3D models of heart, arteries created
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WASHINGTON: Researchers have used a new inexpensive 3D printing method to develop models of heart and arteries out of biological materials. The advance could one day lead to a world in which transplants are no longer necessary to repair damaged organs, researchers said.
"We've been able to take MRI images of coronary arteries and 3D images of embryonic hearts and 3D bioprint them with unprecedented resolution and quality out of very soft materials like collagens, alginates and fibrins," said Adam Feinberg, an associate professor at Carnegie Mellon University .
Traditional 3D printers build hard objects typically made of plastic or metal, and they work by depositing material onto a surface layer-by-layer to create the 3D object. Printing each layer requires sturdy support from the layers below, so printing with soft materials like gels has been limited."The challenge with soft materials -think about something like Jello that we eat -is that they collapse under their own weight when 3D printed in air," said Feinberg.
"We've been able to take MRI images of coronary arteries and 3D images of embryonic hearts and 3D bioprint them with unprecedented resolution and quality out of very soft materials like collagens, alginates and fibrins," said Adam Feinberg, an associate professor at Carnegie Mellon University .
Traditional 3D printers build hard objects typically made of plastic or metal, and they work by depositing material onto a surface layer-by-layer to create the 3D object. Printing each layer requires sturdy support from the layers below, so printing with soft materials like gels has been limited."The challenge with soft materials -think about something like Jello that we eat -is that they collapse under their own weight when 3D printed in air," said Feinberg.
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