NASA To Apply The 3D Printing Tech To Manufacture Hearts In Space

To reduce the number of people on waiting lists for organ donation, scientists are even seeking in the outer space. That's why many doctors have made efforts to print lab-grown organs with 3D printing techniques. The results showed that organs whose internal structures are complex like lungs and hearts are likely to collapse during the process.

The news from BBC News shows that, instead of using the complex scaffolding systems to support them, scientists are considering bringing a 3D printer to the International Space Station’s weightless environment to create 3D-printed images of hearts. This combination of medicine and space sounds like science fiction, but it could bring new hope for transplant patients in the future.

Various researchers have already suggested 3D printing with the microgravity. Recently, a space tech company Techshot in coordination with NASA has developed a 3D bio-printer which will be sent to the ISS, scheduled for May this year.

Initially, Techshot plans to do experiments in around a year to check the printer’s ability when working in space. At that time, it will pay more attention to printing heart tissues.

In an interview with BBC News, Techshot’s Vice President Rich Boling said:

As soon as the company completes all the tests, it will make any necessary modifications to optimise the 3D printer. Later, Techshot will send it back to manufacture even more highly complicated tissues in space. 

Once everything works, the company hopes to produce various complex organs including hearts for transplant patients. In addition to the fact that they could reduce waitlist times, the company also expects that the printed organs using a patient’s own stem cells will enhance the probability in accepting new organ of the recipient’s body.