But can I interest you in a 3D-printed kidney?
Its an offer that Vital3D plans to make a reality.
The Lithuanianstartupis among a growing wave of companies that want to bioprint body parts.
Approaches to the task are varied.
In the Vital3D system,lasers precisely deposit living cells and biomaterials in 3D patterns.
The company says this creates functional, scalable, and reproducible tissue constructs.
Vital3D believes the tech canbridge the gap between organ demand and supply.
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Bioprinting is a promising solution, but an immensely complex one.
The process requires highly specialised equipment, sourcing materials, and medical expertise to replicate extremely intricate anatomy.
Kidneys are particularly complicated to recreate.Each kidney contains around1 millionnephrons, which provide the organs functionality.
In search of a balance between pace and precision, Vital3D developed a patent-pending technology called FemtoBrush.
At the tools core is a spatial light modulator, which dynamically adjusts the shape of the laser beam.
According to Vital3D, this adds unprecedented versatility to the process.
The system promises precision down to one-thousandth of a millimetre as well as rapid speeds.
Our aim with this innovation is transformative, Sakalys said.
We aspire to print the kidneys expansive vascular web link, within just a 24-hour period.
Sakalys acknowledges that thetechis still in its nascent stages.
Intensive testing will be required to ensure that theorgans are both safe and functional.
There are also immense regulatory barriers to hurdle.
Nonetheless, the technology is steadily advancing.
Bioprinted organs might not be on sale soon, but theyre making impressive progress in the lab.
Story byThomas Macaulay
Thomas is the managing editor of TNW.
He leads our coverage of European tech and oversees our talented team of writers.
Away from work, he e(show all)Thomas is the managing editor of TNW.
He leads our coverage of European tech and oversees our talented team of writers.
Away from work, he enjoys playing chess (badly) and the guitar (even worse).
