We have been talking about 3D printing organs for awhile, but not all organs are created equal. An ear, is easy to print, in comparison to more complex organs, like a kidney or a heart - that’s when it gets a lot harder. Capillaries are really small. They form a network throughout the body for the exchange of oxygen, metabolic waste products, and carbon dioxide between blood and tissue cells.
Figuring out how to print capillaries is one of the major roadblocks to 3D printing more complicated organs like a kidney, a liver, or a heart. Dr. Melanie Matheu, CEO and founder of Prellis Biologics and her team have figured out how to print those capillary structures - using lasers.
I spoke with Dr. Matheu about how they are able to use lasers to print these capillaries, the timeline for this, but first we start with the eureka moment and what lead her to start thinking about these problems.