The First Full-Size 3D Print of a Human Heart Is Here

Imagine having the option to get a 3D-printed organ. Well, a team of biomedical engineers from Carnegie Mellon University has just developed the first flexible, full-size, 3D-print of a human heart, bringing us one step closer to that reality.

Additive manufacturing printers are popular, but are typically known to build hard objects using materials like plastic or metal. But rigid plastic organs aren’t very practical. These printers could be used with softer materials, like biological hydrogels -- you know, to make a heart -- but those tend to collapse mid-print. But this new method can change the game.The 3D-printing technique is called Freeform Reversible Embedding of Suspended Hydrogels or FRESH.

It can print biological structures with soft squishy materials like alginate, a biomaterial made from seaweed, which feels like human tissue. AND it cleverly solves that collapsing problem during print by suspending flexible materials inside a container of gelatin.

For this team of researchers it all starts with a MRI scan from a real heart. The scan gets “chopped-up” digitally into horizontal slices by a program which then translates them into code that a printer will understand. A needle-like nozzle moves through the gelatin support bath, extruding thin layers of alginate. The layers stack on top of each other to build the shape. When the print is complete, it’s put in an incubator overnight, where the temperature is raised to 37°C to gently melt away the gelatin support structure, leaving only the 3D-printed heart.

#3dprinting human heart #health #technology #science #seeker #elements

Read More:

3D bioprinted heart provides new tool for surgeons
"Adam Feinberg and his team have created the first full-size 3D bioprinted human heart model using their Freeform Reversible Embedding of Suspended Hydrogels (FRESH) technique."

The future of bioprinting: A new frontier in regenerative healthcare
"Printing body parts may well be the next step in organ transplantation – harvesting stem cells from a transplant recipient and printing them into a replacement organ could help bypass complications associated with organ transplant such as long waits for a suitable donor or immune rejection of the new organ."

Bringing A ‘Ghost Heart’ To Life
"The human heart is one of the most complicated organs in our body. The heart is, in a way, like a machine—the muscular organ pumping about 2,000 gallons of blood in an adult human every day. But can we construct a heart in the lab?"

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[vernism]

Last Christmas gonna hit different once people have 3d printed hearts to actually give and take away

[NextLevelTech]

This is what got me interested in biomechanical engineering about 7 years ago for college when the process was in its infancy, I hope I can one day make a contribution to the field and help save lives. Bravo this is what I love to see.

[gladlawson]

As someone with heart problems. This fills me with hope.

[jadentoh]

Teacher: you must help people with a real heart
People with 3D printed hearts:

[spacelinx]

Becoming a Bionic Commando seems like a reality now.

[Clear_Prodigy]

We should also print brains for people who comment “first”

[jonathans]

My step father literally arrived home an hour ago after 3 weeks in hospital and needs to go back for the stent shown here in about a month. Talk about timing.
Merry Xmas.

[unematrix]

"you might be willing to pay any price"
You know someone is from 'Murican when...

[mwakafrancismatthew]

Haha. She thought she'd have the last laugh when she broke my heart 🙂....

[romfrolov]

That is amazing. Great job, Carnegie Mellon University!

[punkradio]

I love y’all channel please never stop making video 💕💕💕 nobody has these types of video. You guys talk about interesting topics and realistic things as well. It’s a great blend. I’m always learning something new from you guys

[Geomaverick]

I could see a hybrid...maybe a heart built with collagen but with electronics to mimic the heart's function

[jerrymuns]

This is a major step toward the ultimate goal of life. Great job humans!!

[badhrihari]

Shame that there's a legal option now
*throws away extra hearts*

[tocallopr]

4:36 Her face cracks me up! You know that she knows that we know that was a lame joke and I love it. 😆

[Ralphk]

Dude, pharmacology is going to be set up in the coming years. Gene editing, Quantum computing, 3D Printed organs with organic similarities. Jeez what am I going to ingest years from now?

[Kirealta]

Immune system- "I'm about to end this whole molds career."

[smiletolife]

1 year later:
First human skin made by 3d printer

[attitudekilleroriginal]

Best part is this may end or at least reduce illegal organ trade

[eddierich]

"fresh hearts" is an uncomfortable phrase...