A new medical 3D printing method has been developed that takes cues from the way earthworms interact in nature. The resulting material could repair leaky heart parts or stabilize spinal discs, among other applications.
Scientists have been looking at the use of hydrogels for some time when developing materials that can be implanted inside our bodies. The water-rich gels have been studied as a way to heal brain injuries and chronic wounds, act as a cartilage replacement that outperforms the real thing, and stop the bleeding of battle-related wounds. But despite their rubbery texture, the gels can break down when applied to strong organs like the heart or used to cushion forces between bones. They can also be quite rigid.
“Imagine if you had a rigid plastic piece glued to your heart,” says Jason Burdick, a professor of chemical and biological engineering at the BioFrontiers Institute at the University of Colorado Boulder (CU Boulder). “Your heart wouldn't deform as it beat. It would just break.”
Aiming to develop a better medical hydrogel, Burdick and his colleagues turned to worms. Specifically, they studied how groups of worms could coil up into balls that mimic the properties of both solids and liquids, and then uncoil themselves. They then applied this model to molecular engineering, creating a material whose molecules are arranged like worms in a ball—a pattern called entanglement.
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They then created a new 3D printing method called CLEAR (continuous curing after light exposure supported by redox initiation) to produce materials using entangled molecules. The result is a mesh-like material that is super strong yet flexible, like the stronger tissues in our bodies. The new material also adheres well to both human tissue and organs, making it a very attractive material for medical use. For example, it could be used to implant an organ to make a repair or deliver medication, as a needle-free suture, or to limit bulging discs in the spine.
“We can now 3D print adhesive materials that are strong enough to mechanically support tissue,” says co-first author Matt Davidson. “We’ve never been able to do that before.”
Because the material is 3D printed, it can also be tailored to the needs of any particular patient. The researchers have now filed a patent for the material and are planning future studies to see how it responds to the presence of human tissue. The team also say the new 3D printing technique could have applications outside of medicine.
“This is a simple 3D processing method that people can use in their own academic labs and in industry to improve the mechanical properties of materials for a wide range of applications,” says first author Abhishek Dhand. “It solves a big problem for 3D printing.”
This groundbreaking discovery was published in the journal ScienceYou can learn more about this topic in the CU Boulder video below.
Custom implants and heart patches? 3D printing makes it possible
Source: CU Boulder Today