System and Method for Printing Tissue

Abstract

A system and method for printing cells in a medium. A multi-dimensional printer, stably constructed of low-mass parts, can include a computer numerically controlled system that can enable motors driving delivery systems. The motors can include encoders that can enable achieving arbitrary resolution. The motors can drive ballscrews to enable linear motion of delivery systems, and the delivery systems can enable printing of a biological material in a pre-selected pattern in a petri dish. The petri dish can accommodate a medium such as a gel, and can further accommodate a vision system that can detect actual position and deflection of the delivery system needle. The printer can accommodate multiple delivery systems and therefore multiple needles of various sizes.

1 . A bioprinting system for multi-dimensional printing of tissue into a tissue enclosure, the bioprinting system comprising:
 a multi-axis, multi-dimensional (MAMD) printer including a robot controller controlling motion of the MAMD printer, and a delivery device operably coupled with the MAMD printer, the delivery device delivering the tissue;   the tissue enclosure including a space for the delivered tissue, the tissue enclosure receiving the delivered tissue, the tissue enclosure including a plurality of control points enabling the delivery device to enter the tissue enclosure, the tissue enclosure including production line mounting features;   a computer executing instructions including:
 accessing a design of the tissue; 
 converting the design to robot coordinates that the MAMD printer can use to print the tissue into the tissue enclosure; 
 transferring the robot coordinates from the computer to the MAMD printer; and 
 printing the tissue into the tissue enclosure by commanding the MAMD printer based on the robot coordinates. 
   
     
     
         2 . The bioprinting system as in  claim 1  wherein the instructions comprise:
 accessing parameters associated with the design; 
 pathing of the design based on the parameters, the pathing producing the robot coordinates of the design; and 
 processing the robot coordinates including:
 converting the robot coordinates to robot points, an approach vector, an orientation vector, and at least one path; 
 choosing a robot figure for each of the at least one path based on a desired robot position and a range of motion of the robot; 
 determining a translation data type based on the approach vector, the orientation vector, and the robot figure; 
 creating at least one motion command based on the translation data type and the robot points; and 
 providing the at least one motion command to the MAMD printer. 
 
 
     
     
         3 . A method for filling a syringe with a material housed in a container, the syringe including a syringe barrel and a plunger, the method comprising:
 inserting the syringe barrel into a syringe filler, the syringe barrel including a plunger end and a coupling end, the syringe filler including a syringe coupler at a first end of the syringe filler, and a flange at a second end of the syringe filler, the syringe coupler including a contact end having an opening;   operably coupling the coupling end of the syringe barrel with the syringe coupler; and   depressing the flange and the syringe barrel into the container until the material enters the opening and until the material emerges from a syringe plunger end of the syringe barrel.   
     
     
         4 . The method as in  claim 3  wherein the material comprises:
 a gel-like substance. 
 
     
     
         5 . The method as in  claim 3  further comprising:
 homogenizing by centrifugation or speed mixing. 
 
     
     
         6 . A syringe filler for filling a syringe barrel with a material, the syringe barrel including a plunger end and a coupling end, the syringe filler comprising:
 a filler body including enough space to accept the syringe barrel;   a flange operably coupled with the filler body, the flange enabling a substantially normal force to be exerted against the filler body, the substantially normal pushing syringe filler into a container containing the material; and   a syringe coupler including a syringe coupling and a material tube, the syringe coupling matably connecting with the filler body, the material traveling through the material tube from the container to the syringe barrel.   
     
     
         7 . The syringe filler as in  claim 6  wherein the filler body comprises a diameter accommodating a size of the syringe barrel and the diameter of the container. 
     
     
         8 . The syringe filler as in  claim 6  wherein the syringe coupler comprises at least one protrusion providing at least one seating position for at least one gasket, the at least one gasket enabling the syringe coupler to tightly couple with the container as the syringe coupler moves into the container. 
     
     
         9 . A printing device to print in a gel-like material, the printing device comprising:
 at least one chassis composed of a base structure and a chassis upright and further comprising a first region and a second region, the first region partitioned from the second region through a barrier on the base structure;   at least one primary carriage operatively coupled with the chassis upright, the at least one primary carriage performing a first set of at least one guided motion along at least one fixed path on a plane of the chassis upright;   at least one first sub-carriage providing an engaging feature and a pathway operatively coupled with the at least one primary carriage to perform a second set of at least one guided motion;   at least one second sub-carriage traveling along the pathway of the at least one first sub-carriage to perform a third set of at least one guided motion;   at least one delivery system engaged with one of the at least one primary carriages through a common base plate, the at least one delivery system performing a resultant motion from combination of first, second and third sets of at least one guided motion, the delivery system engaging one or more printing cartridges at more than one engaging point, the delivery system exhibiting bi-directional material flow in the one or more cartridges; and   at least one vessel wherein the printing device prints, the at least one vessel arrested by a vessel adaptor configured to accommodate vessels of varying dimensions, the at least one vessel accommodating the gel-like material.   
     
     
         10 . The printing device of  claim 9  further comprising at least one referencing system. 
     
     
         11 . The printing device of  claim 10  further comprising at least one monitoring system operating in conjunction with the at least one referencing system.