If you reload an inkjet cartridge with human cells, can you print skin? YES!

That's what I said - you can print skin. Not print on skin, print the skin itself, cell layer by layer. Bioprinting custom skin grafts means you can customize a graft's depth to treat severe burns - using the patient's own cells to avoid rejection.

Kudos to whomever came up with this idea. Seriously: this is bio-DIY to the max. Wow!

Via Armed With Science.

Update: Jason at the Thoughtful Animal just sent me a 2008 minireview on this process by Henmi et al, "New approaches for tissue engineering: three dimensional cell patterning using inkjet technology." It appears to have been sponsored in part by Epson. :)

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Thanks for posting that. Astonishing what med tech is accomplishing.
Interesting that these inventors are seeing the first application for military casualties, and I got the idea the DoD was supporting their research.yes? It certainly would have lots of demand and looked eminently scalable.

Print me a girlfriend. Please?

Very interesting technology here. One thing I'm wondering though is wouldn't the skin cells become damaged due to the heating by the copper wire? For a bubble to form and splatter on to the surface it needs to be heated to the boiling point, right? I know there are thermophiles but do skin cells fall under that definition?

this sounds like an idea someone would come up with while stoned. I love it when those kind of ideas work out. Like pickle chips...

Printer? More Like Skinter! Sorry couldn't help myself.

Tie this in with Stem Cell replacement parts and the future looks good. Burn victims will love it. Patients of Plastic Surgeons will pay for its development just to eradicate scars from cosmetic procedures. Win Win

Oh, Marcus, the 'boiling point' is controlled physically to reduce the temperature needed to facilitate a 'boil'. If the heating container can be made into a exhibit properties of a vacuum, the temperature needed to achieve a 'boil' is lowered. Topping this, Cells is tuff, they can take it.