3D printing technology is used to print out hearts. TUCHONG
Three-dimensional printing, a technology that creates objects layer by layer, has revolutionized the way we make things. Recently, a group of Chinese scientists took things a step further by using this technology to create realistic replicas of human organs.
逐层创造物体的3D打印技术，彻底改变了我们制造物品的方式。最近，一支中国科研团队更进一步，利用3D打印制造出了逼真的人体器官模型。
Previously, it was challenging to create a single material that could print different human organs due to their complexity. The research team from the Lanzhou Institute of Chemical Physics at the Chinese Academy of Sciences started by using hydrogel, a soft gel-like material as the main ingredient.
此前，由于不同的人体器官各有复杂之处，制造一种可以打印不同器官的材料极具挑战性。中国科学院兰州化学物理研究所的一支科研团队开始将一种柔软的胶状材料——水凝胶，作为主要原料。
弹性双网络水凝胶的设计及湿滑水凝胶软组织器官模型的制造。图源：论文配图
Human organs have various textures, with our brains being the softest. To replicate the hardness of materials like bone, the researchers added metallic elements to the hydrogel and adjusted their ratio to create the texture of each organ. However, the structure inside human organs is also incredibly complex with many interweaving channels. To make sure the printing results are correct, the team used light-curing technology in the 3D printing process. A special lamp was placed under the printing machine, causing the gel to become solid right after it was printed.
我们人体的器官质地各异，其中大脑最为柔软。为了复刻诸如骨头等材质的刚度，研究人员向水凝胶中添加了金属元素，并调整其比例，打造出每个器官的质地。然而，人体器官的内部结构也非常复杂，含有许多相互交织的通道。为了确保打印结果无误，该团队在3D打印过程中运用了光固化技术。研究人员在印刷机下方放置一盏特殊的灯，令水凝胶一打印出来就立即变成固体。
According to the team’s paper published in the journal Advanced Functional Materials, they were able to produce organ models including the brain, lungs, and intestines.
根据该科研团队发表在《高级功能材料》期刊上的文章，研究人员已能够制造出包括大脑、肺、肠等在内的器官模型。
These 3D printed organ models are essential for research purposes, such as testing medical equipment and demonstrating surgeries. Compared to live organs and animal models, they are also ethically acceptable since they are printed artificially. They can help researchers develop new treatments more efficiently, due to their lower relative cost, commented the Alliance of Advanced Biomedical Engineering website.
这些3D打印的器官模型对于医疗设备测试、手术演示等科研目的至关重要，且由于模型是人工打印而成，与活体器官和动物模型相比，在伦理上也易于接受。先进生物医学工程联盟在网站发表评论称，3D打印的器官模型相对成本较低，可以帮助研究人员更有效地开发新的治疗方法。
刚度与天然软组织特性相匹配的湿滑水凝胶仿生组织器官模型。图源：论文配图
Hydrogel materials, however, usually cannot be used as transplants, because human cells are likely to recognize them as “enemies” and start to fight against them. What scientists have been exploring in “printing” the organs is bioprinting: using 3D printing technology to build up various types of cells and materials layer by layer. This way, the printed product will be more acceptable to grow inside the human body. However, this method is still developing, and experts are hoping it will be used in the medical field within a decade, according to CNN.
然而，水凝胶材料通常不能移植，因为人体细胞很可能将其视为“敌人”，并开始与之对抗。在“打印”器官方面，研究人员一直在探索的是生物打印，即利用3D打印技术逐层构建各种类型的细胞和材料。这样一来，打印出来的成品将更容易在人体内生长。然而，据美国有线电视新闻网（CNN）报道，生物打印仍在发展阶段，专家们希望在十年内将其应用于医疗领域。