Printing device and printing system

Abstract

The present invention relates to the field of cell culture, and provides a printing device and a printing system. The printing device includes a feed converter, a print nozzle, and a print chamber. The discharge end of the print nozzle extends into the inner cavity through an opening on the print chamber. The docking piece of the feed converter used to input the printing material is connected to the corresponding feed port docking piece of the print nozzle, so that the cell raw material and the hydrogel raw material are introduced to print the cell scaffold in the culture dish in the print chamber. During the printing process, the discharge end and the culture dish are located in the print chamber to achieve closed printing, which can effectively reduce the risk of infection. After the printing is completed, the feed converter corresponding to the feed port can switch the docking piece, and gas is introduced into the first channel and the second channel to discharge the remaining cell raw material and hydrogel raw material, effectively cutting off the printing material at the discharge end, thereby eliminating the need for manual operation and cutting, which is beneficial to reducing pollution, while also saving manpower and facilitating large-scale production.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of cell culture, and in particular to a printing device and a printing system. Background Art

[0002] As a cell product, exosomes are considered to be an important carrier of cell-to-cell interaction. The efficient production of exosomes has always been a major challenge. Among the related technologies, the use of cell 3D printing technology to print cell scaffolds with high cell density and cell locking characteristics can effectively improve the production efficiency of exosomes. However, this method makes the hydrogel cell scaffolds have a risk of contamination during the printing process. The sterility of the hydrogel scaffold is difficult to maintain and requires a lot of manual operation, which is not conducive to large-scale production. Summary of the invention

[0003] The present invention aims to solve at least one of the technical problems existing in the prior art. To this end, the present invention provides a printing device that can effectively reduce the risk of contamination of a hydrogel scaffold. The present invention also provides a printing system having the above-mentioned printing device.

[0004] In a first aspect, the printing device of the present invention comprises a feed converter, a print head and a print chamber, wherein:

[0005] The feed converter comprises a driving assembly, a conversion member, and at least two docking members with through holes, wherein the docking member is connected to the conversion member, the driving assembly is connected to the conversion member, and the driving assembly is driven to drive the conversion member to move to switch the position of the docking member, so that one of the docking members is in a docking position; at least one of the docking members is used to input printing materials, and at least one of the docking members is used to introduce an air source;

[0006] A first channel and a second channel arranged around the first channel are provided inside the print head, one end of the print head has a discharge end, the first channel and the second channel respectively pass through the discharge end; the print head is provided with two feed ports, the first channel and the second channel are respectively connected to one of the feed ports, the two feed ports are respectively provided with the feed converters, and the feed ports are respectively adapted to be connected to the docking pieces at the docking positions on the corresponding feed converters;

[0007] The interior of the printing chamber is provided with an inner cavity for accommodating a culture dish, and the chamber wall of the printing chamber is provided with an opening, and the printing nozzle can place the discharge end in the inner cavity through the opening.

[0008] The printing device of the present invention has at least the following beneficial effects: when used, the culture dish can be placed in the inner cavity of the printing chamber, the discharge end of the printing nozzle extends into the inner cavity through the opening on the printing chamber, the docking piece of the feed converter for inputting the printing material can be placed in the docking position, the first channel of the printing nozzle is connected to the docking piece in the docking position on the corresponding feed converter through a feed port, which can be used to pass the cell raw material, and the second channel is connected to the docking piece in the docking position on the corresponding feed converter through another feed port, which can be used to pass the hydrogel raw material, so as to print the cell scaffold in the culture dish in the printing chamber. During the printing process, the discharge end and the culture dish are located in the printing chamber, and closed printing is realized, which can effectively reduce the risk of infection. After the printing is completed, the feed converter corresponding to the feed port can switch the docking piece used to connect the gas source to the docking position, and dock with the feed port respectively, so as to pass gas into the first channel and the second channel to discharge the remaining cell raw material and hydrogel raw material, effectively cut off the printing material at the discharge end, thereby eliminating the need for manual operation and cutting, which is conducive to reducing pollution, and can also save manpower, which is conducive to large-scale production.

[0009] In the printing device of some schemes of the present invention, the conversion part includes a connecting disk, which is located on the outer side of the corresponding feed port, the docking part is connected to the connecting disk, and one end of the docking part protrudes from the side of the connecting disk toward the feed port along the conducting direction of the feed port, and the driving assembly is used to drive the connecting disk to move along the conducting direction of the feed port, and move along a plane perpendicular to the conducting direction.

[0010] Further, the driving assembly is used to drive the connecting disk to rotate, the rotation axis of the connecting disk is parallel to the conducting direction of the feed port, the docking parts are distributed around the rotation axis of the connecting disk, and the conversion part further includes a first seal and a second seal, and the first seal and the second seal are rotatably connected to the driving assembly; wherein:

[0011] The first sealing member is disposed between the printing nozzle and the connecting disk along the axial direction of the connecting disk, the first sealing member is provided with a first channel, the first channel is located at the docking position, and the feed port is connected to the first channel;

[0012] The second sealing member is located between the connecting disk and the first sealing member, and the second sealing member is provided with a second channel corresponding to each of the docking members, one end of each of the docking members is passed through the second channel one by one, and the second sealing member is driven by the connecting disk to rotate relative to the first sealing member so that one of the second channels is connected to the first channel.

[0013] Further, the number of the docking members is two, one of the first sealing member and the second sealing member is provided with an arc-shaped groove, and the other is provided with a limiting protrusion, the limiting protrusion is located in the arc-shaped groove, and the two ends of the arc-shaped groove have a first limiting wall and a second limiting wall, and during the rotation of the second sealing member relative to the first sealing member, the limiting protrusion moves along the arc-shaped groove, wherein:

[0014] When the limiting protrusion abuts against the first limiting wall, one of the second holes is connected to the first hole;

[0015] When the limiting protrusion abuts against the second limiting wall, another of the second holes is connected to the first hole.

[0016] In the printing device of some schemes of the present invention, the printing device also includes a moving device, which includes a moving part and a carrier, and the feed converter and the print head are carried on the carrier; the moving device is used to drive the carrier to move relative to the printing chamber so that the discharge end is in a first position or a second position, in the first position, the discharge end is located above the culture dish, and in the second position, the discharge end is suitable for avoiding the top of the culture dish.

[0017] Further, a mounting platform is provided on the wall of the printing chamber, the mounting platform is located at the opening and protrudes from the inner wall of the chamber wall, the opening passes through the chamber wall and the mounting platform, a mounting groove is provided inside the mounting platform along one side perpendicular to the through direction of the opening, the mounting groove is connected to the opening, and an elastic stopper is provided in the mounting groove, wherein:

[0018] When the print head is inserted into the opening and the discharge end is located in the inner cavity, the elastic stopper abuts against the outer peripheral wall of the print head and has elastic deformation;

[0019] When the discharging end exits the inner cavity and is located at the outside relative to the mounting groove, the elastic stopper is located in the opening and closes the opening.

[0020] Furthermore, the two ends of the elastic block along the through direction perpendicular to the opening are respectively a connecting end and a butting end, the connecting end is connected to the mounting platform, the butting end is used to butt against the print head, and a first guide surface is provided on the side of the elastic block facing away from the inner cavity, and the first guide surface gradually moves away from the inner cavity from the butting end toward the connecting end.

[0021] Furthermore, a second guide surface is provided on the side of the discharging end on the same side as the elastic stopper, and the second guide surface is inclined from the outer peripheral wall of the discharging end to the end of the discharging end.

[0022] In the printing device of some schemes of the present invention, the printing device also includes a cover opening device, which includes a cover removing member and a cover opening drive assembly, the bottom wall of the printing chamber is provided with a carrier for carrying the culture dish, the cover removing member is located above the carrier, and is used to take and place the upper cover of the culture dish, and the cover opening drive assembly is connected to the cover removing member, and is used to drive the cover removing member to obtain the upper cover or release the upper cover, and is used to drive the cover removing member to move closer to or away from the culture dish.

