SBIR-STTR Award

The DOD and commercial markets have a distinct need for low cost anatomically accurate, complex synthetic human tissue in order to improve training and improve surgical precision. In this project a novel multiple material print-head is developed using a 3D printer capable of depositing a wide range of materials such that bone, skin, blood vessels, adipose tissue, and muscle material properties are tightly matched with live human tissue.

Keywords:
3d Printer, Tissue Engineering, Synthetic Tissue, Medical Simulation, Synthetic Human Tissue Analogue, Medical Training, Simulated Tissue, Human Cadaver Replacement

Surgical training requires an understanding of the human body"s complex 3-dimensional anatomical structures and the spatial relationships of nerves, blood vessels and other vital structures. Learning these spatial skills requires a lengthy training period and much practice that usually takes place in the operating room while under the supervision of a senior surgeon at great financial cost and potential risk to patients. Alternatively, there exist expensive models that may be used before a student can master the necessary skills. Advanced Diagnostic Technologies (ADxT) has developed a novel, low cost, 3D printer for synthetic tissue deposition. This 3D printing tool is useful for a wide range of applications including surgery simulation, endoscopic and intravascular procedures, as well as clinical task training, basic medical skills development, medical device design verification or visualization.