Method for 3d printing of vascularized tissues and organs

A computer-implemented method for operating a droplet printing system for the additive manufacturing of a vascularized biological tissue, tissue module, organ module, or organ, comprising:

• receiving or generating print data defining the deposition of tissue materials, cell materials, capillary inks, structural inks, and/or other printable materials intended for forming vascular structures, as well as defining vascular structures, capillary structures, inflowing vessel branches, and outflowing vessel branches;
• controlling a droplet deposition device to deposit droplets in accordance with the print data to form at least partially printed vascular structures that define or form an internal cavity, a lumen, an open or partially open cavity, a channel, a capillary precursor, a vessel precursor, or a flow-through intermediate space;
• determining, by a controller, that a rinsing condition is met prior to complete fabrication of the vascularized biological tissue, tissue module, organ module, or organ;
• in response to the rinsing condition being met, controlling a fluid supply system to direct a rinsing and/or supply fluid through the internal cavity, the lumen, the open or partially open cavity, the channel, the capillary precursor, the vessel precursor, or the flow-through intermediate space of the at least partially printed vascular structures;
• controlling an extraction system to discharge, remove, or process rinsed-out material, whereby fluid, un-incorporated cells, cell debris, uncrosslinked ink components, and/or other rinsed-out material is discharged, allowed to escape, drained, removed by suction, rinsed out, transferred into a reaction space, destroyed by means of directed energy, and/or retained within the reaction space or surrounding tissue;
• and
• subsequently resuming droplet deposition to continue building the vascularized biological tissue, tissue module, organ module, or organ.

A print carrier assembly for a droplet printing system configured to additively manufacture vascularized biological tissues, tissue modules, organ modules, or organs, comprising:

• a carrier body configured to be positioned below a reaction zone of the droplet printing system;
• one or more main fluid inlets configured to receive a rinsing and/or supply fluid from an external or internal pump system;
• a plurality of secondary openings arranged in a tissue-specific or module-specific pattern at or near an upper surface of the carrier body, wherein the secondary openings are configured to be fluidically connected to vascular structures printed on or over the carrier body, the vascular structures defining or forming an internal cavity, a lumen, an open or partially open cavity, a channel, a capillary precursor, a vessel precursor, or a flow-through intermediate space;
• one or more internal fluid channels configured to distribute the rinsing and/or supply fluid from the one or more main fluid inlets to the plurality of secondary openings;
• and
• one or more fluid outlets, return channels, drainage channels, suction connections, or collection regions, and/or a geometry, opening arrangement, or channel routing configured to drain, remove, or allow to escape at open ends of printed vascular structures, at open or partially open cavities, and/or at an upper printing side, fluid or rinsed-out material from printed vascular structures during the printing process and/or during an interruption of the printing process prior to completion of the tissue, tissue module, organ module, or organ.