[0023] In a second aspect, the printing system of the present invention comprises a first printing material supply device, a second printing material supply device, an air source device and a printing device of any of the above schemes; wherein:

[0024] The two feed ports of the printing device are respectively a first feed port and a second feed port, the first feed port is connected to the first channel, and the second feed port is connected to the second channel;

[0025] The first printing material supply device is connected to one of the docking pieces in the feed converter provided at the first feed port through a pipeline, and is used to input the first printing material into the first channel through the channel inside the docking piece;

[0026] The second printing material supply device is connected to one of the docking pieces in the feed converter disposed at the second feed port through a pipeline, and is used to input the first printing material into the second channel through the channel inside the docking piece;

[0027] The gas source device is connected to one of the docking pieces provided in each of the feed converters through pipelines, and is used to respectively introduce gas into the first channel and the second channel through the channel inside the docking piece.

[0028] The printing system of the present invention has at least the following beneficial effects: by using the above-mentioned printing device, closed printing can be achieved and the risk of infection can be reduced. The first printing material supply device and the second printing material supply device can respectively provide cell raw materials and hydrogel raw materials to ensure the continuous supply of printing materials. After the printing of cells and hydrogels is completed, the gas source device provides gas, so that the printing material can be cut off at the discharge end, which can avoid pollution caused by manual cutting, and at the same time save manpower, which is conducive to large-scale production.

[0029] Additional aspects and advantages of the present invention will be given in part in the following description and in part will be obvious from the following description, or will be learned through practice of the present invention. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0030] The present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments, wherein:

[0031] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the structure of a printing device according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0032] Figure 2 for Figure 1 A top view of the printing chamber with the cover of the printing chamber removed;

[0033] Figure 3 A cross-sectional view of a print head according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0034] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a print head and a feed converter according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0035] Figure 5 This is a partial structural schematic diagram of a feed converter in one embodiment of the present application;

[0036] Figure 6 This is another structural schematic diagram of a feed converter in one embodiment of the present application;

[0037] Figure 7 This is a schematic structural diagram of a first sealing member in an embodiment of the present application;

[0038] Figure 8 This is a schematic structural diagram of a second sealing member in one embodiment of the present application;

[0039] Fig. 9 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the first sealing member and the second sealing member in one embodiment of the present application, illustrating the annular groove and the limiting protrusion;

[0040] Fig.10 This is a partial structural schematic diagram of an embodiment of the present application, illustrating a moving device, a feed converter, a printing nozzle, a printing chamber, and a culture dish;

[0041] Fig.11 A schematic diagram of a printing chamber, a cover opening device and a rotating device in one embodiment of the present application;

[0042] Fig.12 for Fig.11 A cross-sectional view of

[0043] Fig.13 for Fig.12 A partial structural diagram of the invention shows a cover opening device, a culture dish and a carrier;

[0044] Fig.14 for Fig.12 A partial enlarged schematic diagram in the middle;

[0045] Fig.15 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an elastic stopper in an embodiment of the present application;

[0046] Fig.16 Schematic diagram of the structure of a printing nozzle in one embodiment of the present application.

[0047] Reference numerals:

[0048] Print head 100; first channel 110; second channel 120; first feed port 130; second feed port 140; discharge end 150; second guide surface 160;

[0049] Feed converter 200; first feed converter 201; second feed converter 202; drive assembly 210; drive shaft 211; rotating member 212; connecting member 213; conversion member 220; connecting disk 221; first sealing member 222; first channel 223; second sealing member 224; second channel 225; arc groove 226; limiting protrusion 227; first limiting wall 228; second limiting wall 229; docking member 230; sealing cover 240;

[0050] Printing chamber 300; chamber wall 310; opening 311; mounting platform 312; mounting groove 313; chamber cover 320; bottom wall 330; circular recessed groove 331; connecting hole 332; bearing member 340; positioning concave circular groove 341; elastic stopper 350; stopper member 351; elastic member 352; first guide surface 353; arc surface 354; clamping cone 360; clamping block 370;

[0051] Moving device 400; stage 410; moving member 420;

[0052] Cover opening device 500; cover removal member 510; suction cup 511; air inlet member 512; airway 513; cover opening drive assembly 520; magnetic member 521; electromagnetic coil 522; air guide tube 523; sealing ring 524;

[0053] Rotating device 600; rotating assembly 610; rotating shaft 620; connector 630;

[0054] Culture dish 700 ; culture dish body 710 ; upper cover 720 . DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0055] Embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below, examples of which are shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein the same or similar reference numerals throughout represent the same or similar elements or elements having the same or similar functions. The embodiments described below with reference to the accompanying drawings are exemplary and are only used to explain the present invention, and cannot be understood as limiting the present invention.

[0056] In the description of the present invention, it should be understood that descriptions involving orientations, such as up, down, front, back, left, right, etc., and orientations or positional relationships indicated are based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be understood as a limitation on the present invention.

[0057] In the description of the present invention, "several" means more than one, "many" means more than two, "greater than", "less than", "exceed", etc. are understood to exclude the number itself, and "above", "below", "within", etc. are understood to include the number itself. If there is a description of "first" or "second", it is only used for the purpose of distinguishing the technical features, and cannot be understood as indicating or implying the relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of the indicated technical features or implicitly indicating the order of the indicated technical features.

[0058] In the description of the present invention, unless otherwise clearly defined, terms such as setting, installing, connecting, etc. should be understood in a broad sense, and technicians in the relevant technical field can reasonably determine the specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention based on the specific content of the technical solution.

[0059] In the description of the present invention, the description with reference to the terms "one embodiment", "some embodiments", "illustrative embodiments", "examples", "specific examples", or "some examples" means that the specific features, structures, materials or characteristics described in conjunction with the embodiment or example are included in at least one embodiment or example of the present invention. In this specification, the schematic representation of the above terms does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Moreover, the specific features, structures, materials or characteristics described may be combined in any one or more embodiments or examples in a suitable manner.

[0060] Exosomes, as a cell product, are considered to be important carriers of cell-to-cell interaction. They are nanoscale vesicles secreted outside the cell by exocytosis. After the target cell absorbs the exosomes, its own function will be regulated. Exosomes derived from stem cells achieve intercellular communication by delivering proteins, lipids and microRNAs (miRNAs). Exosomes derived from stem cells have been shown to have good therapeutic effects in the fields of tissue and organ regeneration and repair, such as wound healing, joint repair, and fracture healing, and have become important cell active raw materials in the fields of regenerative medicine and cell therapy.

[0061] In related technologies, the production of exosomes is mainly extracted and purified from the cell supernatant of cells cultured on 2D plates. The exosomes secreted by cells cultured in this way cannot meet the requirements of industrial transformation in terms of activity or yield.

[0062] Some technologies use 3D printing technology to achieve 3D printing of cell scaffolds. The printed cell scaffolds have high cell density and cell locking characteristics, which can effectively improve the production efficiency of exosomes. However, there are contamination risks in the printing process. For example, some technologies usually print hydrogel cell scaffolds in an open environment, which poses a contamination risk. After printing, there are problems such as hydrogel drawing and leakage, which require manual cutting or cleaning. This method makes it difficult to maintain the sterility of the hydrogel scaffold, and filtration treatment is required in the later stage to reduce the risk of bacterial contamination. It requires a lot of manual operation and is not conducive to large-scale production.

[0063] The embodiment of the present invention proposes a printing device and a printing system, which realizes the mechanical printing of cell scaffolds and the material truncation after printing, and the printing process realizes closed printing, thereby effectively reducing the risk of contamination and labor costs, which is conducive to improving production efficiency and product stability. The embodiment of the present invention is described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings:

[0064] refer to Figures 1 to 4 The printing device of the embodiment of the present invention includes a feed converter 200, a print head 100 and a print chamber 300. Among them:

[0065] The inside of the print head 100 is provided with a first channel 110 and a second channel 120 arranged around the periphery of the first channel 110. One end of the print head 100 is provided with a discharge end 150, and the first channel 110 and the second channel 120 respectively pass through the discharge end 150. The print head 100 is provided with two feed ports, and the first channel 110 and the second channel 120 are respectively connected to a feed port, which are respectively used to input printing materials into the first channel 110 and the second channel 120. For example, the two feed ports are a first feed port 130 connected to the first channel 110 and a second feed port 140 connected to the second channel 120, the first feed port 130 is used to input cell raw materials into the first channel 110, and the second feed port 140 is used to input hydrogel raw materials into the second channel 120, thereby, a cell-containing hydrogel scaffold can be printed from the discharge end 150.

