Harvard scientists have developed a way to quickly, and relatively easily, build organs on a chip with built-in sensors using 3D printers. Technically known as microphysiological systems, organs on a chip couple microfluidic technology with living cells to mimic the functionality of living organs. They are particularly looked upon as a way of performing drug testing without resorting to animal models. Building such devices is typically a multi-step process that requires careful attention to detail so that the products come out as intended, and the cells within remain alive and healthy. They also require microscopes and image recognition software to work, turning tiny devices into bulky laboratory setups.
The new Harvard technique relies on a set of functional inks that can be integrated to produce a variety of device shapes and capabilities, and with sensing built-in. To prove the concept, the researchers built a beating heart model that has strain sensors capable of detecting each individual beat. The cardiac cells work together to contract and relax, bending a flexible tube they’re inside of. The strain sensors are built-in in such a way that they can easily be connected to a computer to record their output.
Having build their heart on a chip, the team tested how it responds to the introduction of drugs and how stem cell-derived cardiac tissues develop their ability to contract.
Here’s video showing off the new technology:
Study in Nature Materials: Instrumented cardiac microphysiological devices via multimaterial three-dimensional printing…
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