The 3D printer for human skin built with Lego bricks is ready, in which the printing ink is replaced by cells: this innovative bio-printer, so called for its ability to literally print human tissue, allows you to obtain three-dimensional structures of more realistic skin than the classic ones used in the laboratory, and therefore better at testing treatments for ailments and diseases. The result, published in the journal Advanced Material Technologies, is due to researchers at the British University of Cardiff, who freely made available the detailed instructions for rebuilding the device in any laboratory in the world, offering a much cheaper alternative to traditional 3D printers.
It’s not the first time that the famous Lego bricks have been used to build 3D printers. In this case, however, the researchers led by Ahmad Moukachar managed to exploit them to create a bio-printer, i.e. a tool that does not print solid plastic objects but soft biological tissues. The device made of Lego cost just over $600 and its operating mechanism is extremely simple, while achieving the required high level of accuracy and reliability.
The printer releases a gelatinous substance, full of cells, onto a plate which is moved back and forth and sideways by a mini-computer: these movements allow to create the various layers of cells necessary to replicate the 3D structure of the skin. The tool, which can be modified to print other cell types as well, provides the opportunity to mimic both healthy and diseased skin, testing currently available treatments and designing new therapies to treat skin diseases.
Source: Ansa
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