“Some people in the field think this approach is a little crazy,” Bellan told Vanderbilt News. “But now we’ve shown we can use this simple technique to make microfluidic networks that mimic the three-dimensional capillary system in the human body in a cell-friendly fashion. Generally, it’s not that difficult to make two-dimensional networks, but adding the third dimension is much harder; with this approach, we can make our system as three-dimensional as we like.”
Turns out the structure of cotton candy is very similar to the fibrous tissue that connects our organs and bones. This has led some researchers at Vanderbilt University to take the same type of device (with some remodeling) and use it to 3D print artificial capillaries.
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Assistant professor of mechanical engineering at Vanderbilt University, Leon Bellan, reported in the Advanced Healthcare Materials journal that he was able to create a gelatinous cube of artificial capillaries with a modified cotton candy machine. The technique of melting sugar and turning it into strands inspired Bellan and led him to purchase a $40 cotton candy machine at Target. He gave it a shot, and it looks promising, though still needs some work.
By using the adapted cotton candy machine he was able to keep the cube of microfluidic channels alive, in addition to keeping it from dying for more than a week. This is a significant development and demonstrates a new, innovative approach to 3D printing.
