3D printable bio gel and method of use

A bio gel composition comprising:

• collagen material in an amount greater than 5 mg/mL of the total bio gel composition;
• a weak acid solution;
• one or more cross-linking agents selected from ribose, riboflavin, and combinations thereof;
• and
• optionally living cells;
• wherein the bio gel composition:
• undergoes gelation in less than about 3 min at a temperature of about 25° C. to about 37° C.;
• is liquid under shear stress of about 15 Pa to about 100 Pa;
• and
• remains solid during gelation under hydrostatic pressure of about 30 Pa to about 120 Pa;
• and
• wherein the bio gel composition is obtained by a method comprising:
• providing a first receptacle having the collagen in the weak acid solution;
• providing a second receptacle having a carrier;
• and
• contacting the collagen material in the weak acid solution of the first receptacle with the carrier of the second receptacle to obtain the bio gel composition, wherein the contacting comprises stirring the collagen material in the weak acid solution and the carrier to form the bio gel composition until the bio gel composition has a homogeneity of about 50% to about 99.9%;
• and
• wherein the collagen material is obtained by a method comprising:
• (a) processing a collagen-based biomaterial to obtain biomaterial particles;
• (b) contacting the biomaterial particles with a weak acid solution to obtain a collagen-containing solution;
• (c) segregating the collagen-containing solution to obtain an extracted collagen solution;
• (d) contacting the extracted collagen solution with a salt solution to obtain a collagen precipitate;
• (e) re-suspending the collagen precipitate in a weak acid solution to obtain a re-suspended collagen solution;
• and performing viral and prion inactivation of the re-suspended collagen solution;
• (f) desalting the re-suspended collagen solution;
• and
• (g) drying the re-suspended collagen solution to obtain the collagen material.