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Commercialization of bioprinting technology

Figure 1. Comparison of additive and formative bioprinting.

described above, such as: (i) Ability to control cells magnetic-acoustic field . The described approach
[33]
in closed systems that significantly reduces the risk involves the development of complex acoustic and
of possible microbial and fungal contamination; magnetic waves design and requires special skills
(ii) allows not to use any cell material labeling for and competencies in experimental physics as well
manipulation; and (iii) allows to avoid any physical as the availability of specialized equipment. That is
impact on the cells. At the same time, “acoustic why this bioprinting method is not widely applied
tweezers” have the capacity that is 106-fold lower as it is still on the engineering development stage.
than optical tweezers . Thus, “acoustic tweezers” Using this method, we create not only the construct
[31]
work in the frequency range similar to the one model but also field (or several fields) configuration
that is used in medical ultrasound equipment (like that will determine the object’s shape.
ultrasound diagnostic apparatus for the imaging of Thus, whichever method of bioprinting in
the fetus in the womb) . The platform consisting microgravity could be used, the main purposes for
[32]
of “acoustic tweezers” can be built in the unified tissue engineering in space are:
software and hardware complex without the use 3.1 Investigation of gravity-free effect on human
of nozzles and other expensive elements of classic tissues
bioprinters necessary for biomaterial management
(nozzle-free approach). Tissue engineering constructions are used to
The simultaneous use of magnetic and study the gravity-free effect on human tissues
acoustic fields for cell material control using on earth and in space. First tissue construction
an inhomogeneous magnetic-acoustic field is (cartilage) was created in zero-gravity in space
[34]
possible. The principle of this method involves on the Russian space station “MIR” by the team of
fast levitation fabrication of construct in the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
inhomogeneous magnetic field from cells and/ under the supervision of Professor Robert Langer
or tissue spheroids chaotically distributed in the using rotation bioreactor Synthecon developed by
active volume of liquid medium. The construct is NASA. Cell suspension forms tissue aggregates
fabricated in the area where there is the “magnetic- (tissue spheroids) in this rotation-type bioreactor.
acoustic trap” (area of gravitational, magnetic, and 3.2 Drug discovery and disease modeling
acoustic fields crossing). The gravitational forces (including possible diseases during long space
are compensated, and tissue spheroids experience flights)
forces pulling them together. The final construct
can have spherical, annular, ellipsoidal, or other During the great voyages of discovery through
shapes defined by the specific configuration of the world oceans, seamen suffered from an awful

66 International Journal of Bioprinting (2020)–Volume 6, Issue 3