Patent ID: 11911582
Assignee: SUNNYBROOK RESEARCH INSTITUTE
Field: Other special machines (Mechanical engineering)
Classification: CPC A  B  C | IPC A  B  C

Claim 0:
1. A bioprinter for controlled in-situ formation and deposition of any one or combination of biopolymeric sheets, therapeutic agents and planar tissues on surfaces on surfaces, comprising:
a) support frame and a gimbal attached to said support frame and a printhead attached to said gimbal, said printhead including a first array of extrusion channels and a gelation means located with respect to said first array such that in operation said gimbal positions said printhead such that said first array is in physical contact with said surface regardless of the contour of said surface, an end section of said printhead having a width W such that said first and second arrays span said width W;
b) a first reservoir containing a biopolymer, said first reservoir being operably attached to said frame, said first array of extrusion channels being in flow communication with said first reservoir such that said biopolymer is configured to be extruded onto the surface, a first dispensing mechanism associated with said first reservoir being configured to dispense biopolymer at a flow rate of QM;
c) a drive mechanism attached to said frame including a soft roller, said drive mechanism such that when activated by the operator, said printhead is driven along the surface at a preselected velocity V by said soft roller;
d) a controller connected to said drive mechanism and said first dispensing mechanism and said gelation means and programmed such upon activating said drive mechanism, and when said first dispenser includes biopolymer, said dispensing mechanism dispenses biopolymer at the flow rate QM a layer of thickness t and said gelation means gelates said biopolymer on said surface.