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Volume: 24 | Article ID: art00011_2
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Alginate Gel Honeycomb Structures Fabricated with the Bioprinter
  DOI :  10.2352/ISSN.2169-4451.2008.24.1.art00011_2  Published OnlineJanuary 2008
Abstract

We are developing the bio-printer, which can fabricate threedimensional (3-D) structures containing living cells. The cultured cells with sodium alginate solution are ejected through the inkjet printer nozzle into the mixture of calcium chloride solution and polyvinyl alcohol. The ejected droplets could gel into a rigid, 3-D structure with living cells. The position of the inkjet nozzle can be controlled three-dimensionally with linear stages and stepping motors, and the resolution of the positioning is 2 um in all 3 dimensions. In this study we have tried to fabricate the honeycomb structure using our developing bio-printer, considering constructing hepatic lobules to regenerate the tissue of a liver. As preliminary specimens, the sodium alginate solution without living cells was ejected into the mixture of calcium chloride solution and polyvinyl alcohol, and the small honeycomb structures of 3, 6, 9 and 12 hexagonal compartments were attempted. The length of a side of the hexagon in the honeycomb was set to 1 mm on the control system of the bio-printer. As a result, 5—10 mm high honeycomb structures of 3, 6 and 9 hexagonal compartments were successfully fabricated with the bio-printer. We are, at present, trying to utilize these honeycomb structures as a bioreactor containing several different kinds of cells, and it would lead to the regeneration of hepatic lobules.

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Koki Takiura, Akifumi Doi, Kumiko Yamaguchi, Keiichi Akita, Yuichi Nishiyama, Chizuka Henmi, Makoto Nakamura, "Alginate Gel Honeycomb Structures Fabricated with the Bioprinterin Proc. IS&T Int'l Conf. on Digital Printing Technologies and Digital Fabrication (NIP24),  2008,  pp 501 - 503,  https://doi.org/10.2352/ISSN.2169-4451.2008.24.1.art00011_2

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