12Dec/13Off
Surgical 3D printing BioPen writes in bone, nerve and muscle
[Phil Lelyveld comment: can you say bio-digital glue gun!]
The BioPen uses a stem cell ink which can be coaxed into differentiating into muscle, bone, or nerve cells. A seaweed-based growth culture encourages the cells to thrive in their new environment while a second polymer, cured by the use of a UV light, provides a protective shell during the healing process. The complex and adaptive bio-ink can even be further augmented to include growth hormone and other substances that would encourage rapid recovery.
See the full story here: http://www.dvice.com/2013-12-11/surgical-3d-printing-biopen-writes-bone-nerve-and-muscle