[0066] The interior of the printing chamber 300 has an inner cavity for accommodating the culture dish 700. The chamber wall 310 of the printing chamber 300 is provided with an opening 311. The printing nozzle 100 can place the discharge end 150 in the inner cavity through the opening 311. When in use, the culture dish 700 can be placed in the inner cavity of the printing chamber 300, and the discharge end 150 of the printing nozzle 100 can be extended into the inner cavity through the opening 311 on the printing chamber 300 and placed above the culture dish 700 for printing.

[0067] The feed converter 200 includes a drive assembly 210, a conversion member 220, and at least two docking members 230 with channels, wherein the docking members 230 are connected to the conversion member 220, and the drive assembly 210 is connected to the conversion member 220. The drive assembly 210 is driven to drive the conversion member 220 to move to switch the position of the docking members 230, so that one of the docking members 230 is in the docking position. Among them, at least one docking member 230 is used to input printing materials, and at least one docking member 230 is used to pass an air source.

[0068] In the printing device, feed converters 200 are respectively provided at the two feed ports of the print head 100, and each feed port is adapted to be connected to and communicated with a docking member 230 at a docking position on the corresponding feed converter 200, so that corresponding printing materials can be input through the corresponding docking member 230 for printing. The drive assembly 210 drives the conversion member 220 to move, so that the docking member 230 for introducing the gas source can be switched to the docking position to dock with the corresponding feed port, thereby inputting gas into the first channel 110 and the second channel 120 to achieve feed conversion.

[0069] During use, the culture dish 700 can be placed in the inner cavity of the printing chamber 300, and the discharge end 150 of the print head 100 extends into the inner cavity through the opening 311 on the printing chamber 300, and the docking piece 230 of the feed converter 200 for inputting printing materials is placed in the docking position, and the first channel 110 of the print head 100 is connected with the docking piece 230 in the docking position on the corresponding feed converter 200 through the first feed port 130, which can be used to introduce cell raw materials, and the second channel 120 is connected with the docking piece 230 in the docking position on the corresponding feed converter 200 through the second feed port 140, which can be used to introduce hydrogel raw materials, thereby printing cell-containing hydrogel scaffolds into the culture dish 700 in the printing chamber 300.

[0070] During the printing process, the discharge end 150 and the culture dish 700 are located in the printing chamber 300 to achieve closed printing, which can effectively reduce the risk of infection. After the printing is completed, the feed converter 200 can switch the docking piece 230 for connecting the gas source to the docking position, docking with the corresponding feed port, so as to pass gas into the first channel 110 and / or the second channel 120 to discharge the remaining cell raw materials and hydrogel raw materials, effectively cutting off the hydrogel scaffold at the discharge end 150, thereby eliminating the need for manual cutting, which is beneficial to reducing pollution, and can also save manpower, which is beneficial to large-scale production.

[0071] After one printing is completed, another culture dish 700 can be replaced and placed in the printing chamber 300, and the feed converter 200 places the docking piece 230 for inputting printing materials in the docking position, and continues to pass the cell raw materials to the print head 100 for printing. The feed converter 200 can implement input conversion for the print head 100 in a mechanical manner, and the controllability of the printing process is strong, which is conducive to achieving standardized printing.

[0072] The printing system according to the embodiment of the present invention includes a first printing material supply device, a second printing material supply device, an air source device and a printing device.

[0073] In the printing device, the two feed ports are respectively a first feed port 130 and a second feed port 140 . The first feed port 130 is connected to the first channel 110 , and the second feed port 140 is connected to the second channel 120 .

[0074] The first printing material supply device is connected to a docking piece 230 in the feed converter 200 disposed at the first feed port 130 through a pipeline, and is used to input the first printing material to the first channel 110 through the channel inside the docking piece 230. The second printing material supply device is connected to a docking piece 230 in the feed converter 200 disposed at the second feed port 140 through a pipeline, and is used to input the first printing material to the second channel 120 through the channel inside the docking piece 230. For example, the first printing material supply device can be used to supply cell raw materials, and the second printing material supply device can be used to supply hydrogel raw materials.

[0075] The gas source device is connected to a docking piece 230 provided in each feed converter 200 through a pipeline, which is different from the docking piece 230 used for supplying printing materials, and is used to introduce gas to the first channel 110 and the second channel 120 respectively through the channel inside the docking piece 230.

[0076] The above-mentioned pipeline can adopt a hose structure, which can be easily adaptively deformed when switching the docking piece 230.

[0077] The docking member 230 may be a pipe or joint structure having a channel inside, and may be detachably connected to the conversion member 220 , or may be an integral structure with the conversion member 220 .

[0078] The printing system adopts the above-mentioned printing device to achieve closed printing and reduce the risk of infection. When in use, the first printing material supply device and the second printing material supply device can respectively provide cell raw materials and hydrogel raw materials to ensure the continuous supply of printing materials. After the printing of cells and hydrogels is completed, the gas source device provides gas, so that the printing material can be cut off at the discharge end 150, which can avoid pollution caused by manual cutting, and at the same time save manpower, which is conducive to large-scale production.

[0079] Therefore, the printing device and printing system of the embodiment of the present application can reduce manual interference during the printing process, which is conducive to improving the stability of parameters. The feed converter 200, the print nozzle 100 and the print chamber 300 are modularly arranged, and the adaptation is simple, which is convenient for industrial promotion. A standard culture dish 700 can be used as a loading vessel, and no additional culture system is required after printing. After the cell scaffold is printed, the culture dish 700 can be transferred to an ordinary incubator for culture, which can meet the needs of different users, save the transfer of the cell scaffold and the investment in the culture system, and help reduce costs.

[0080] Through the cooperation of the feed converter 200, the print head 100 and the print chamber 300, the printing structure can be standardized, which can effectively solve the problems existing in some printing methods that are all completed manually, especially the problems of unstable printing start and stop, hydrogel drawing and leakage, artificial pollution, etc., which is conducive to improving product quality and stability and facilitating industrial expansion. The effective truncation of the hydrogel and the closed printing in the print chamber 300 can improve the utilization rate of the cell-containing hydrogel, reduce pollution, and save material and cell costs.

[0081] refer to Figure 3 In the embodiment of the present application, the first channel 110 and the second channel 120 of the print head 100 can be coaxially arranged, that is, the print head 100 can adopt the coaxial print head 100 commonly used in 3D bio-printing technology. As an example, the first channel 110 is extended along the first direction, thereby, the first channel 110 is connected to the discharge end 150 of the print head 100, and the other end of the print head 100 away from the discharge end 150 is connected to form the first feed port 130, and the second channel 120 has a first section extending along the first direction and arranged around the outer periphery of the first channel 110 and a second section extending perpendicular to the first direction and connected to the first section, thereby, the first section is connected to the discharge end 150 of the print head 100, and the second section can be connected to the side wall of the print head 100 to form the second feed port 140, or the print head 100 extends along the radial direction of the first channel 110 with an extension portion, and the second section of the second channel 120 is located in the extension portion and is connected to the end of the extension portion away from the first channel 110 to form the second feed port 140. Therefore, the feed converter 200 can be respectively arranged at the end of the print head 100 away from the discharge end 150 and the radial side of the print head 100.

[0082] refer to Figure 1 In some embodiments of the printing device, a sealing cover 240 is further included. The sealing cover 240 encloses the conversion member 220, the docking member 230 and the feed mask inside, which can provide a relatively closed space and reduce the probability of contamination caused by the internal raw materials contacting with the outside air when the docking member 230 is switched.

