Team Members
Ryan Garcia, Chris Magnus, William Meldrum-Thush, Amir Mettawa, Duc Nguyen, Jack Ruskell
Abstract
3D bioprinters are becoming commonplace in many research and development laboratories around the world. Unfortunately, many of the existing bio–printers on the market are prohibitively expensive and cannot be mounted to existing microscopes found in many labs. As such,our system is a cost effective and simple solution to this problem which delivers a functional and reliable product which causes no harm to the cells being used in these projects. One benefit of this product is its use of many commercially available off the shelf components in its design. This allows for a simple and effective structure while limiting lead times on necessary components if replacement is needed. Motion is obtained with a hydraulic linear actuation system which precisely positions the dispensing tip in the required location with precision of as little as one cell diameter. Once positioned, the dispensing tip utilizes a similar hydraulic system to dispense and retrieve small amounts of a liquid–like–solid (LLS) substance which contains and provides nutrients to the cells being used in experiments. Our printer’s design allows for simple and rapid changes between cell types for experiments. All powered actuators used in this system are located off–site in a control box to avoid vibrational effects which can reduce accuracy of the print head. As such, our printer allows for an affordable, reliable, innovative, and simplistic solution to this otherwise complex challenge.