Researchers at Tel Aviv University have created the world's first 3D-printed heart using cellular material extracted from a patient. According to Advanced Science, the team created complex models, eventually working up to a complete heart, using the material. The researchers used 3D printing technology developed by their lab and published in Nature Materials on June 14, 2016. They estimated hospitals could have organ printers within a decade.
Researchers at Tel Aviv University have created the world's first 3D-printed heart using cellular material extracted from a patient. According to Advanced Science, the team created complex models, eventually working up to a complete heart, using the material. Currently, the organ, which is smaller than a human heart, only contracts, but the team aims to culture the 3D organs and 'teach' them to function normally. They estimated hospitals could have organ printers within a decade.