[0083] refer to Figure 2 , Figure 4 and Figure 5 In some embodiments, the conversion member 220 includes a connection disk 221, the connection disk 221 is located outside the corresponding feed port, the docking member 230 is connected to the connection disk 221, and one end of the docking member 230 protrudes from the side of the connection disk 221 facing the feed port along the conduction direction of the feed port. The driving assembly 210 is used to drive the connection disk 221 to move along the conduction direction of the feed port, and to move along a plane perpendicular to the conduction direction, such as rotating around an axis parallel to the conduction direction, or moving in a direction perpendicular to the conduction direction.

[0084] The connection plate 221 moves along the conducting direction of the feed port, and can drive the docking piece 230 at the docking position to move toward the feed port to achieve docking, or move away from the feed port to disengage the docking. The connection plate 221 moves on a plane perpendicular to the conducting direction, and can change the position of the docking piece 230 so that one of the docking pieces 230 is at the docking position, making it convenient for the connection plate 221 to dock with the feed port by moving along the conducting direction of the feed port. Thus, different docking pieces 230 can be switched to the docking position through the movement of the connection plate 221, and the connection and disconnection between the docking piece 230 at the docking position and the feed port can be achieved.

[0085] The conduction directions of the two feed ports can be the same, and the two feed ports are arranged at an interval, and the space between the two feed ports can be convenient for setting the corresponding feed converter 200. Alternatively, the conduction directions of the two feed ports cross, for example, the conduction directions of the two feed ports can be perpendicular to each other, or at an acute angle or an obtuse angle, so that the feed ports have different directions, and the corresponding feed converter 200 can be conveniently set to avoid interference.

[0086] In some embodiments, the driving assembly 210 is used to drive the connecting disk 221 to rotate, the rotation axis of the connecting disk 221 is parallel to the conduction direction of the feed port, the docking parts 230 are distributed circumferentially around the rotation axis of the connecting disk 221, and the driving assembly 210 is also used to drive the connecting disk 221 to move along the conduction direction of the feed port.

[0087] The two ends of the docking member 230 are respectively located on both sides of the axial direction of the connecting disk 221, one end of which is used to dock with the corresponding feed port, the other end of at least one docking member 230 is used to connect the feeding device of the printing material, and the other end of at least one docking member 230 is used to connect the air source device. The feed port is located on one side of the axial direction of the connecting disk 221 of the corresponding feed converter 200, and the conduction direction is consistent with the axial direction of the corresponding connecting disk 221. The driving assembly 210 is used to drive the connecting disk 221 to move along the axial direction to switch the conduction and disconnection with the feed port. The docking members 230 can be distributed in a circumferential interval around the axis of the connecting disk 221, so that the position of the docking member 230 can be switched by the rotation of the connecting disk 221. The driving assembly 210 is also used to drive the connecting disk 221 to rotate around the axis of the connecting disk 221 to switch the position of the docking member 230 to place one of the docking members 230 in the docking position.

[0088] The docking piece 230 may be a connecting pipe or a joint structure, and the docking piece 230 is fixedly connected or detachably connected to the connecting disk 221, and the interior of the docking piece 230 has a channel running through both ends for the printing material or gas to pass through. Alternatively, the docking piece 230 and the connecting disk 221 may be an integrated structure, and the protrusions at both ends of the docking piece 230 are arranged on both sides of the axial direction of the connecting disk 221, and there is a channel running through the docking piece 230 and the connecting disk along the direction extending from both ends of the docking piece 230, for the printing material or gas to pass through.

[0089] The two feed ports can be divided into a first feed port 130 and a second feed port 140. The first feed port 130 is connected to the first channel 110, and the second feed port 140 is connected to the second channel 120. The feed converter 200 corresponding to the first feed port 130 can be called a first feed converter 201, and the feed converter 200 corresponding to the second feed port 140 can be called a second feed converter 202.

[0090] The first feed port 130 and the first feed converter 201 are taken as examples to illustrate the feed conversion method (the feed conversion method of the second feed port 140 and the second feed converter 202 is the same): the first feed port 130 is located on one side of the axial direction of the connecting disk 221 of the first feed converter 201, at the docking position, and the first feed port 130 is axially conductive along the connecting disk 221; the two ends of the docking piece 230 connected to the connecting disk 221 along the axial direction of the connecting disk 221 are respectively located on both sides of the connecting disk 221, and the end of the docking piece 230 facing the first feed port 130 is used to dock with the first feed port 130 at the docking position, the end of at least one docking piece 230 facing away from the first feed port 130 is used to connect to the feeding device of the cell raw material, and the end of at least one docking piece 230 facing away from the first feed port 130 is used to connect to the gas source device.

[0091] During feeding, the connecting disk 221 can be driven to rotate by the driving assembly 210, and the docking piece 230 used to connect the cell raw material can be switched to a position aligned with the first feed port 130, i.e., a docking position. Then, the connecting disk 221 can be driven by the driving assembly 210 to move axially toward the first feed port 130, so that the docking piece 230 can dock with the first feed port 130, thereby inputting the cell raw material into the first channel 110.

[0092] When it is necessary to switch the air intake, the driving component 210 can drive the connecting disk 221 to move axially in a direction away from the first feed port 130 so that the docking piece 230 can be detached from the first feed port 130, and then the driving component 210 can drive the connecting disk 221 to rotate, and the docking piece 230 used to connect the gas source can be switched to the docking position and aligned with the first feed port 130, and then the driving component 210 can drive the connecting disk 221 to move axially in a direction close to the first feed port 130 so that the docking piece 230 connected to the gas source can be docked with the first feed port 130, thereby inputting gas into the first channel 110.

[0093] refer to Figures 2 to 5 In some embodiments, the driving assembly 210 includes a driving shaft 211, a rotating member 212 and a connecting member 213. The axis of the driving shaft 211 is parallel to the conducting direction of the feed port. The rotating member 212 is sleeved on the driving shaft 211, and the connecting disk 221 is rotatably connected to the rotating member 212 relative to the driving shaft 211. The driving shaft 211 is driven to drive the rotating member 212 to move along the axial direction of the driving shaft 211 by rotation, and the rotating member 212 drives the connecting disk 221 to move along the axial direction. The connecting member 213 is connected to the connecting disk 221, and the connecting member 213 is driven to drive the connecting disk 221 to rotate around the axis of the driving shaft 211, thereby switching the position of the docking member 230 on the connecting disk 221 so that one of them is located at the docking position and aligned with the feed port.

[0094] For example, the driving shaft 211 has a screw portion, the rotating member 212 is a sleeve structure and is provided with a threaded hole, and the rotating member 212 is sleeved with the screw portion through the threaded hole, so that the rotation of the driving shaft 211 can drive the rotating member 212 to move axially through the threaded structure. The connecting disk 221 is provided with a center hole and an annular groove radially connected to the center hole, the connecting disk 221 is sleeved on the rotating member 212, the rotating member 212 is located in the annular groove, and the rotating member 212 can drive the connecting disk 221 to move axially. The connecting member 213 includes a rotating wheel and a plurality of positioning rods, the rotating wheel is rotatably sleeved on the driving shaft 211, and the plurality of positioning rods are axially arranged around the driving shaft 211 and connected between the connecting disk 221 and the rotating wheel, and the rotating wheel is driven to drive the connecting disk 221 to rotate through the connecting rod. For example, the rotating wheel can be a gear, and the driving element drives the rotating wheel to rotate through a transmission gear or a transmission rack, or the rotating wheel can be a sprocket or a pulley, and the driving element drives the rotating wheel to rotate through a transmission chain or a transmission belt. Alternatively, in some embodiments, the driving assembly 210 may not include the connecting member 213, but a gear ring is provided on the outer peripheral wall of the connecting disk 221, and the driving element drives the connecting disk 221 to rotate through a transmission gear or a transmission rack.

