Modular fabrication systems and methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10034964-B2
Application number	US-201514965317-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 10, 2015
Priority date	Aug 11, 2004
Publication date	Jul 31, 2018
Grant date	Jul 31, 2018

Abstract

The present invention relates to an article fabrication system having a plurality of material deposition tools containing one or more materials useful in fabricating the article, and a material deposition device having a tool interface for receiving one of the material deposition tools. A system controller is operably connected to the material deposition device to control operation of the material deposition device. Also disclosed is a method of fabricating an article using the system of the invention and a method of fabricating a living three-dimensional structure.

First claim

What is claimed:

1. A method of fabricating a living three-dimensional structure, said method comprising:
providing a data set representing a living three-dimensional structure to be fabricated;
providing a printable composition comprising a hydrogel seeded with cells; and
printing the printable composition onto a substrate in layers in a pattern in accordance with the data set suitable to fabricate the living three-dimensional structure without the need to provide a negative template;
wherein the printable composition is capable of bonding between printed layers; and
wherein 94±5% of the cells in the fabricated living three-dimensional structure are viable.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the hydrogel further comprises chitosan, fibrin, hyaluronic acid, carrageenan, polyethylene oxide, polypropylene oxide, polyethylene oxide-co-polypropylene oxide, hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose, poly(propylene fumarate-co-ethylene glycol), poly(ethylene glycol)-co-poly(lactic acid), poly(vinyl alcohol), KDL12 oligopeptides, or poly(n-isopropyl acrylamide).

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the hydrogel further comprises a cross-linking compound.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the cells are of a single cell type.

5. The method according to claim 4 , wherein the cells are chondrocytes.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the cells are of more than one cell type.

7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said printing is carried out under sterile conditions.

8. The method according to claim 7 , wherein said printing is carried out in a hermetically sealed envelope.

9. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the data set comprises geometry and cell distribution data of the structure to be fabricated, the method further comprising:
programming a system controller with instructions effective to cause said printing to produce a living three-dimensional structure with a desired geometry and cell distribution.

10. The method according to claim 9 , wherein the geometry is free-form.

11. The method according to claim 9 , wherein the geometry is an anatomic shape.

12. The method according to claim 11 , wherein the anatomic shape is patient-specific.

13. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the data set is generated by a computerized scan of a tissue/organ.

14. The method according to claim 13 , wherein the computerized scan is achieved by computerized tomography and magnetic resonance imaging.

15. The method according to claim 1 further comprising:
incubating the living three-dimensional structure under conditions effective to grow the cells.

16. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the composition is printed from a syringe.

17. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the composition is printed from a deposition tool with an accuracy and repeatability of ±25 μm.

18. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said printing is carried out at a maximum applied pressure of 1592 kPa.

19. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said printing is carried out at a maximum volumetric flow of 10.5 mL/s.

Assignees

• Cornell Res Foundation Inc

Inventors

• Bonassar Lawrence
• Lipson Hod
• Cohen Daniel L
• Malone Evan

Classifications

• B29C64/393

  for controlling or regulating additive manufacturing processes · CPC title

• A61L27/36

  containing ingredients of undetermined constitution or reaction products thereof {, e.g. transplant tissue, natural bone, extracellular matrix (isolated natural compounds, e.g. collagen A61L27/24)} · CPC title

• A61L27/3817

  Cartilage-forming cells, e.g. pre-chondrocytes · CPC title

• B33Y50/00

  Data acquisition or data processing for additive manufacturing · CPC title

• B33Y80/00

  Products made by additive manufacturing · CPC title