth channel is closed by a switch signal to suspend operation during use; When printing is finished, the fourth channel is closed and the sixth channel is opened through a switch signal to exhaust the storage device.

5. The electrostatically assisted biological 3D printing gun for in-situ repair according to claim 1, characterized in that: The 3D printing gun further includes a liquid level alarm unit; the liquid level alarm unit is electrically connected to the control unit, and specifically includes: A liquid level detection device, disposed inside the storage device, for detecting the remaining amount of the biological printing material; The alarm device is arranged on the outer shell of the gun body and is used for sending out a warning signal.

6. The electrostatically assisted biological 3D printing gun for in-situ repair according to claim 5, characterized in that: The 3D printing gun is also provided with a display unit; the display unit is electrically connected to the temperature regulating unit, the air pressure regulating unit, and the liquid level alarm unit, and is used to respectively display the temperature value, the air pressure value, and the residual value detected by the corresponding detection device.

7. The electrostatically assisted biological 3D printing gun for in-situ repair according to claim 1, characterized in that: The gun head portion of the gun body is electrically connected to the positive electrode of the high voltage power supply and is connected to the operating platform to generate an electrostatic field; The gun tail portion of the gun body is mechanically connected to the end effector component for 3D printing.

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