[0095] refer to Figures 6 to 8 In some embodiments, the conversion member 220 may further include a first seal 222 and a second seal 224, which are rotatably connected to the driving assembly 210. The first seal 222 is disposed between the print head 100 and the connection disk 221 along the rotation axis of the connection disk 221, and the first seal 222 is provided with a first channel 223, which is located at the docking position, and the feed port is connected to the first channel 223 on the corresponding feed converter 200. The second seal 224 is located between the connection disk 221 and the first seal 222, and the second seal 224 is provided with a second channel 225 corresponding to each docking member 230, and one end of each docking member 230 is correspondingly penetrated in the second channel 225, and the second seal 224 is driven by the connection disk 221 to rotate relative to the first seal 222, so that one of the second channels 225 is connected to the first channel 223. Thus, the first channel 223 and the second channel 225 connected between the first sealing member 222 and the second sealing member 224 form a relatively sealed space, and the feed port is connected with the corresponding docking member 230 in the connected first channel 223 and the second channel 225, which can effectively prevent the printing material from dripping from the docking member 230 during the conversion process.

[0096] refer to Figures 6 to 9In some embodiments, the number of the docking members 230 is two, one of the first sealing member 222 and the second sealing member 224 is provided with an arc groove 226, and the other is provided with a limiting protrusion 227, the limiting protrusion 227 is located in the arc groove 226, and the two ends of the arc groove 226 have a first limiting wall 228 and a second limiting wall 229. During the rotation of the second sealing member 224 relative to the first sealing member 222, the limiting protrusion 227 moves along the arc groove 226, and the first limiting wall 228 and the second limiting wall 229 are used to limit the rotation range of the limiting protrusion 227. When the limiting protrusion 227 abuts against the first limiting wall 228, one of the second channels 225 is connected to the first channel 223, and when the limiting protrusion 227 abuts against the second limiting wall 229, the other second channel 225 is connected to the first channel 223. Therefore, the rotation range of the limiting protrusion 227 can be limited by the first limiting wall 228 and the second limiting wall 229 of the limiting groove, thereby limiting the rotation angle of the second sealing member 224 relative to the first sealing member 222, thereby realizing the positioning of the second channels 225 corresponding to the two docking members 230 at the docking position, realizing mechanical positioning, improving the reliability of positioning, and thus ensuring the smooth docking of the docking member 230 with the feed port.

[0097] Among them, the arc groove 226 can be a semicircular structure, and the two docking parts 230 are arranged on the connecting disk 221 radially opposite to each other along the axis of the connecting disk 221. Therefore, the connecting disk 221 can switch the docking parts 230 and the second channel 120 by rotating 180°. Continuing to rotate 180° or reverse 180° can switch back to the docking state before the aforementioned switching. The structure is simple and the positioning is reliable.

[0098] In some embodiments, the docking members 230 can be arranged at intervals along a straight line, and the arrangement direction is perpendicular to the conduction direction of the feed port. The conversion member 220 includes a connecting disk 221, and the two ends of the docking member 230 are respectively located on both sides of the axial direction of the connecting disk 221. The driving assembly 210 is used to drive the connecting disk 221 to move along the distribution direction of the docking member 230, so as to switch the position of the docking member 230 and make one of the docking members 230 in the docking position. The driving assembly 210 is also used to drive the connecting disk 221 to move along the conduction direction of the feed port, so that the docking member 230 in the docking position can be moved toward or away from the feed port to achieve docking or disconnection of the docking member 230 with the feed port. Specifically, the driving assembly 210 may include a driving shaft 211, a rotating member 212, and a translation member. The structures of the driving shaft 211 and the rotating member 212 and the connection structure with the connecting disk 221 refer to the above description. The translation member is used to drive the driving shaft 211 and the connecting disk 221 to move along the distribution direction of the docking member 230, so as to switch the position of the docking member 230.

[0099] In the embodiment of the present application, the feed converter 200 can conveniently and quickly convert the docking piece 230 docked with the print nozzle 100. Through the convenient switching of printing materials and gas, the material residue of the discharge end 150 can be timely and effectively cut off. During the printing and cutting process, the discharge end 150 remains in the inner cavity of the printing chamber 300, which can effectively reduce the risk of contamination. According to the actual printing needs, the number of docking pieces 230 and the required input materials can be reasonably configured to expand the material types input to the print nozzle 100, and realize the function expansion of the printing device, which can be configured according to the actual printing needs. For example: by connecting different docking pieces 230 to different types of cell raw materials, it can support the rapid switching of different types of cell scaffold printing; or, by connecting different docking pieces 230 to different types of hydrogel raw materials, it can support the rapid switching printing of different types of hydrogels, or, by connecting the docking piece 230 or the flushing liquid, the flushing liquid can be switched to flush the internal channel of the print nozzle 100 after the cell printing is completed, which can expand the flushing function of the printing device, or, other materials can be introduced into the internal channel of the print nozzle 100 as needed to realize the corresponding printing function.

[0100] The number of docking members 230 is two, three, four or more, at least one docking member 230 is used to input printing materials, and at least one docking member 230 is used to input gas. The number of docking members 230 and the input materials can have a variety of configurations, and some examples are provided below:

[0101] In one example, the number of the docking pieces 230 may be two, wherein one docking piece 230 is used to input printing materials, and the other docking piece 230 is used to input gas, thereby facilitating the switching of gas and printing materials.

[0102] In another example, the number of the docking parts 230 can be three, one of the docking parts 230 is used to input printing materials, and the other two docking parts 230 are used to input gas; or, two of them are used to input printing materials, which can be the same printing materials or different printing materials, for example, different cell raw materials can be connected, and the other one is used to input gas; or, the three docking parts 230 are used to input printing materials, gas and flushing liquid respectively, and after printing, gas can be introduced into the internal channel of the print nozzle (for example, the first channel 110 and / or the second channel 120) to cut off the printing material, and then the flushing liquid can be switched to flush the channel inside the nozzle.

[0103] In another example, the number of docking parts 230 can be four, and the four docking parts 230 can be allocated to connect the number of printing materials and gases as needed. For example, three different cell raw materials can be connected through three of the docking parts 230, and the remaining docking part 230 can be connected to gas; or, one of the docking parts 230 can also be used to connect the flushing liquid, and switching the flushing liquid to flush the channel in the nozzle.

[0104] In addition to the above examples, the number of docking parts 230 and the input materials may have other configurations, which are not listed here one by one. The number of docking parts 230 on the first feed converter 201 corresponding to the first feed port 130 may be the same as or different from the number of docking parts 230 on the second feed converter 202 corresponding to the second feed port 140.

[0105] refer to Figure 1 and Fig.10 In some embodiments of the printing device, the printing device further includes a moving device 400, the moving device 400 includes a moving part 420 and a carrier 410, the feed converter 200 and the print head 100 are carried on the carrier 410, and the moving part 420 is used to drive the carrier 410 to move relative to the printing chamber 300, driving the print head 100 to move axially, so that the discharge end 150 is in the first position or the second position. The moving part 420 can adopt a common moving platform, including a guide rail extending along the axial direction of the print head 100 and a linear motion mechanism, the carrier 410 can be installed on the guide rail, the linear motion mechanism is connected to the guide rail, and is used to drive the carrier 410 to move along the guide rail. The linear motion mechanism can adopt a common mechanism for outputting linear motion, such as a screw mechanism, a gear rack motion mechanism, a chain or belt motion mechanism, etc. In the first position, the discharge end 150 is located above the culture dish 700, and in the second position, the discharge end 150 is suitable for avoiding the top of the culture dish 700. Therefore, printing can be performed in the culture dish 700 at the first position. After printing is completed, the carrier 410 can be driven by the moving device 400 to move the discharge end 150 out to avoid the top of the culture dish 700, thereby avoiding interference with the top of the culture dish 700 or facilitating the closing of the upper cover 720 of the culture dish 700.

[0106] Among them, the printing chamber 300 may have an opening for the culture dish 700 to enter and exit, and a door for opening and closing the opening. Therefore, after the culture dish 700 is placed in the inner cavity of the printing chamber 300, closing the door can make the culture dish 700 in a relatively closed inner cavity. The opening 311 on the chamber wall 310 can allow the printing nozzle 100 to pass through, and the outer wall of the printing nozzle 100 can fit with the hole wall of the opening 311 or have a small gap, which can effectively reduce the air from the outside entering the inner cavity.

