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US 10,655,096 B2Granted
Biomanufacturing system, method, and 3D bioprinting hardware in a reduced gravity environment
AssigneeTechshot, Inc.
InventorsJohn C. Vellinger, Eugene Boland, Michael A. Kurk, Krystal Milliner, Nester Samuel Logan
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method, apparatus, and system are provided for the printing and maturation of living tissue in an Earth-referenced reduced gravity environment such as that found on a spacecraft or on other celestial bodies. The printing may be three-dimensional structures. The printed structures may be manufactured from low viscosity biomaterials.
Claims22
A method for the additive manufacturing of living tissue in a reduced gravity environment comprising:
- providing a reduced gravity environment;
- providing a manufacturing facility for use in said reduced gravity environment, said manufacturing facility having a housing containing therein a bioprinter and a cell culturing bioreactor, wherein said cell culturing bioreactor defines an interior;
- providing one or more bioinks in fluid communication with said bioprinter, wherein said cell culturing bioreactor is in fluid communication with said one or more bioinks from said bioprinter, wherein said one or more bioinks comprises one or more cells;
- printing one or more three-dimensional tissues with said one or more bioinks from said bioprinter into said interior of said cell culturing bioreactor having no media therein within said reduced gravity environment;
- supplying said interior of said cell culturing bioreactor containing said one or more three-dimensional tissues with liquid media;
- and
- incubating said one or more three-dimensional tissues within said cell culturing bioreactor to promote at least one of cell proliferation, differentiation, and remodeling into a final product tissue.
4 more elements
A method for the additive manufacturing of living tissue in a reduced gravity environment comprising:
- providing a reduced gravity environment;
- providing a manufacturing facility for use in said reduced gravity environment, said manufacturing facility including a housing, said housing having a bioprinter positioned therein;
- providing one or more bioinks in fluid communication with said bioprinter, wherein said one or more bioinks comprises one or more cells;
- providing a plurality of cell culturing bioreactors for removable fluidic communication with said bioprinter;
- positioning a first cell culturing bioreactor of said plurality of cell culturing bioreactors within said housing in fluid communication with said one or more bioinks from said bioprinter;
- printing one or more three-dimensional tissues with said one or more bioinks without a crosslinking agent from said bioprinter into an interior of said first cell culturing bioreactor within said reduced gravity environment;
- removing said first cell culturing bioreactor of said plurality of cell culturing bioreactors from fluid communication with said bioprinter;
- supplying said interior of said first cell culturing bioreactor containing said one or more three-dimensional tissues with liquid media;
- and
- incubating said one or more three-dimensional tissues within said first cell culturing bioreactor to promote at least one of cell proliferation, differentiation, and remodeling into a final product tissue.
7 more elements
A method for the additive manufacturing of living tissue in a reduced gravity environment comprising:
- providing a reduced gravity environment;
- providing a manufacturing facility for use in said reduced gravity environment, said manufacturing facility including a housing, said housing having a bioprinter positioned therein;
- providing one or more bioinks in fluid communication with said bioprinter;
- and
- providing a plurality of cell culturing bioreactors for removable fluidic communication with said bioprinter;
- positioning a first cell culturing bioreactor of said plurality of cell culturing bioreactors within said housing in fluid communication with said one or more bioinks from said bioprinter;
- printing one or more three-dimensional tissues with said one or more bioinks from said bioprinter into an unoccupied interior of said first cell culturing bioreactor within said reduced gravity environment;
- removing said first cell culturing bioreactor of said plurality of cell culturing bioreactors from fluid communication with said bioprinter;
- positioning a second cell culturing bioreactor of said plurality of cell culturing bioreactors within said housing in fluid communication with said one or more bioinks from said bioprinter;
- and
- printing one or more three-dimensional tissues with said one or more bioinks from said bioprinter into an interior of said second cell culturing bioreactor within said reduced gravity environment.
8 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.