Description

Researchers at Lancaster University have achieved a breakthrough by directly 3D printing conducting polymer structures inside a living organism. The process, though in its early stages, has the potential to create next-generation implants for real-time health monitoring and medical interventions like neuromodulation. Led by materials scientist John Hardy, the team used a high-resolution fast pulsed laser 3D printer to create conductive volume pixels (Voxels) within the organism, specifically nematode worms. The success of this additive process opens possibilities for human-computer interfaces and more complex circuits in the future, but ethical considerations will also be addressed in further research.

“We needed to make sure that the precursor monomer mixture was biocompatible, which is more difficult than once the material is polymerised and ‘inert’, and that the light used to polymerise the monomer does not harm the animals by burning surrounding tissue. This was possible because we used lower energy lasers and a ‘two-photon’ set up,” says the research collaborator Alexandre Benedetto.