[0107] refer to Fig.10 and Fig.11In some embodiments, the printing device may further include a cover opening device 500, which includes a cover removing member 510 and a cover opening drive assembly 520. The bottom wall 330 of the printing chamber 300 is provided with a carrier 340 for carrying the culture dish 700. The cover removing member 510 is located above the carrier 340 and is used to take and place the upper cover 720 of the culture dish 700. The cover opening drive assembly 520 is connected to the cover removing member 510 and is used to drive the cover removing member 510 to obtain the upper cover 720 or release the upper cover 720, and to drive the cover removing member 510 to move closer to or away from the culture dish 700, so that the cover of the culture dish 700 can be opened and closed in the printing chamber 300.

[0108] When in use, a culture dish 700 with an upper cover 720 can be used, and the culture dish 700 includes an upper cover 720 and a culture dish body 710. The culture dish 700 is placed in the inner cavity of the printing chamber 300, placed on the carrier 340, and the printing chamber 300 is closed. Then, the cover-opening drive assembly 520 drives the cover-removing member 510 to move toward the carrier 340 to the position of the upper cover 720. After obtaining the upper cover 720 through the cover-removing member 510, the cover-removing member 510 is driven to move away from the carrier 340 to open the upper cover 720, and make the upper cover 720 higher than the opening 311 of the printing chamber 300, so that the discharge end 150 of the printing nozzle 100 can move to the bottom of the upper cover 720 and print above the culture dish body 710. After printing is completed, the discharge end 150 of the print head 100 moves to a second position to avoid the top of the culture dish body 710. For example, the discharge end 150 retreats along the moving direction of the print head 100 to a position between the outer wall of the culture dish body 710 and the wall of the printing chamber 300, or exits the inner cavity of the printing chamber 300. Then, the cover removal member 510 can be driven by the cover opening drive assembly 520 to move toward the direction close to the carrier 340 so that the upper cover 720 is sealed on the culture dish body 710. This can prevent the air outside the culture dish 700 from entering the interior of the culture dish 700. At this time, the sealed culture dish 700 can be removed to effectively reduce the probability of contamination.

[0109] In some embodiments, the printing chamber 300 has a chamber cover 320 disposed on the top, and a mounting hole is disposed on the chamber cover 320, through which the cover removal member 510 can be connected to the cover opening drive assembly 520 disposed outside the printing chamber 300. Alternatively, the cover removal member 510 and the cover opening drive assembly 520 can both be disposed inside the printing chamber 300, and a space is left between the chamber cover 320 and the carrier 340 of the printing chamber 300 to place the culture dish 700 and for the cover removal member 510 and the cover opening drive assembly 520 to move.

[0110] refer to Fig.12 and Fig.13In one example, the cover member 510 can adopt a suction cup structure, including a suction cup 511 and an air inlet member 512. The air inlet member 512 can be movably inserted into the mounting hole of the bin cover 320, with one end located inside the printing bin 300 and the other end located outside the printing bin 300. The air inlet 512 has air passages 513 at both ends, the suction cup 511 is located in the printing chamber 300 and connected to one end of the air inlet 512, the interior of the suction cup 511 is connected to the air passage 513, the cover opening drive assembly 520 includes a lifting assembly, a magnetic member 521, an electromagnetic coil 522 and an air guide tube 523, the magnetic member 521 is connected to one end of the air inlet 512 located outside the printing chamber 300, the electromagnetic coil 522 is installed at the bottom end of the air guide tube 523, the air guide tube 523 is correspondingly located above the air inlet 512 and connected to the lifting assembly, the bottom end of the air guide tube 523 extends into the air passage 513 of the air inlet 512, or the bottom end of the air guide tube 523 is sleeved on the outside of the end of the air inlet 512. There is a gap between the air inlet 512 and the air guide tube 523 in the up and down directions, and a sealing ring 524 can also be provided in the gap.

[0111] When in use, the electromagnetic coil 522 is energized to attract the magnetic part 521, so that the air inlet part 512 and the air guide tube 523 move toward each other through magnetic attraction to press against the sealing ring 524, so that the air guide tube 523 and the air channel 513 of the air inlet part 512 are sealed and connected, and the lifting component drives the air guide tube 523 to move downward to make the suction cup 511 press against the upper cover 720 of the culture dish 700, and the air guide tube 523 is connected to the negative pressure air source to discharge the air inside the suction cup 511 through the air channel 513, and the suction cup 511 adsorbs the upper cover 720, The lifting assembly drives the air duct 523 to move upward, and the suction cup 511 drives the upper cover 720 to move upward, thereby opening the upper cover 720; when closing the cover, the lifting assembly drives the air duct 523 to move downward, so that the suction cup 511 drives the upper cover 720 to move downward to the sealing culture dish body 710, and the electromagnetic coil 522 is powered off to release the sealing ring 524 from the air inlet part 512 and the air duct 523. External air can enter the airway 513 from the gap between the air inlet part 512 and the air duct 523 to break the vacuum of the suction cup 511, thereby releasing the upper cover 720.

[0112] In another example, the cover removal member 510 may adopt a mechanical clamp structure, including a mounting frame, at least two clamps connected to the mounting frame for relative opening and closing movement, and a clamp driving member connected to the mounting frame for driving the clamps to open and close. The cover opening driving assembly 520 is connected to the mounting frame for driving the mounting frame to rise and fall so that the clamps rise and fall accordingly. When in use, the jaws are kept open by the jaw driving member, and the cover opening driving component 520 can drive the mounting frame to descend until the jaws are located on the outer peripheral side of the upper cover 720 of the culture dish 700, and the jaw driving member drives the jaws to close to grasp the upper cover 720, and the cover opening driving component 520 can drive the mounting frame to rise, thereby driving the jaws and the upper cover 720 to rise above the culture dish body 710, thereby opening the upper cover 720, and when closing the cover, the cover opening driving component 520 drives the mounting frame to descend and drives the upper cover 720 to move down to cover the culture dish body 710, and the jaw driving member opens the jaws, thereby releasing the upper cover 720, and the cover opening driving component 520 drives the mounting frame to rise so that the jaws are located above the upper cover 720, so as to facilitate the removal of the culture dish 700.

[0113] refer to Figures 11 to 13 In some embodiments, the printing chamber 300 further includes a rotating device 600, the bottom wall 330 of the printing chamber 300 is provided with a connecting hole 332, the supporting member 340 covers the connecting hole 332 and is connected to the rotating device 600 located outside the printing chamber 300 through the connecting hole 332, or the rotating device 600 and the supporting member 340 are both located inside the printing chamber 300, the rotating device 600 is placed on the bottom wall 330 of the printing chamber 300, and the supporting member 340 is located above the rotating device 600. The rotating device 600 is used to drive the supporting member 340 to rotate so as to rotate the culture dish 700. In this way, the cell hydrogel scaffold can be printed while the culture dish body 710 is rotated during the printing process.

[0114] As an example, the bottom wall 330 of the printing chamber 300 has a circular groove 331 and a connecting hole 332, the carrier 340 can be a circular rotating disk structure, the carrier 340 is installed in the circular groove 331, and the bottom of the carrier 340 has a rotating slot. The rotating device 600 includes a rotating assembly 610, a rotating shaft 620 and a connector 630. The connector 630 is provided with a protrusion corresponding to the position of the rotating slot. The rotating slot and the protrusion can be matched and engaged. The connector 630 moves toward the carrier 340 to achieve engagement, and the connector 630 moves away from the carrier 340 to break away from the engagement to achieve separation. The rotating shaft 620 is connected to the connector 630, and is connected to the rotating slot on the carrier 340 through the protrusion on the connector 630. The rotating shaft 620 can drive the carrier 340 to rotate through the connector 630, and the protrusion on the connector 630 is separated from the rotating slot on the carrier 340, and the rotating shaft 620 and the connector 630 are separated from the carrier 340. The rotating shaft 620 may be equipped with a coaxial gear and connected to the rotating assembly 610 at the bottom. The rotating assembly drives the rotating shaft 620 to rotate and move up and down. The rotating shaft 620 rises to make the protrusion of the connector 630 enter the rotating slot. The rotating shaft 620 drives the connector 630 to rotate, thereby driving the carrier 340 and the culture dish 700 on the carrier 340 to rotate through the matching engagement of the protrusion and the rotating slot. The rotating shaft 620 descends to make the protrusion of the connector 630 disengage from the rotating slot, and the carrier 340 stops rotating. In this way, the culture dish 700 can be rotated during the printing process to change the raw material discharge position.

