The authors would like to acknowledge the support from the New York Capital Region Research Alliance Grant.

1. Bioprinting Platform Establishment
The printer modification was based on a HP Deskjet 500 thermal inkjet printer and HP 51626a black ink cartridge.
<ol>
	<li>Remove the top plastic cover of the printer and carefully detach the control panel from the cover.</li>
	<li>Detach the 3&#160;cable connections between the printer top portion and base. Remove the printer top portion from the base.</li>
	<li>On the printer top portion, remove the small plastic and rubber accessories (printhead clean...

<ol>
	<li>Cui, X., Boland, T. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Human+microvasculature+fabrication+using+thermal+inkjet+printing+technology.">Human microvasculature fabrication using thermal inkjet printing technology.</a> Biomaterials. 30, 6221-6227 (2009).</li><li>Cui, X., Breitenkamp, K., Finn, M. G., Lotz, M., D'Lima, D. D. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Direct+human+cartilage+repair+using+three-dimensional+bioprinting+technology.">Direct human cartilage repair using three-dimensional bioprinting technology.</a> Tissue Eng Part A. 18, 1304-1312 (2012).</li><li>Cui, X., Breitenkamp, K., Lotz, M., D'Lima, D. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Synergistic+action+of+fibroblast+growth+factor-2+and+transforming+growth+factor-beta1+enhances+bioprinted+human+neocartilage+formation.">Synergistic action of fibroblast growth factor-2 and transforming growth factor-beta1 enhances bioprinted human neocartilage formation.</a> Biotechnol. Bioeng. 109, 2357-2368 (2012).</li><li>Cui, X., Breitenkamp, K., Finn, M. G., Lotz, M., Colwell, C. W. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Direct+human+cartilage+repair+using+thermal+inkjet+printing+technology.">Direct human cartilage repair using thermal inkjet printing technology.</a> Osteoarthritis and Cartilage. 19, (2011).</li><li>Cui, X., Boland, T. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Simultaneous+deposition+of+human+microvascular+endothelial+cells+and+biomaterials+for+human+microvasculature+fabrication+using+inkjet+printing.">Simultaneous deposition of human microvascular endothelial cells and biomaterials for human microvasculature fabrication using inkjet printing.</a> NIP24/digital Fabrication 2008: 24th International Conference on Digital Printing Technologies, Technical Program and Proceedings. 24, 480-483 (2008).</li><li>Cui, X., Dean, D., Ruggeri, Z. M., Boland, T. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Cell+damage+evaluation+of+thermal+inkjet+printed+Chinese+hamster+ovary+cells.">Cell damage evaluation of thermal inkjet printed Chinese hamster ovary cells.</a> Biotechnol. Bioeng. 106, 963-969 (2010).</li><li>Cui, X., Hasegawa, A., Lotz, M., D'Lima, D. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Structured+three-dimensional+co-culture+of+mesenchymal+stem+cells+with+meniscus+cells+promotes+meniscal+phenotype+without+hypertrophy.">Structured three-dimensional co-culture of mesenchymal stem cells with meniscus cells promotes meniscal phenotype without hypertrophy.</a> Biotechnol. Bioeng. 109, 2369-2380 (2012).</li><li>Cui, X., Gao, G., Qiu, Y. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Accelerated+myotube+formation+using+bioprinting+technology+for+biosensor+applications.">Accelerated myotube formation using bioprinting technology for biosensor applications.</a> Biotechnol. Lett. 35, 315-321 (2013).</li><li>Cui, X., Boland, T., D'Lima, D. D., Lotz, M. K. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Thermal+inkjet+printing+in+tissue+engineering+and+regenerative+medicine.">Thermal inkjet printing in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine.</a> Recent Pat Drug Deliv Formul. 6, 149-155 (2012).</li><li>Bryant, S. J., Anseth, K. 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This 3D bioprinting system with simultaneous photopolymerization capacity provides a significantly greater printing resolution than the best previously reported method of in situ printing of osteochondral defects using syringe extruded a cellular alginate hydrogel16. Higher printing resolution is particularly critical for cartilage tissue engineering to restore the anatomic cartilage zonal organization. Simultaneous photopolymerization during layer-by-layer assembly is crucial to maintain precise depo...

Bioprinting based on thermal inkjet printing is one of the most promising enabling technologies in the field of tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. With digital control and high throughput printheads&#160;cells, scaffolds, and growth factors can be precisely deposited to the desired two-dimensional (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) positions rapidly. Many successful applications have been achieved using this technology in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine1-9. In this paper, a bioprinting platform was established with a modified Hewlett-Packard (HP) Deskjet 500 thermal inkjet printer and a simultaneous photopolymerization system. Synthetic hydrogels formulated from poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) have shown the capacity of maintaining chondrocyte viability and promote chondrogenic ECM production10,11. In addition, photocrosslinkable PEG is highly soluble in water with low viscosity, which makes it ideal for simultaneous polymerization during 3D bioprinting. In this paper, human chondrocytes suspended in poly(ethylene) glycol diacrylate (PEGDA; MW 3,400) were precisely printed to construct neocartilage layer-by-layer with 1,400 dpi in 3D resolution. Homogeneous distribution of deposited cells in a 3D scaffold was observed, which generated cartilage tissue with excellent mechanical properties and enhanced ECM production. By contrast, in manual fabrication the cells accumulated at the bottom of the gel instead of their initially deposited positions due to slower scaffold polymerization, which led to inhomogeneous cartilage formation after culture2,3.

