3D Microtissue Bioprinter with Nanoliter Volumetric Dispensing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current bioprinting technologies are limited in their ability to accurately print three-dimensional tissues with microscale precision and volumetric control, resulting in low throughput and inability to replicate the morphology and function of native tissues, which is essential for tissue regeneration and drug screening.
Innovation Solution
A computer-controlled, programmable 3D bioprinter with dispensing units featuring a syringe, actuator, and nozzle system that allows for precise XYZ motion and nanoliter volumetric dispensing of bioink, including stem cells, cartilage cells, and extracellular matrix, enabling the creation of microtissues with morphology and function similar to native tissues.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If conventional bioprinting techniques are used, then tissue structures can be printed, but the printing throughput is slow and precision is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The bioprinter system segments the printing process into multiple independent dispensing units, each capable of autonomous nanoliter-scale material deposition. This segmentation enables parallel printing operations across multiple locations simultaneously, dramatically increasing throughput while maintaining microscale precision through individualized control of each dispensing unit's position and material flow.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention replaces conventional mechanical dispensing mechanisms with a computer-controlled programmable system that uses precise motion control and automated dispensing. This substitution eliminates manual operation limitations and enables high-speed, high-precision printing through digital control of dispensing parameters, positioning accuracy, and material flow rates.
2Quantity of substance
If contact bioprinting is used, then bulk cell printing is achieved, but microtissue printing capability is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The dispensing units are designed to deliver material in precisely controlled nanoliter volumes at specific spatial locations, creating localized tissue structures with accurate architectural features. This local quality control enables the formation of microtissues with defined morphology and organization, rather than bulk deposition that lacks structural precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The system transitions from two-dimensional bulk cell deposition to three-dimensional microtissue construction by controlling material dispensing in XYZ space. The computer-controlled positioning system enables precise spatial arrangement of cells and materials in three dimensions, creating authentic tissue architecture rather than flat cell layers.
3Speed
If air driven dispensing is used, then continuous material flow is achieved, but droplet volume control is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The dispensing system uses periodic actuation of the dispensing units to create discrete, volume-controlled droplets at high speed. By controlling the frequency and duration of each dispensing pulse, the system achieves both continuous overall material flow and precise individual droplet volume control, enabling rapid printing with accurate material dosing.
Data Source
AI summary
A bioprinter comprises one or more dispensing units. Each dispensing unit may include (i) a syringe including a hollow body and a plunger dimensioned to translate in the body wherein the body has an exit orifice; (ii) an actuator in contact with a proximal end of the plunger; (iii) a controller for moving the actuator; and (iv) a nozzle having a wall defining a fluid path extending from an inlet of the nozzle to an outlet of the nozzle. The inlet of the nozzle is in fluid communication with the exit orifice of the syringe body. The nozzle includes a fluid passageway in fluid communication with a source of fluid and the fluid path. The bioprinter can be used in a method of preparing microtissue comprising dispensing a bioink from one or more dispensing units of the bioprinter on a plate. The microtissue may comprise cartilage cells or tumor cells or liver cells.