Three-dimensional (3D) bioprinting offers innovative research vectors for tissue engineering. However, commercially available bioprinting platforms can be cost prohibitive to small research facilities, especially in an academic setting. The goal is to design and fabricate a low-cost printing platform able to deliver cell-laden fluids with spatial accuracy along the X, Y, and Z axes of 0.1 mm. The bioprinter consists of three subassemblies: a base unit, a gantry, and a shuttle component. The platform utilizes four stepper motors to position along three axes and a fifth stepper motor actuating a pump. The shuttle and gantry are each driven along their respective horizontal axes via separate single stepper motor, while two coupled stepper motors are used to control location along the vertical axis. The current shuttle configuration allows for a 5 mL syringe to be extruded within a work envelope of 180 mm × 160 mm × 120 mm (X, Y, Z). The shuttle can easily be reconfigured to accommodate larger volume syringes. An attachment for a laser pen is located such that printing material may be light-activated pre-extrusion. Positional fidelity was established with calipers possessing a resolution to the nearest hundredth millimeter. The motors associated with the X and Y axes were calibrated to approximately 0.02 mm per motor impulse. The Z axis has a theoretical step distance of ∼51 nm, generating 0.04% error over a 10 mm travel distance. The A axis, or pump motor, has an impulse distance of 0.001 mm. The volume extruded by a single impulse is dictated by the diameter of the syringe used. With a 5 mL syringe possessing an inner diameter of 12.35 mm, the pump pushes as little as 0.119 μL. While the Z axis is tuned to the highest resolution settings for the motor driver, the X, Y, and A axes can obtain higher or lower resolution via physical switches on the motor drivers.
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December 2017
Research-Article
Design and Fabrication of a Low-Cost Three-Dimensional Bioprinter
Colton McElheny,
Colton McElheny
Department of Mechanical Engineering,
Louisiana State University,
Baton Rouge, LA 70803
Louisiana State University,
Baton Rouge, LA 70803
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Daniel Hayes,
Daniel Hayes
Department of Biomedical Engineering,
Pennsylvania State University,
University Park,
State College, PA 16802
Pennsylvania State University,
University Park,
State College, PA 16802
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Ram Devireddy
Ram Devireddy
Department of Mechanical Engineering,
Louisiana State University,
2508 P.F. Taylor Hall,
Baton Rouge, LA 70803
e-mail: devireddy@me.lsu.edu
Louisiana State University,
2508 P.F. Taylor Hall,
Baton Rouge, LA 70803
e-mail: devireddy@me.lsu.edu
Search for other works by this author on:
Colton McElheny
Department of Mechanical Engineering,
Louisiana State University,
Baton Rouge, LA 70803
Louisiana State University,
Baton Rouge, LA 70803
Daniel Hayes
Department of Biomedical Engineering,
Pennsylvania State University,
University Park,
State College, PA 16802
Pennsylvania State University,
University Park,
State College, PA 16802
Ram Devireddy
Department of Mechanical Engineering,
Louisiana State University,
2508 P.F. Taylor Hall,
Baton Rouge, LA 70803
e-mail: devireddy@me.lsu.edu
Louisiana State University,
2508 P.F. Taylor Hall,
Baton Rouge, LA 70803
e-mail: devireddy@me.lsu.edu
1Corresponding author.
Manuscript received May 26, 2016; final manuscript received June 24, 2017; published online August 7, 2017. Assoc. Editor: Xiaoming He.
J. Med. Devices. Dec 2017, 11(4): 041001 (9 pages)
Published Online: August 7, 2017
Article history
Received:
May 26, 2016
Revised:
June 24, 2017
Citation
McElheny, C., Hayes, D., and Devireddy, R. (August 7, 2017). "Design and Fabrication of a Low-Cost Three-Dimensional Bioprinter." ASME. J. Med. Devices. December 2017; 11(4): 041001. https://doi.org/10.1115/1.4037259
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