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Organovo Has Its First Commercial 3D Bio-Printer

Posted by ScuttleMonkey on from the company-with-a-lot-of-heart(s) dept.

kkleiner writes "Organovo and strategic partner Invetech hope in 2010 to release a commercial version of their 3D organ printer capable of producing very basic tissues like blood vessels. While it is still limited to simple tissue structures (full organs are a long ways off), Organovo plans to deliver the printers to various research institutions interested in organ and tissue production. Working with these institutions, Organovo hopes to one day progress to creating a system that can print organs as easily as other 3D printers print plastic figurines."

22 of 91 comments (clear)

  1. I bet by idontgno · · Score: 5, Funny

    the ink will almost be as expensive as HP's.

    --
    Welcome to the Panopticon. Used to be a prison, now it's your home.
    1. Re:I bet by unformed · · Score: 4, Funny

      Yeah, they're going to charge an arm and a leg for this.

    2. Re:I bet by jameskojiro · · Score: 2, Funny

      Cool, so I can download a DRM free copy of the Necronomicon and print it out in Human blood!!!

      Klatu Berata Nectu

      --
      Tsukasa: All I really want, is to be left alone...
  2. The obvious market driver is... by couchslug · · Score: 4, Funny

    ...porn. :)

    --
    "This post is an artistic work of fiction and falsehood. Only a fool would take anything posted here as fact."
    1. Re:The obvious market driver is... by clang_jangle · · Score: 2, Funny

      See, I know now for sure that as a woman in IT I've been hanging around too many men for too long, because the first thing I thought about when I read "3D organ printer" was -- well, you know.

      --
      Caveat Utilitor
    2. Re:The obvious market driver is... by idontgno · · Score: 3, Insightful

      the first thing I thought about when I read "3D organ printer" was -- well, you know.

      Was it "I bet there'll be a run on legal-size* printer paper..."

      *For those in countries other than that United States, please read that as "ISO B-4".

      Thanks.

      --
      Welcome to the Panopticon. Used to be a prison, now it's your home.
  3. Fifth Element by ichthus · · Score: 4, Interesting

    This, obviously, will remind several of us SciFi fans of the reconstruction scene in the Fifth Element -- which I am too lazy to track down and link right now, so I'll let some other person whore for the karma instead.

    --
    sig: sauer
    1. Re:Fifth Element by el3mentary · · Score: 4, Informative

      You mean this scene I assume.

      --
      I reject your reality and substitute my own.
  4. 3d Organ printer? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    3D Organ Printer?!

    I'm waiting for my 3d xylophone printer!

    1. Re:3d Organ printer? by plover · · Score: 2, Funny

      This brings new meaning to the phrase Organ Grinder.

      Wonder if it will print out a monkey? Everybody likes monkeys.

      --
      John
  5. Dead tree organs are so 90s by iamacat · · Score: 2, Insightful

    I demand digital organs in a sleek package that looks good in starbucks, complete with DRM and remote kill capability to protect the consumers!

    1. Re:Dead tree organs are so 90s by dbcad7 · · Score: 2, Interesting

      Make your payments, and you'll have no problems.. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1053424/

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      waiting for ad.doubleclick.net
  6. Re:Hmm... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Preferably women will stop butchering their tits just to look "better."

  7. Waiter! by 2names · · Score: 3, Interesting

    I'd like four bottles of your finest whiskey and one new liver please.

    --
    "I'm just here to regulate funkiness."
  8. Re:Hmm... by Locke2005 · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Trust me, as long as they can snag a millionaire by bleaching their hair, bobbing their nose, and "enhancing" their breasts, women will continue to do so (and yes, the sister of one of my girlfriends did exactly that). If there was no demand, there would be no supply.

    --
    I've abandoned my search for truth; now I'm just looking for some useful delusions.
  9. Heart valves by tsa · · Score: 3, Interesting

    I hope it can print heart valves. I am not an expert, but those look simple and printed heart valves can help a lot of people.

    --

    -- Cheers!

  10. Re:5th Element - Fact not fiction? by Zerth · · Score: 3, Informative

    There was the assumption the extra strands of the genome stored the layout & weights of the brain's connections to encode her native language and motor skills instead of just the bootstrap that humans have.

    She was still ignorant of current facts and English, until she speed-read the encyclopedia.

  11. Re: Too Lazy! by TaoPhoenix · · Score: 2, Funny

    Mods, +6 Informative!
    He just invented the vaccine for Citation Needed!!

    --
    My first Journal Entry ever, in 8 years! http://slashdot.org/journal/365947/aphelion-scifi-fantasy-horror-poetry-webzine
  12. If you thought paper jams were bad... by Curate · · Score: 3, Funny

    Now you'll have to clean out organ jams.

  13. It comes down to how good the scaffold is by damn_registrars · · Score: 2, Insightful

    You need a good extracellular matrix (or as they say, "scaffold") to make good multicellular tissue or organ. Ideally, if the cells are correct for the application - and given the right stimuli - they will eventually make their own matrix for the application.

    One thing they didn't mention in this writeup that many people could truly benefit from, though, is that the printer could potentially make better organs than the ones being replaced. Another poster here asked about heart valves - the printer could potentially print a heart with better valves than the problem heart (which could be more beneficial to the patient than replacing only the valves).

    --
    Damn_registrars has no butt-hole. Damn_registrars has no use for a butt-hole.
  14. Re:You don't want to know... by palegray.net · · Score: 3, Funny

    Sorry, I couldn't hear you... this blender is way too noisy. You mind popping that refill cap off and reloading the Epson? I'll go tell Mrs. Wilson a hawk just flew off with her cat.

    --
    512 MB RAM, 20 GB disk, 200 GB transfer, five datacenters. $19.95/month.
  15. Re:Hmm... by Legion303 · · Score: 2, Funny

    Nonsense! What could be more sexy than rock-hard tits that don't move?