A couple weeks ago, we discussed 3-D printed bone that is applied from a handheld device directly to a patient’s body. In the same vein, a recent article from The Hack Posts reported on a new method of 3-D printing living skin. The main selling point though is the system’s mobility, which enables doctors to provide on-site treatment to severe wounds.
The device, developed at Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine, contains the affected person’s person cells (dermal fibroblasts and epidermal keratinocytes) combined with a hydrogel. It then prints bi-layered pores and skin to the affected area, mimicking pores and skin’s natural healing properties.