Advanced Solutions, a Louisville, Ky.-based software company, is developing a robot for 3-D printing human tissue, reports CNBC.
The robot — called BioAssemblyBot — operates with a software called the Tissue Structure Informational Modeling, which enables users to design tissue structures for the printer to replicate. It prints using bioink, which must satisfy both the mechanical needs of the printer and the biological needs of human tissue, CNBC reports.
The ultimate goal of the machine is to 3-D print human organs, Advanced Solutions president and CEO Michael Golway told CNBC. The company has used the robot to create models of human lungs, hearts and skin, among other organs, although Mr. Golway said significant work is needed before he'll be able to print an organ for human use.
"We're using raw material from the patient to actually create 3-D structures outside the body. We happen to think the vascularization piece, i.e. the ability to get blood flow to the tissues, will be a really critical part and a foundational step to the long term advancements that we'll see in 3-D printed organs," Mr. Golway told CNBC.
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