<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0">
	<tbody>
		<tr height="22">
			<td height="22" style="height:22px;width:357px;">HP Deskjet 500 thermal inkjet printer</td>
			<td style="width:221px;">Hewlett-Packard</td>
			<td style="width:195px;">C2106a</td>
			<td style="width:433px;">Discontinued. Purchased refurbished from internet vendor.</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="22">
			<td height="22" style="height:22px;width:357px;">HP black ink cartridge</td>
			<td style="width:221px;">Hewlett-Packard</td>
			<td style="width:195px;">51626a</td>
			<td style="width:433px;"></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="22">
			<td height="22" style="height:22px;width:357px;">Ultraviolet lamp</td>
			<td style="width:221px;">UVP</td>
			<td style="width:195px;">B-100AP</td>
			<td style="width:433px;"></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="22">
			<td height="22" style="height:22px;width:357px;">UV light meter</td>
			<td style="width:221px;">General Tools</td>
			<td style="width:195px;">UV513AB</td>
			<td style="width:433px;"></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="22">
			<td height="22" style="height:22px;width:357px;">Zeiss LSM 510 laser scanning microscope</td>
			<td style="width:221px;">Carl Zeiss</td>
			<td style="width:195px;">LSM 510</td>
			<td style="width:433px;"></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="22">
			<td height="22" style="height:22px;width:357px;">Dulbeccos Modified Eagles Medium (DMEM)</td>
			<td style="width:221px;">Mediatech</td>
			<td style="width:195px;">10-013</td>
			<td style="width:433px;"></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="22">
			<td height="22" style="height:22px;width:357px;">Penicillin-streptomycin-glutamine (PSG)</td>
			<td style="width:221px;">Invitrogen</td>
			<td style="width:195px;">10378-016</td>
			<td style="width:433px;"></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="22">
			<td height="22" style="height:22px;width:357px;">Accutase cell dissociation reagent</td>
			<td style="width:221px;">Invitrogen</td>
			<td style="width:195px;">A11105-01</td>
			<td style="width:433px;"></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="22">
			<td height="22" style="height:22px;width:357px;">Phosphate buffered saline (PBS)</td>
			<td style="width:221px;">Invitrogen</td>
			<td style="width:195px;">10010-023</td>
			<td style="width:433px;"></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="22">
			<td height="22" style="height:22px;width:357px;">Live/Dead viability/cytotoxicity Kit</td>
			<td style="width:221px;">Invitrogen</td>
			<td style="width:195px;">L-3224</td>
			<td style="width:433px;"></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="22">
			<td height="22" style="height:22px;width:357px;">Poly(ethylene glycol) diacrylate (PEGDA)</td>
			<td style="width:221px;">Glycosan Biosystems</td>
			<td style="width:195px;">GS700</td>
			<td style="width:433px;"></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="22">
			<td height="22" style="height:22px;width:357px;">Irgacure 2959</td>
			<td style="width:221px;">Ciba Specialty Chemicals</td>
			<td style="width:195px;">I-2959</td>
			<td style="width:433px;"></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="22">
			<td height="22" style="height:22px;width:357px;">Human articular chondrocytes</td>
			<td style="width:221px;">Lonza</td>
			<td style="width:195px;">CC-2550</td>
			<td style="width:433px;"></td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>

human cartilage tissue fabrication using three-dimensional inkjet printing technology

Bioprinting, which is based on thermal inkjet printing, is one of the most attractive enabling technologies in the field of tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. With digital control&#160;cells, scaffolds, and growth factors can be precisely deposited to the desired two-dimensional (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) locations rapidly. Therefore, this technology is an ideal approach to fabricate tissues mimicking their native anatomic structures. In order to engineer cartilage with native zonal organization, extracellular matrix composition (ECM), and mechanical properties, we developed a bioprinting platform using a commercial inkjet printer with simultaneous photopolymerization capable for 3D cartilage tissue engineering. Human chondrocytes suspended in poly(ethylene glycol) diacrylate (PEGDA) were printed for 3D neocartilage construction via layer-by-layer assembly. The printed cells were fixed at their original deposited positions, supported by the surrounding scaffold in simultaneous photopolymerization. The mechanical properties of the printed tissue were similar to the native cartilage. Compared to conventional tissue fabrication, which requires longer UV exposure, the viability of the printed cells with simultaneous photopolymerization was significantly higher. Printed neocartilage demonstrated excellent glycosaminoglycan (GAG) and collagen type II production, which was consistent with gene expression. Therefore, this platform is ideal for accurate cell distribution and arrangement for anatomic tissue engineering.

The modified thermal inkjet printer was capable for cell and scaffold deposition at high throughput and excellent cell viability. Combining with simultaneous photopolymerization and photosensitive biomaterials, this technology is able to fix the cells and other printed substances to the initially deposited locations. According to the properties of the modified thermal inkjet printer, the 2D printing resolution was 300 dpi with a single ink drop volume of 130 pl. There are 50 firing nozzles in each printhead with 3.6 kHz ...

Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Human Cartilage Tissue Fabrication Using Three-dimensional Inkjet Printing Technology at JoVE.com

Human Cartilage Tissue Fabrication Using Three-dimensional Inkjet Printing Technology

The methods described in this paper show how to convert a commercial inkjet printer into a bioprinter with simultaneous UV polymerization. The printer is capable of constructing 3D tissue structure with cells and biomaterials. The study demonstrated here constructed a 3D neocartilage.

Bioprinting, which is based on thermal inkjet printing, is one of the most attractive enabling technologies in the field of tissue engineering and ...

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Bioengineering

15.6K Views.  Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. The methods described in this paper show how to convert a commercial inkjet printer into a bioprinter with simultaneous UV polymerization. The printer is capable of constructing 3D tissue structure with cells and biomaterials. The study demonstrated here constructed a 3D neocartilage.