Courtesy of Faraz Faruqi and Stefanie Mueller
AI-driven tool to personalize 3D-printable models
20.09.2023
MIT researchers developed a generative-AI-driven tool that enables the user to add custom design elements to 3D models without compromising the functionality of the fabricated objects. A designer could utilize this tool, called Style2Fab, to personalize 3D models of objects using only natural language prompts to describe their desired design.
Patrick Mansell/Penn State
High-speed bioprinting of bones, tracheas, organs
28.07.2023
Developing technology to quickly and efficiently bioprint human tissues at scale is the goal of a new project led by Penn State researchers. When fully developed, the technology will be the first to enable the fabrication of scalable, native tissues such as bones, tracheas and organs.
microgen
Electrodes: 4D printing for nerve stimulation
25.07.2023
Specific nerves may be stimulated artificially, for example to treat pain. The finer the nerves, the more difficult it is to attach the required electrodes. Researchers have now developed flexible electrodes produced with 4D printing technology. On contact with moisture, they automatically fold and wrap themselves around thin nerves.
KIMM
3D bioprinting technology to be used for removing cancer cells
14.07.2023
KIMM develops the world’s first 3D bioprinting technology that enhances the function of NK immune cells. The new technology is expected to improve effectiveness of cancer treatment.
mihacreative
Personalized cartilage replacement helps with knee pain
27.06.2023
Knee osteoarthritis is a widespread form of arthrosis that limits those affected in their everyday lives. The wear and tear in the cartilage tissue often causes pain and movement restrictions. In order to improve treatment, researchers have developed a process that allows artificial cartilage tissue to be individually tailored to sufferers.
Buntan2019
Biofilms: Infection model from the 3D printer
21.06.2023
Researchers at the Helmholtz Institute for Pharmaceutical Research Saarland (HIPS) have developed a novel method to place biofilms on lung cells in the laboratory. The model system produced by means of "bioprinting" should help to better understand infection processes and assist in the development of new active substances.
MPI-INF
3D-printed pills with desired drug release
29.05.2023
A group of Computer Scientists from the Max Planck Institute for Informatics in Saarbrücken, Germany, and the University of California at Davis, have invented a process that relies solely on the shape of the object for a time-controlled release.
BarcelonaTech (UPC)
Low-cost robotic arm created by students as an alternative to conventional prostheses
25.05.2023
A low-cost robotic arm created by students as an alternative to conventional prostheses: The ARM2u biomedical engineering team, from the UPC’s Barcelona School of Industrial Engineering (ETSEIB), is working on new functions for their low-cost 3D-printed transradial prosthesis.
WFIRM
Bioprinting research makes history when it soars to the ISS
17.05.2023
The Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine (WFIRM) will make history this month when the first bioprinted solid tissue constructs soar to the International Space Station (ISS) on board the next all private astronaut mission by commercial space leader Axiom Space.
Marco Binelli / ETH Zürich
3D-printed insoles measure sole pressure directly in the shoe
24.03.2023
Researchers at ETH Zurich, Empa and EPFL are developing a 3D-printed insole with integrated sensors that allows the pressure of the sole to be measured in the shoe and thus during any activity.
Kai Melde, MPI für medizinische Forschung
Creating 3D objects with sound
17.02.2023
Scientists from the Micro, Nano and Molecular Systems Lab at the Max Planck Institute for Medical Research and the Institute for Molecular Systems Engineering and Advanced Materials at Heidelberg University have created a new technology to assemble matter in 3D.
University of Oklahoma
Researchers designing device to improve brain aneurysm treatment
03.02.2023
Under the direction of Chung-Hao Lee, Ph.D., at the University of Oklahoma, a five-year research project will lead to the design of a device that can be customized to better treat unique aneurysms, the irregular bulge in a blood vessel that can be deadly.
Asociación RUVID
Biomaterial capable of regenerating bones and preventing infections
15.12.2022
Researchers from the Bioengineering and Biomaterials Laboratory of Universidad Católica de Valencia (UCV) have developed a new porous material capable of regenerating bones and preventing infections at the same time.
ARTFULLY79
Technology in wound care: tools for better healing
01.12.2022
Wounds – both acute and chronic ones – can have many different causes. They all have in common that they require meticulous care because complications in wound healing can severely reduce both the patients’ health and quality of life. But there is more to modern wound care than just cleaning and bandaging them. Nursing staff and physicians can also access technical aids for this work.
DegrooteStock
Wound care: healing with technology
01.12.2022
Wound care by nurses is directly about cleaning, sterile covering, and documentation. Medical and surgical interventions may also be necessary. In this context, wound care also offers potential for the use of technical aids that can help prevent complications.
LightFieldStudios
Smart surgery, endoscopy, robotics: rethought and optimized for the times
04.10.2022
Overall technical progress does not stop at the operating rooms of this world. Whether it's completely new ideas or robotic optimizations of classic methods – research teams are coming up with contemporary answers to long-standing questions using the diverse possibilities of the present day.
GabiStock
Body follows head: Bridging the gap between rigid and flexible endoscopes
04.10.2022
A successful endoscopic intervention hinges on two key factors: the endoscope must have excellent maneuverability and high structural rigidity. Unfortunately, today's devices cannot meet both requirements at the same time. Tim-Lukas Habich wants to change that by bridging the gap between flexible and rigid robots.
Fibers for fibers – Textile implants repair the body
08.06.2022
We are nowadays already able to weave implants out of artificial fibers that can replace tissue or heal injuries. Different materials like polymers or nitinol are used to create flexible shapes. But the materials and their uses can still be improved.
Fabienne Erben
App supports pediatric movement therapy
01.06.2022
Gamification is becoming ever more popular in rehabilitation. Yet it’s not easy to design games that increase motivation and engagement. Fabienne Erben is a student at the Munich University of Applied Sciences who accepted the challenge and homed in on a difficult target group: children.
