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Visit our website at
www.customspinnerets.com
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Custom Spinnerets for 3D Bioprinting |
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I remember as a kid hearing futuristic
predictions that someday, in the future, we would be able to use
telephones not just for talking but for video as well. At the time (back
in the 70s), such technology seemed pretty far off. But here we are,
less than fifty years later, using our phones for video chatting. In a
similar manner, it seems pretty far off that human organs and tissue can
be made by a computer and printer. But such developments are currently in
progress. Bioprinting is a branch of regenerative medicine that has really taken off in the past few years. While we are not yet able to print complete organs, we are able to fabricate vessels and tissue. Bioprinting works much like 3D printing and, in fact, uses the same basic technology but with different ink. While 3D printing typically uses polymers or metal, bioprinting uses bioinks which are made up of living cells. Bioprinting, like 3D printing, constructs three-dimensional objects by producing multiple layers, one at a time - like slices of cheese, stacked up one on top of another. Bioinks are mainly made up of water-laden molecules called hydrogels. These hydrogels host living cells as well as biocompatible chemicals and proteins that foster growth. Some bioinks may contain multiple types of living cells in order to produce complex living structures. There are several methods used in bioprinting. One of the most common methods is referred to as extrusion-based bioprinting. In this setup, a single nozzle is used to produce single filaments that are typically under a half millimeter in diameter. The printer follows computer-controlled instructions to build a structure one layer at a time. When the structure is complete, it may need to be further processed via UV light or with a chemical or other process or order to make it sufficiently stiff and self-supporting. This method has been used already to create skin tissue, cartilage, and organ tissue. A more advanced version of extrusion-based bioprinting involves printing two or more materials simultaneously in a single core-sheath filament. This technique is called coaxial bioprinting.1 Parameters such as print speed and pressure are critical. If the filament is too small or the pressure too high, it can kill the cells and increase failure rates. The core will typically house the living cells while the sheath is structural - holding the filament together and protecting the core components.
While bioprinting technology has made great strides, we have not yet replicated complex organs like the heart, kidney, and lung. There are significant challenges incorporating necessary blood vessels and other structures that are found in human organs. However, just as the video phone which seemed like a fairly futuristic fantasy when I was a kid, so too will bioprinted organs become a reality which may greatly alleviate the shortage of organ donors and help improve and prolong the lives of millions. If you're working on 3D bioprinting, look to ramé-hart to provide first-in-class coaxial, triaxial, and even quadaxial custom spinnerets. Get started here. 1 This
video as well
as this video
both show coaxial bioprinting in action using coaxial spinnerets
fabricated by ramé-hart instrument co. |
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Coupon Savings |
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Here are some ways to save on your next spinneret order: 1. Save $100. Order any three or more spinnerets, prebuilt or custom, and get a $100 off your order. Use coupon code SAVE100 during checkout at http://www.ramehart.us/coaxial-needles/. Limit one use per customer. Cannot be combined with other offers. Valid until 1-Sep-2021. Valid for online orders paid with a credit card only.
2. Get Free Shipping on your next order.
Simply order one or more coaxial (or triaxial or quadaxial) and use
coupon code FREESHIPCOAXIAL during checkout at
http://www.ramehart.us/coaxial-needles/. Limit one use per customer.
Cannot be combined with other offers. Valid until 1-Sep-2021. Valid for
online orders paid with a credit card only. |
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Regards,
Carl Clegg |
