Patent ID: 11945153
Assignee: UNIVERSITY OF NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE
Field: Other special machines (Mechanical engineering)
Classification: CPC B  C | IPC B

Claim 13:
14. A method of preparing a gel comprising viable cells, said method comprising 3D printing the gel using an apparatus comprising:
a first jet actuator configured to dispense a first liquid from a first liquid source;
a second jet actuator configured to dispense a second liquid from a second liquid source; and
an adjustment element including a controller, wherein the adjustment element is configured to adjust a trajectory of at least the first liquid dispensed from the first jet actuator and the controller is configured to time the release of at least the first liquid dispensed from the first jet actuator such that the first liquid impinges and combines mid-air with the second liquid dispensed from the second jet actuator,
wherein one or both of the first liquid and the second liquid comprises viable cells and the first and second liquid combine to form a gel;
wherein the adjustment element is configured to adjust position of the first jet actuator relative to the second jet actuator to adjust the trajectory of the first liquid dispensed from the first jet actuator; the adjustment element comprises an actuating element for adjusting the position of the first jet actuator; the first jet actuator is mounted eccentrically in a collet, and wherein the actuating element is configured to rotate the collet to linearly adjust the position of the first jet actuator with respect to the second jet actuator.