[0115] In some cases, the lifting and lowering of the rotating shaft 620 can also be used to adjust the height of the carrier 340 to adjust the printing distance. Therefore, there is no need to adjust the printing distance by adjusting the height of the print head 100, and the relative positions of the print head 100 and the opening 311 of the print chamber 300 in the vertical direction remain unchanged. Therefore, the opening 311 of the print chamber 300 only needs to be able to accommodate the print head 100, and there is no need to leave space for the print head 100 to move in the radial direction, which is conducive to improving the sealing of the matching position of the print head 100 and the opening 311 of the print chamber 300.

[0116] In some embodiments, a low-friction gasket is installed between the carrier 340 and the circular groove 331 of the bottom wall 330 of the printing chamber 300 to reduce the friction loss between the carrier 340 and the bottom wall 330 .

[0117] refer to Figures 10 to 12In some embodiments, a positioning concave groove 341 is provided at the top center of the carrier 340, and the culture dish 700 is placed in the positioning concave groove 341. The carrier 340 is provided with centrally symmetrical clamping blocks 370 around it. The clamping blocks 370 have a through hole at the center, and a clamping cone 360 ​​with a spring is installed in the through hole. The clamping cone 360 ​​moves toward the center under the action of the spring to clamp the culture dish 700, thereby maintaining the position of the culture dish 700 in the horizontal direction, avoiding displacement of the culture dish 700, and improving the stability of printing quality.

[0118] refer to Fig.10 , Fig.12 and Fig.14 In some embodiments, a mounting platform 312 is provided on the chamber wall 310 of the printing chamber 300. The mounting platform 312 is located at the opening 311 and protrudes from the inner wall of the chamber wall 310. The opening 311 passes through the chamber wall 310 and the mounting platform 312. A mounting groove 313 is provided inside the mounting platform 312 along one side perpendicular to the through direction of the opening 311. The mounting groove 313 is connected to the opening 311. An elastic stopper 350 is provided in the mounting groove 313. When the print head 100 is inserted into the opening 311 and the discharge end 150 is located in the inner cavity, the elastic stopper 350 abuts against the outer wall of the print head 100 and has elastic deformation. Therefore, the elastic stopper 350 can partially block the opening 311. When the discharge end 150 exits the inner cavity and is located on the outer side of the mounting groove 313 relative to the inner cavity, the elastic stopper 350 is located in the opening 311 and closes the opening 311, thereby keeping the printing chamber 300 closed after the discharge end 150 exits the inner cavity.

[0119] refer to Fig.12 and Fig.14 In some embodiments, from the outer wall to the inner wall of the bin wall 310, the opening 311 includes a first section of holes and a second section of holes that are sequentially connected. The aperture of the second section of holes is smaller than the aperture of the first section of holes, and the mounting groove 313 is opened in the radial direction of the second section of holes and connected to the second section of holes. The end of the print nozzle 100 provided with the discharge end 150 is provided with a step portion, and the outer diameter of the step portion is larger than the outer diameter of the discharge end 150. When the discharge end 150 is located in the inner cavity, the step portion is in contact with or has a small gap with the hole wall of the first section of holes, and the end surface of the step portion facing the discharge end 150 can close the second section of holes. The discharge end 150 is in contact with or has a small gap with the hole wall of the second section of holes, and the second section of holes can form a smaller conduction hole, further reducing the entry of external air into the inner cavity. When the discharge end 150 exits the inner cavity, the elastic block 350 blocks the second section of holes to close the print bin 300, which can reduce the volume of the required elastic block 350, which is conducive to improving the flexibility of the block member 351 in opening and closing.

[0120] refer to Fig.14 and Fig.15In some embodiments, the two ends of the elastic stopper 350 along the through direction perpendicular to the opening 311 are respectively a connecting end and an abutting end, the connecting end is connected to the mounting platform 312, and the abutting end is used to abut the print head 100, for example, abut the discharge end 150 located in the opening 311. A first guide surface 353 is provided on the side of the elastic stopper 350 away from the inner cavity, and the first guide surface 353 gradually moves away from the inner cavity from the abutting end to the connecting end, and the first guide surface 353 can be an inclined surface or an arc surface. Therefore, when the elastic stopper 350 closes the opening 311, there is a gap between the first guide surface 353 and the wall of the opening 311, and the gap gradually increases from the inside to the outside. When the discharge end 150 extends into the opening 311 toward the inside of the inner cavity, a part of the discharge end 150 enters the gap and abuts against the first guide surface 353. As the discharge end 150 gradually goes deeper, the discharge end 150 can push the elastic stopper 350 along the first guide surface 353 to move in the direction of the increase in the diameter of the opening 311, so as to open the opening 311 for the discharge end 150 to enter, thereby reducing entry obstacles.

[0121] refer to Fig.14 and Fig.15 In some embodiments, the elastic stopper 350 may include a stopper member 351 and an elastic member 352 connected to the stopper member 351. For example, the elastic member 352 may be a coil spring or a spring sheet. The stopper member 351 is located at the abutting end, and the elastic member 352 is located at the connecting end. The elastic member 352 is connected to the mounting platform 312. The stopper member 351 is used to abut the print head 100 passing through the opening 311. The elastic member 352 is used to push the stopper member 351 through the elastic force generated by elastic deformation, so that the stopper member 351 has a tendency to move in the direction of closing the opening 311, thereby timely closing the opening 311 when the discharge end 150 exits the opening 311.

[0122] refer to Fig.14 and Fig.15 In some embodiments, the surface where the stopper 351 meets the hole wall of the opening 311 has an arc surface 354. When the stopper 351 closes the opening 311, the arc surface 354 fits with the hole wall of the opening 311, effectively closing the opening 311.

[0123] refer to Figures 14 to 16In some embodiments, a second guide surface 160 is provided on the side of the discharge end 150 on the same side as the elastic stopper 350. The second guide surface 160 is inclined from the outer peripheral wall of the discharge end 150 to the end of the discharge end 150, so that the discharge end 150 forms an inclined end. When the elastic stopper 350 closes the opening 311, when the discharge end 150 extends into the opening 311 toward the inside of the inner cavity, at least a portion of the inclined end enters the first guide surface 353 and the hole of the opening 311. In the gap between the walls, the second guide surface 160 abuts against the first guide surface 353. As the discharge end 150 gradually goes deeper, the second guide surface 160 of the discharge end 150 can push the elastic stop block 350 along the first guide surface 353 to move in the direction of the radial increase of the opening 311 to open the opening 311 for the discharge end 150 to enter. The cooperation between the second guide surface 160 and the first guide surface 353 can further ensure that the discharge end 150 can smoothly push the elastic stop block 350 to open the opening 311.

[0124] In some embodiments, the elastic stopper 350 may also be connected to an electromagnetic switch, and the start and stop of the electromagnetic switch may be controlled by circuit on and off, thereby driving the elastic stopper 350 to move to open or close the opening 311 .

[0125] In some embodiments, the printing system further includes a controller, which is communicatively connected to the feed converter 200, the first printing material supply device, the second printing material supply device, and the gas source device of the printing device, and is used to control the action of the driving element in the feed converter 200 and control the feeding of the first printing material supply device and the second printing material supply device according to the set printing program, and control the air intake of the gas source device. The controller adopts a programmable logic controller commonly used in industrial automation production, and controls the action of the feed converter 200 through the internally stored printing program to realize the switching of the docking member 230 and docking with the corresponding feed port, and can control the pipeline channels of the first printing material supply device, the second printing material supply device, and the gas source device through the opening and closing of the valve to realize the input and disconnection of the printing material, and the input and disconnection of the gas.

