A team of scientists from the University at Buffalo has developed a new 3D bioprinting technique that is up to 50 times faster than the second-best methods available. The researchers have thus managed to reduce the time required to create a cell-laden hydrogel structure to just 19 minutes from the average 6 hours.

“The technology we’ve developed is 10-50 times faster than the industry standard, and it works with large sample sizes that have been very difficult to achieve previously,” says the study’s co-lead author Ruogang Zhao, PhD, associate professor of biomedical engineering.

The findings can be found in the team’s paper titled “Fast Stereolithography Printing of Large‐Scale Biocompatible Hydrogel Models” and mark a significant leap for the printing of human organs, a notoriously slow and delicate process.

Notably, the researcher’s new approach uses a combination of a 3D printing process called stereolithography that uses a laser beam to fabricate a structure layer by layer, and hydrogels that act as cell support while facilitating the formation of an ideal tissue.

Aside from being fast and efficient, the method is perfect for printing cells with built-in blood vessel networks, and although it is currently limited to “centimeter-sized” models, it will no doubt become an essential steppingstone in the production of human-sized organs.

The quick development of new tissues with 3D printing would ensure a steady supply of compatible organs for the patients without the long waiting time and uncertainty of whether the respective organ is a match.

According to TechTheLead