Sonography training – Inexpensive models from the 3D printer
23.05.2022
Many medical disciplines rely on the tenet "Practice makes perfect". Sonography diagnostics is one of them. Unfortunately, constant training can be difficult, as patients with specific diseases are not present at a hospital all the time. The University Hospital Bonn is creating a solution for this problem: 3D printed models of joints and arteries are used in training.
3Digity
Finger orthosis: Custom fit with 3D printing
10.05.2022
Following an injury or surgery, orthotics are key components of the recovery and rehabilitation process. The University spin-off 3Digity designs 3D-printed customized finger orthoses to foster rehabilitation as custom orthotics can drastically speed up the recovery process.
Gabriel Salg/Universitätsklinikum Heidelberg
Using 3D printing to create insulin-producing cells
22.02.2022
3D printing opens a world of endless possibilities – for both industrial and medical applications. A cross-national project recently created tissue that produces insulin, spelling hope for patients with diabetes.
Digitalization in orthopedic technology – A craft is changing
22.11.2021
Orthopedic auxiliary means are mostly still produced in manual labor today. But orthopedic technology is also trying out new ways by using tools like 3D scanners, digital models and 3D printing. Nadja Singer from Ottobock explains in our video interview how this changes the production of auxiliary means.
Digital orthopedic technology: scan, customize, print
01.07.2021
When auxiliary means like orthoses or prostheses do not come from the shelf, but are adapted to the wearer, this means true crafting: In the past, a plaster mold of a body part had to be made as a template to create an individual aid from it step by step. Fortunately, we have come a long way until today.
Getting from 3D scan to 3D print: computer-aided prostheses and orthoses
01.07.2021
Orthopedic technology is a true craft: That's because prostheses and orthoses are rarely off-the-shelf products. Orthopedic technicians must typically use different materials to custom create and fit the devices. Many of these processes are manual. For several years now, 3D scanning and 3D printing have modernized the industry thanks to digital design freedom and flexible production.
Luxinergy/kerkoc
Customized and freshly printed: 3D printing in orthopedics
01.07.2021
Creating custom-made medical devices to target individual patient needs: that is the core function and primary objective of orthopedics. Using 3D printers for this will make sense in the future. Luxinergy is an innovative Austrian technology company that specializes in the development of biocompatible resins and large-format 3D printers.
Orthopedic technology: 3D scanners change the industry
01.07.2021
Orthopedic technology involves taking a measurement of a specific body part and then creating a medical device, be it prosthesis or orthosis, that fits. While optical scanners are already used for some of these measurements, others are still performed through manual labor and craft to create molds of the body. 3D scanners are changing this.
Tissue Engineering and Bioprinting – From artificial heart valves and printed humans
27.01.2021
Drug research and artificial skin replacement - these are the areas in which tissue engineering and bioprinting are already used today. What else could be possible in the future? We asked Dr. Nadine Nottrodt from Fraunhofer ILT and Prof. Sabine Neuß-Stein from RWTH Aachen University Hospital!
Bioprinting: life from the printer
01.12.2020
It aims at the production of test systems for drug research and gives patients on the waiting lists for donor organs hope: bioprinting. Thereby biologically functional tissues are printed. But how does that actually work? What are the different bioprinting methods? And can entire organs be printed with it? These and other questions are examined in our Topic of the Month.
"Cells are highly sensitive" – material development for bioprinting
01.12.2020
The big hope of bioprinting is to someday be able to print whole human organs. So far, the process has been limited to testing platforms such as organs-on-a-chip. That's because the actual printing process already poses challenges. Scientists need suitable printing materials that ensure the cell's survival as it undergoes the procedure. The Fraunhofer IGB is researching and analyzing this aspect.
Multi-photon lithography: printing cells with micrometer accuracy
01.12.2020
How do cells react to certain drugs? And how exactly is new tissue created? This can be analyzed by using bioprinting to embed cells in fine frameworks. However, current methods are often imprecise or too slow to process cells before they are damaged. At the TU Vienna, a high-resolution bioprinting process has now been developed using a new bio-ink.
Printed life – possibilities and limits of bioprinting
01.12.2020
Implants, prostheses and various other components made of plastic, metal or ceramics are already being produced by additive manufacturing. But skin, blood vessels or entire organs from the printer – is that possible? For years now, intensive research has been underway into the production of biologically functional tissue using printing processes. Some things are already possible with bioprinting.
Regenerative medicine: creating a new body?
03.02.2020
Regenerative medicine aims to repair the human body after injuries, accidents or major cancer surgery. Unfortunately, we are still not at a stage where this process can achieve optimal results for every conceivable situation. Having said that, various new methods are on the cusp of breakthrough.
Regenerative medicine: helps the body healing
03.02.2020
Severe wounds heal slowly and leave scars. This is why we have been using regenerative therapies for some time now to accelerate and improve healing. They also help to avoid permanent damage. Still, complex applications like replacing organs or limbs will rather remain vision than become reality for a long time.
rhCollagen: genetically engineered building block for regenerative medicine
03.02.2020
Collagen is the stuff that holds our bodies together and that houses our cells. In regenerative medicine, it is also the stuff that can be applied to wounds to support healing. However, collagen from animal or human sources has some drawbacks for today’s medicine. This is where rhCollagen from the Israeli company CollPlant comes into play.
Endoprosthetic surgery: modern and traditional approaches
01.01.2020
Surgery is required if you need an artificial joint. Patients and doctors must select the type of surgery that’s best suited and choose between robot-assisted, traditional or minimally invasive surgical approaches. Post-operative risks should be kept to a minimum, while benefits should outweigh any possible complications.