(ORDO NEWS) — German researchers have developed a new 3D printing technology. Using ultrasonic waves, they created pressure fields that form a finished object from material particles.
The method allows the use of solid particles, hydrogel beads and even living cells for printing, which opens the way for new bioengineering methods.
3D printing allows complex parts to be made from functional or biological materials. However, this is usually a slow process, as objects are created gradually, layer by layer.
Now, scientists from the Max Planck Institute for Medical Research and the University of Heidelberg (Germany) have come up with a new 3D printing technology that can form a three-dimensional object from smaller building blocks in just one step.
The authors used sound to print 3D objects. Sound waves can affect matter, and to manipulate the smallest particles of material, scientists used high-frequency ultrasound, which is inaccessible to the human ear.
In previous research, scientists have developed a method for generating high-frequency ultrasonic waves using acoustic holograms, 3D printed plates that are designed to encode a specific sound field.
An acoustic hologram is formed by reflecting sound from the complex relief of the surface of a plate, in the same way that ordinary holograms are obtained by reflecting light from a pattern on the surface of a material.
The authors have previously demonstrated that these sound fields can be used to assemble materials into 2D patterns.
Now, on the basis of this, scientists have developed the concept of creating three-dimensional objects.
Particles of the material float in water, and under the influence of complex ultrasonic fields reproduced from an acoustic hologram, they gather into a three-dimensional shape.
The method makes it possible to work with various materials, including glass particles, hydrogel balls, and even living cells.
Scientists believe that their technology can become a promising platform for the formation of cell cultures and tissues in bulk.
The advantage of ultrasound is that it does not destroy living cells and can penetrate deep into tissues. Thus, it can be used for remote control and safe movement of cells.
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