Vietnamese doctor created 3D printed robotic arm directly in the body
For the first time in the world, scientists have successfully built a "robotic arm that can 3D print biomaterials inside the human body".
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The F3DB device 3D bioprints are on the surface of an organ. (Photo: NVCC)
A research team at the University of New South Wales, Australia led by Dr. Do Thanh Nho and his colleagues built a micro-soft robotic arm with a 3-axis printhead that can be bent, moved flexibly in the body, and 3D printed on the surface of organs and tissues. The device is inserted into the body through the mouth and rectum, regenerating damaged tissue of internal organs, such as intestines, stomach, liver, kidneys, heart, lungs, and even blood vessels.
Dr. Do Thanh Nho, Director of the Medical Robotics Laboratory, University of New South Wales, Australia said: "The traditional method of injecting 3D biological materials into the body is mostly open surgery. However, this process has risks. This is why we were determined to develop a device that directly prints biomaterials inside the body."
The team tested the device in the artificial rectum and on the surface of the pig's kidney and heart, experimenting with different materials, including biomaterials that integrate living cells. The results showed that biological cells were not affected by the 3D printing process, most of the cells were still alive and 7 days after printing, the number of tissues increased by 4 times.
Profeesor Nigel Lovell, director of the Tyree Ihealth Institute of Health Technology, Australia, said: "Currently, bio 3D printing is created on the outside of the body, they are very soft and fragile during implantation inside the body. Successfully manufactured and tested 3D printing technology that both prints directly inside the living body, and is designed as a versatile laparoscopic surgery tool that is highly appreciated by experts.
The team has now filed a patent for this technology. The technology is expected to revolutionize 3D printing and laparoscopic surgery.