[0126] In some embodiments, the controller is communicatively connected to the mobile device 400, and controls the movement of the mobile device 400 according to the printing program to make the discharge end 150 of the print head 100 enter or exit the printing chamber 300, and change the axial position of the discharge end 150 of the print head 100. In some embodiments, the controller can also be communicatively connected to the cover opening device 500, so as to control the cover opening device 500 to open and close the cover according to the printing program. In some embodiments, the controller can also be communicatively connected to the rotating device, so as to control the carrier 340 to drive the culture dish 700 to rotate and lift according to the printing program during the printing process.

[0127] With reference to the drawings described and mentioned above, as an example, the printing device and printing system of the embodiment of the present application can print the cell hydrogel scaffold by the following steps when used:

[0128] The culture dish 700 with physiological saline is mounted on the carrier 340 in the printing chamber 300 , clamped by the clamping cone 360 ​​, and the printing chamber 300 is closed.

[0129] The electromagnetic coil 522 is energized to connect to the air tube 523. After the air tube 523 moves down until the suction cup 511 contacts the culture dish cover 720, the air pump connected to the air tube 523 is started to vacuum, so that the inside of the suction cup 511 presents a negative pressure, thereby sucking the culture dish cover 720 and driving the air tube 523 to move up to open the culture dish 700.

[0130] The stage 410 moves forward to push the print head 100 to the discharge end 150 above the culture dish body 710, and the feed converter 200 switches the pipeline connected to the raw material to start printing. At the same time, the rotating shaft 620 rises and connects to the carrier 340 through the connector 630, so as to keep the culture dish body 710 rotating while printing.

[0131] When printing is finished, the feed converter 200 switches to the docking piece 230 connected to the air source (which can be connected to the air source through a pipeline), and squeezes out the material in the internal channel of the print head 100 through air pressure to break the hydrogel scaffold and complete printing.

[0132] The rotating shaft 620 stops rotating and descends, the connector 630 is disconnected from the carrier 340 , the carrier 410 retreats to drive the print head 100 to move so that the discharge end 150 exits the top of the culture dish body 710 , and drives the air guide tube 523 to descend to close the culture dish cover 720 .

[0133] The embodiments of the present invention are described in detail above in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, but the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments. Various changes can be made within the knowledge of ordinary technicians in the relevant technical field without departing from the purpose of the present invention. In addition, the embodiments of the present invention and the features in the embodiments can be combined with each other without conflict.

Claims

1. A printing device, characterized in that: include: A feed converter, comprising a drive assembly, a conversion member, and at least two docking members with through holes, wherein the docking member is connected to the conversion member, the drive assembly is connected to the conversion member, and the drive assembly is driven to drive the conversion member to move to switch the position of the docking members, so that one of the docking members is in a docking position; at least one of the docking members is used to input printing materials, and at least one of the docking members is used to introduce an air source; A print head, wherein a first channel and a second channel arranged around the first channel are provided inside, one end of the print head has a discharge end, the first channel and the second channel respectively pass through the discharge end; the print head is provided with two feed ports, the first channel and the second channel are respectively connected to one of the feed ports, the two feed ports are respectively provided with the feed converters, and the feed ports are respectively adapted to be connected to the docking pieces at the docking positions on the corresponding feed converters; A printing chamber, having an inner cavity for accommodating a culture dish, wherein a chamber wall of the printing chamber is provided with an opening, and the printing nozzle can place the discharge end in the inner cavity through the opening; The conversion member includes a connection disk, the connection disk is located on the outer side of the corresponding feed port, the docking member is connected to the connection disk, and one end of the docking member protrudes from the side of the connection disk facing the feed port along the conduction direction of the feed port, the driving assembly is used to drive the connection disk to move along the conduction direction of the feed port, and move along a plane perpendicular to the conduction direction; the driving assembly is used to drive the connection disk to rotate, the rotation axis of the connection disk is parallel to the conduction direction of the feed port, and the docking members are distributed around the rotation axis of the connection disk. The conversion member also includes a first seal and a second seal, and the first seal and the second seal are rotatably connected to the driving assembly; wherein: The first sealing member is disposed between the printing nozzle and the connecting disk along the axial direction of the connecting disk, the first sealing member is provided with a first channel, the first channel is located at the docking position, and the feed port is connected to the first channel; The second sealing member is located between the connecting disk and the first sealing member, and the second sealing member is provided with a second channel corresponding to each of the docking members, one end of each of the docking members is passed through the second channel one by one, and the second sealing member is driven by the connecting disk to rotate relative to the first sealing member so that one of the second channels is connected to the first channel.

2. The printing device according to claim 1, characterized in that: There are two docking members, one of the first sealing member and the second sealing member is provided with an arc-shaped groove, and the other is provided with a limiting protrusion, the limiting protrusion is located in the arc-shaped groove, and the two ends of the arc-shaped groove have a first limiting wall and a second limiting wall, and during the rotation of the second sealing member relative to the first sealing member, the limiting protrusion moves along the arc-shaped groove, wherein: When the limiting protrusion abuts against the first limiting wall, one of the second holes is connected to the first hole; When the limiting protrusion abuts against the second limiting wall, another of the second holes is connected to the first hole.

3. The printing device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The printing device also includes a moving device, which includes a moving part and a carrier, and the feed converter and the print head are carried on the carrier; the moving device is used to drive the carrier to move relative to the printing chamber so that the discharge end is in a first position or a second position, in which the discharge end is located above the culture dish in the first position, and in the second position, the discharge end is suitable for avoiding the top of the culture dish.

4. The printing device according to claim 3, characterized in that: A mounting platform is provided on the wall of the printing chamber, the mounting platform is located at the opening and protrudes from the inner wall of the chamber wall, the opening penetrates the chamber wall and the mounting platform, a mounting groove is provided inside the mounting platform along one side perpendicular to the through direction of the opening, the mounting groove is connected to the opening, and an elastic stopper is provided in the mounting groove, wherein: When the print head is inserted into the opening and the discharge end is located in the inner cavity, the elastic stopper abuts against the outer peripheral wall of the print head and has elastic deformation; When the discharging end exits the inner cavity and is located at the outside relative to the mounting groove, the elastic stopper is located in the opening and closes the opening.

5. The printing device according to claim 4, characterized in that: The two ends of the elastic stopper along the through direction perpendicular to the opening are respectively a connecting end and a butting end, the connecting end is connected to the mounting platform, the butting end is used to butt against the print head, and a first guide surface is provided on the side of the elastic stopper away from the inner cavity, and the first guide surface gradually moves away from the inner cavity from the butting end toward the connecting end.

6. The printing device according to claim 5, characterized in that: A second guide surface is provided on the discharge end on the same side as the elastic stopper, and the second guide surface is inclined from the outer peripheral wall of the discharge end to the end of the discharge end.

7. The printing device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The printing device also includes a cover opening device, which includes a cover removing member and a cover opening drive assembly. The bottom wall of the printing chamber is provided with a carrier for carrying a culture dish. The cover removing member is located above the carrier and is used to take and place the upper cover of the culture dish. The cover opening drive assembly is connected to the cover removing member and is used to drive the cover removing member to obtain the upper cover or release the upper cover, and is used to drive the cover removing member to move closer to or away from the culture dish.

8. A printing system, characterized in that: include: The printing device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the two feed ports are respectively a first feed port and a second feed port, the first feed port is connected to the first channel, and the second feed port is connected to the second channel; A first printing material supply device, connected to one of the docking pieces in the feed converter provided at the first feed port through a pipeline, and used for inputting the first printing material into the first channel through the channel inside the docking piece; A second printing material supply device, connected to one of the docking pieces in the feed converter provided at the second feed port through a pipeline, and used for inputting the second printing material into the second channel through the channel inside the docking piece; The gas source device is connected to one of the docking pieces provided in each of the feed converters through a pipeline, and is used to respectively introduce gas into the first channel and the second channel through the channel inside the docking piece.

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