The first attempts at bioprinting artificial organs were made over
two decades ago.
One of the trailblazers is U.S.
surgeon Dr.
Anthony Atala.
In 2011, he 3D-printed a kidney.
First, the organ is measured using MRI scans.
The data is then used to create a 3D model, which is then sent
to the printer.
The printer manufactures the model layer by layer.
From living cells or, as shown here, from plastic.
Researchers at Nottingham Trent University developed this liver
using a 3D printer in 2021.
It looks deceptively real, but it's actually made
of synthetic material.
It's supposed to help train doctors to recognize liver cancer.
In 2022, 3D Systems and United Therapeutics presented a 3D
printed lung structure.
This synthetic creation should help regulate gas exchange, the way
healthy lungs do.
Animal testing should offer insight into how it functions.