On April 12, 2023, according to Mohou.com, British scientists developed technology that uses lasers to 3D print conductive circuits in living organisms. This technology is expected to be used in the future to create and maintain human implants or brain-computer interfaces. . Relevant research has been published in the latest issue of Advanced Materials Technology magazine.
△Microscope images show that there are 3D printed shapes in the living body of Caenorhabditis elegans. Image source: “New Scientist” website
From pacemakers to bionic ears, electronic implants are already commonplace, but inserting them into the body can carry infection risks. And if something breaks, it’s hard to repair. With this in mind, John Hardy and his colleagues at the University of Lancaster in the United Kingdom have developed technology that uses lasers to 3D print conductive circuits in living organisms.
The team first injected “ink” containing fluorescent plastic polypyrrole into the nematode worm (Caenorhabditis elegans). The ink is designed to work with a photonic 3D printer, which uses lasers to print materials in specific shapes and make them conduct electricity. Using the 3D printer, the team created square and star-shaped conductive circuits inside the worm’s body. Hardy points out that scientists already know that 3D printing is possible within living organisms, so in principle, objects around 10 centimeters wide (or thick) could also be printed for humans or other larger organisms.
Scientists have used 3D printing technology before to print objects within living organisms, but this is the first time the technology has been used to create conductive circuits. Hardy said the technology should be useful in many areas. For example, in the biomedical field, it can be used to maintain deep brain electrodes and brain-computer interfaces; in agriculture, electronic labels can be printed on seeds to prevent counterfeiting, or electronic labels can be printed on fruits to help the robot. picking machines.
Professor Ivan Minev from the University of Sheffield in the UK, who was not involved in the research, stressed that this method is very clever and has the potential to be developed into cell-linked electronic devices living tissues with computing capabilities. However, there is still much work to be done before this method can be used in devices such as human brain-computer interfaces.
Printing circuits on skin or printing bones in the human body are achievements that have already attracted attention. However, this is the first time that circuits have been printed directly inside the human body. The combination of living organisms and electronic machines has gone from a science fiction concept to a reality. Printing circuits inside the body means the implants are less restricted, can be more flexible and if something goes wrong they can be repaired non-invasively, allowing the material to enter the body and then to repair it if necessary, or simply to rebuild the circuit. . Of course, any technology entering the human body must be careful. Its prospects may be vast, but it still needs to be tested step by step.
Source: Science and Technology Daily
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