Organ Printing

Callie Thomas
BME 281 Fall 2012
The Organ Waitlist
• According to Organdonor.gov, there are 115,476 people
in the U.S. alone on the waiting list for organ transplants
(as of 2011).

• This is only a fraction of a percent of the total U.S.

population, but there are many more who need organ
transplants and cannot join the waitlist due to medical
expenses.

• On average, 18 people die daily on this waiting list

before a transplant can be received.

• There is a high demand for inexpensive but efficient

 How 3D Printing Works
• A 3D printer works like a standard inkjet printer, laying down layer after
layer of material.

• Instead of ink it uses plastic polymers, and places the layers on top of
each other to form a 3D shape.

• Holes or gaps in the design are created by printing layers of water-

soluble material, which are washed away after the piece is fully printed.
How 3D Printing Works
• An organ printer works similarly, only instead of polymers
it prints layers of cells.

• The cells naturally bond with each other, and even

organize themselves spatially.

• A hydrogel, primarily made of sugar and water, is also

printed along with the cells to help them hold their shape
(similar to the water-soluble material used in industrial
printing).

• After the cells “cure,” or mature (generally 24 hours to 3

days), the hydrogel can be peeled away.
 TED Talks expo,
October 2009

A printed kidney

As of yet, scientists have not created a fully functional organ,

but with a recent breakthrough they are much closer to this
goal. Currently, they are working on developing kidneys,
bladders, and hearts. In 2011, a miniature (about the size of
a quarter) human heart was printed which began beating
minutes after its completion, bringing this concept closer to
Benefits
• One major benefit this has is that the cells used to print the
organ are samples of the patient's own stem cells, virtually
eliminating the possibility of rejection.

• The organ will not wear out or need occasional

maintenance like a fully mechanical organ transplant.

• 3D printing eliminates the need for a scaffold (a basic

structure) to grow the cells on, which most artificially
grown organs require.

• Another benefit is that the organ can be printed from a 3D

computer model of an actual organ, and be sized up or
down on the computer before printing- the organ can be
Difficulties and Limitations
• It’s difficult to print vascularization in an organ, so effective
blood flow in the organs has been a major roadblock.

• The lifespan of the organs themselves is very limited,

ranging from a few minutes to days, thus longevity of the
organ needs to be worked on before they can be
transplanted into a patient.

• Some organs have advanced functions beyond

movement, storage, and filtration (such as the liver’s ability
to regenerate) which have not been replicated in this
particular lab setting.
A Breakthrough:Separate Vascularization

• In 2011, a term of German engineers developed a technique which

effectively prints blood vessels by layering cells around a cylinder of
hydrogel.

• By carefully printing whole series of these tubes a basic vascular

system is created, which the organ can be printed around.
Future Goals:
• Developing more refined printers which can print
smaller details, thus eliminating the need to make a
separate vascular system for the organs.

• Using this technology to print bones which are strong

enough for implantation (bone-like replicas have been in
progress since the 1990’s out of artificial powders).

• Longer lifespans and better conditioning of the organs

themselves, to be able to actually use these in the
medical field.

• Reduction of costs to make this technology available to

 Text References
Estes, Adam C. "The Reality of 3-D Printed Body Parts." The Atlantic Wire. The Atlantic Monthly
Group, 1 Dec. 2011. Web. 16 Sept. 2012.
<http://www.theatlanticwire.com/technology/2011/12/reality-3d-printed-body-parts/45649/>.

Mironov, V., T. Boland, T. Trusk, G. Forgacs, and RR Markwald. "Organ Printing: Computer-aided
Jet-based 3D Tissue Engineering." Web of Science (n.d.): n. pag. Web of Knowledge. Thomson
Reuters, Apr. 2003. Web. 16 Sept. 2012. <http://0-
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d=2&SID=1Em6HE2JAcknJ8cbHep&page=1&doc=3>.

Mironov, V., V. Kasyanov, C. Drake, and RR Markwald. "Organ Printing: Promises and Challenges."
Web of Science (n.d.): n. pag. Web of Knowledge. Thomson Reuters, Jan. 2008. Web. 16 Sept.
2012. <http://0-
apps.webofknowledge.com.helin.uri.edu/full_record.do?product=WOS&search_mode=Refine&qi
d=2&SID=1Em6HE2JAcknJ8cbHep&page=1&doc=2>.

Simonds, David. "Printing Body Parts- Making a Bit of Me." The Economist. The Economist
Newspaper Limited, 18 Feb. 2010. Web. 16 Sept. 2012.
<http://www.economist.com/node/15543683>.
 Picture References
(In order of appearance)
Fox, Stuart. "First Commercial 3-D Bioprinter Fabricates Organs To Order."
PopSci (n.d.): n. pag. Popular Science. Bonnier Corporation Co., 17 Dec. 2009.
Web. 16 Sept. 2012. <http://www.popsci.com/science/article/2009-12/3-d-bio-
printer-fabricates-organs-order>.

Moon, Mariella. "Blood Vessels Made by a 3D Printer Could Lead to Functional

Artificial Organs." (n.d.): n. pag. Tecca. Web. 16 Sept. 2012.
<http://www.tecca.com/news/2011/09/16/3d-print-blood-vessels/>.

"3D PRINTED KIDNEY – STILL FROM TED TALK WITH ANTHONY ATALA –
MARCH 2012." (n.d.): n. pag. Alpha-ville. 7 June 2012. Web. 16 Sept. 2012.
<http://www.alpha-ville.co.uk/alpha-podcast-presents-unflesh-by-gazelle-twin/3d-
printed-kidney-still-from-ted-talk-with-anthony-atala-march-2012/>.

Pearson, Catherine. "Printing A Kidney: A Glimpse At The Future." The Huffington

Post- The Internet Newspaper (n.d.): n. pag. The Huffington Post. Huffington
Post, 25 May 2011. Web. 16 Sept. 2012.
<http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/03/09/printing-a-kidney_n_832992.html>.