Handheld Skin Printer

A 3-D printer that deposits “bioink” directly onto a wound has been shown to promote skin regeneration in patients with severe burns.

Traditional methods of treating large burns involve grafting healthy skin from other parts of the body. But damage to the innermost layers of tissue often prevents grafts from remaining viable. The new 3-D printer covers a wound with a sheet of biomaterial using a microfluidic print head. The “bioink” contains stem cells known as mesenchymal stroma cells (MSCs), which are capable of differentiating into various specialized cells depending on the environment.

Successful trials have been reported and the researchers believe that the device could be ready for clinical use within five years.