Category Archives: News
3D Printing Week: BioPen, Organovo, Mexico, 3D Scanning, Bioprinting
3D Printing Week
Here is a roundup of the top 3D printing news from last week.
Bioprinting pioneer Organovo looks to 3D print a full-scale human liver in 2014, achieving the holy grail of bioprinting.
In other bioprinting news, a new device called the BioPen has been developed that enables surgeons to literally draw bone, skin, and muscle tissue. It’s like having a 3Doodler in the operating room.
At the Galerias Mall in Mexico, a 3D scanning and 3D printing booth captured the attention of a large crowd. Watch a short video documentary.
Hope you had a fantastic holiday! Share with us your 3D printed holiday creations @On3DPrinting or in the comments below.
Organovo Will 3D Print a Liver in 2014
Organovo (NYSE: ONVO) is pioneering the field of bioprinting, or 3D printing living tissue. To date, the company has demonstrated the ability to 3D print living tissue in a lab environment for the purposes of testing new drug therapies.
Now it looks like the company will achieve the holy grail of bioprinting next year: 3D printing a human liver.
Read: Bioprinting is a Multi-Billion Dollar Pharma Opportunity for 3D Printing
The technical challenge to 3D printing a full organ is that an organ needs a vascular system for blood flow and vitality. Organovo now believes it has the capability to embed a vascular system in a 3D printed liver.
“We have achieved thicknesses of greater than 500 microns, and have maintained liver tissue in a fully functional state with native phenotypic behavior for at least 40 days,” said Mike Renard, Organovo’s executive vice president of commercial operations in an interview with ComputerWorld.
(Pictured above: Organovo CEO Keith Murphy presents his roadmap at Inside 3D Printing San Jose 2013)
We probably won’t see a 3D printed organ implanted in a human patient in 2014, but just producing living tissue at the scale of a liver is groundbreaking.
3D Printing BioPen Lets Surgeons Draw New Bone and Skin
In February of this year, the 3Doodler raised $1.8 million in crowdfunding from Kickstarter. The 3Doodler was an innovative take on 3D printing that let you draw plastic in mid-air with a 3D printing pen.
This concept has now been applied to bioprinting.
A BioPen device developed at the University of Wollongong delivers cell material inside a biopolymer protected by an outer layer of gel material. This technique eliminates the need to harvest cartilage and grow it for weeks in a lab, allowing a surgeon to literally draw new bone, skin and muscle tissue on patients.
To solidify the new bone or tissue, a low powered UV light is attached to the BioPen and hardens the ink while a surgeon deposits new layers.
Watch the video below to see how the BioPen works.
3D Scanning and 3D Printing Draws a Crowd in Mexican Mall
Ideaz3D 3D Prints Replicas of Visitors at a Mexican Mall
A 3D scanning and 3D printing booth opened at a crowded mall in northern Mexico. Using a variety of 3D technologies, including the Sense handheld 3D scanner by 3D Systems, Skanect software, and a Makerbot Replicator 2 3D Printer, the booth operators were able to create replicas right on site.
10 cm figurines were sold for 175 pesos, or about $13.50.
Related: 3D Systems Launches $399 Consumer 3D Scanner
Ideaz3D, the first 3D printing shop in Mexico, hosted the booth and operated the equipment, attracting large crowds at the Galerias Mall in the border state of Sonora.
Here is a video produced by Ideaz3D that shows the excitement people had when they saw 3D printing in action. Also be sure to check out their Facebook page.
3D Printing Week: Metal 3D Printing, Google Phone, Holidays, Startups
3D Printing Week
Here is a roundup of the top 3D printing news from last week.
We showcased the top 3D printing stories from November. Spoiler alert: Google is creating a 3D printed phone!
Newton 3D announced pre-orders for its desktop metal 3D printer. It uses metal clay to create intricate designs that can be fired or finished later.
We interviewed Lewis Casserley, an 18-year-old 3D printing enthusiast who wants to be the biggest reseller of 3D printers in the UK. Great ambition and excitement from Lewis.
And in case you missed it, we published our annual Holiday Gift Guide profiling the best 3D printers, 3D printing marketplaces, 3D scanners, 3D printed toys, 3D printed jewelry and more! There’s still time to pre-order one of the hottest 3D printers or buy a gift card to a 3D printing marketplace.
And much more!
