ing ▁technology . ▁Several ▁terms ▁have ▁been ▁used ▁to ▁refer ▁to ▁this ▁field ▁of ▁research : ▁organ ▁printing , ▁bio - print ing , ▁body ▁part ▁printing , ▁and ▁computer - a ided ▁t issue ▁engineering , ▁among ▁others . ▁The ▁possibility ▁of ▁using ▁ 3 D ▁t issue ▁printing ▁to ▁create ▁soft ▁t issue ▁architect ures ▁for ▁re construct ive ▁surg ery ▁is ▁also ▁being ▁expl ored . ▁ ▁In ▁ 2 0 1 3 , ▁Chinese ▁scient ists ▁began ▁printing ▁ears , ▁li vers ▁and ▁kid ne ys , ▁with ▁living ▁t issue . ▁Research ers ▁in ▁China ▁have ▁been ▁able ▁to ▁successfully ▁print ▁human ▁org ans ▁using ▁special ized ▁ 3 D ▁bi op r inter s ▁that ▁use ▁living ▁cells ▁instead ▁of ▁pl astic ▁. ▁Research ers ▁at ▁H ang z hou ▁D ian zi ▁University ▁designed ▁the ▁" 3 D ▁bi op r inter " ▁dub bed ▁the ▁" R egen ovo ". ▁X u ▁M ingen , ▁Reg en ovo ' s ▁developer , ▁said ▁that ▁it ▁can ▁produce ▁a ▁mini ature ▁sample ▁of ▁li ver ▁t issue ▁or ▁ear ▁cart il age ▁in ▁less ▁than ▁an ▁hour , ▁predict ing ▁that ▁fully ▁functional ▁printed ▁org ans ▁might ▁take ▁ 1 0 ▁to ▁ 2 0 ▁years ▁to ▁develop . ▁ ▁Medical ▁devices ▁ ▁On ▁October ▁ 2 4 , ▁ 2 0 1 4 , ▁a ▁five - year - old ▁girl ▁born ▁without ▁fully ▁formed ▁fingers ▁on ▁her ▁left ▁hand ▁became ▁the ▁first ▁child ▁in