SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR PRODUCING AND APPLYING TISSUE-RELATED STRUCTURES

摘要

Embodiments produce and apply tissue-related structures in connection with various medical treatments. Such structures can be applied, as grafts, implants, scaffolds, etc., to replace, modify, or engineer tissue in the body. For example, such structures can be employed to reshape the cornea in order to correct vision. One example includes a tissue cell source including tissue cells in a fluid and a printer configured to deposit the tissue cells in a three-dimensional arrangement to form a tissue cell-based structure. Another example includes a source including a photoreactive liquid precursor, an application system configured to deposit the photoreactive liquid precursor in one or more applications to form a three-dimensional polymer-based structure, and an illumination system configured to deliver light to the photoreactive liquid precursor deposited by the application system and to solidify the photoreactive liquid precursor into the three-dimensional polymer-based structure.

主权项

1. A system for producing a tissue-related structure, comprising:
a tissue cell source including tissue cells in a fluid; a printer coupled to the tissue cell source and configured to deposit the tissue cells in a three-dimensional arrangement to form a tissue cell-based structure, the tissue cell fluid having characteristics that allow the tissue cells to be deposited via the printer; and a computing system coupled to the printer and configured to control the printer to deposit the tissue cells at selected positions defined by the arrangement.