Growing Living Tissues With 3D Printed Sugar Molds

3d print with sugar water

3D Printed Sugar Molds Improve Living Tissue

For those of you with the Airwolf 3D Printer  – XL Model, did you know that the RAMBo circuit board on your 3D printer has an interesting back story?  It involves 3D printed sugar molds and chocolate.

Jordan Miller of the University of Pennsylvania and Hive76 helped to develop with circuit board. In fact, Jordan came up with name for RAMBo. Dr. Jordan uses a RAMBo circuit board on his printer, to print 3D sugar molds for cellular growth.  Recently, our staff was onsite at the 3D/DC event in Washington D.C. and observed, first-hand, the precise 3D printing of such sugar “scaffolding”.  Dr. Jordan demonstrated the process to us and now we would like to pass this on to you.  We took this photo of the BariCUDA extruder and the tiny 3D printed sugar molds. (click on photo to enlarge).   What is involved?

3D Printed Sugar Molds

Extruder:  The BariCUDA is a precision pneumatic extruder of sugar filaments.  The tiny molds can serve as templates for living vascular tissues for regenerative medicine.

Circuit Board:  The RAMB0 circuit board has the MOSFETs necessary to control pneumatics.

Material:  You can make your own sugar “filament” with readily available products. http://www.wikihow.com/Make-Sugar-Glass.

You can read about how the University of Pennsylvania researchers use 3D printed templates of filament networks  to rapidly create vasculature and improve the function of engineered living tissues.

The BariCUDA can also extrude chocolate.  Stay tuned, as Airwolf 3D is currently exploring the possibility of offering this sweet option to it’s customers.  If you are interested in the extruder, send us an email: info [at] airwolf3d.com.