BACKGROUND: The shortage of donor corneas is a severe global issue, and hence the development of corneal alternatives is imperative and urgent. Although attempts to produce artificial cornea substitutes by tissue engineering have made some positive progress, many problems remain that hamper their clinical application worldwide. For example, the curvature of tissue-engineered cornea substitutes cannot be designed to fit the bulbus oculi of patients. OBJECTIVE: To overcome these limitations, in this paper, we present a novel integrated three-dimensional (3D) bioprinting-based cornea substitute fabrication strategy to realize design, customized fabrication, and evaluation of multi-layer hollow structures with complicated surfaces. METHODS: The key rationale for this method is to combine digital light processing (DLP) and extrusion bioprinting into an integrated 3D cornea bioprinting system. A designable and personalized corneal substitute was designed based on mathematical modelling and a computer tomography scan of a natural cornea. The printed corneal substitute was evaluated based on biomechanical analysis, weight, structural integrity, and fit. RESULTS: The results revealed that the fabrication of high water content and highly transparent curved films with geometric features designed according to the natural human cornea can be achieved using a rapid, simple, and low-cost manufacturing process with a high repetition rate and quality. CONCLUSIONS This study demonstrated the feasibility of customized design, analysis, and fabrication of a corneal substitute. The programmability of this method opens up the possibility of producing substitutes for other cornea-like shell structures with different scale and geometry features, such as the glomerulus, atrium, and oophoron.
Artificial Organs ; Bioprinting ; Cornea/cytology* ; Humans ; Models, Theoretical ; Printing, Three-Dimensional ; Tensile Strength ; Tissue Engineering/methods* ; Tissue Scaffolds

Adolescent ; Adult ; Artificial Organs ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Trachea ; surgery ; Young Adult

Three-dimensional (3D) printing, also known as additive manufacturing (AM), has been used frequently in regenerative or translational medicine. In addition, recent advances in 3D printing technologies have opened the door to 3D bio-printing, which uses cells, biocompatible materials, and scaffolding simultaneously to generate 3D functional tissues. Although tissue generation by bio-printing such as multilayered skin, bone, bladder, and vascular grafts has shown good results, there are still several challenges related to printing of entire organs, particularly modulation of vascular formation during organ regeneration. This article provides a background and introduction to bio-printing for creation of artificial organs and tissues.
Artificial Organs ; Biocompatible Materials ; Bioprinting ; Regeneration* ; Skin ; Tissue Engineering ; Tissue Scaffolds ; Translational Medical Research ; Transplants ; Urinary Bladder

In this article, we introduce the principle, describe the utilization and discuss the future development of three-dimensional printing technology for manufacturing artificial organs.
Artificial Organs ; Humans ; Printing, Three-Dimensional

BACKGROUNDS/AIMS: Stem cell therapies for liver disease are being studied by many researchers worldwide, but scientific evidence to demonstrate the endocrinologic effects of implanted cells is insufficient, and it is unknown whether implanted cells can function as liver cells. Achieving angiogenesis, arguably the most important characteristic of the liver, is known to be quite difficult, and no practical attempts have been made to achieve this outcome. We carried out this study to observe the possibility of angiogenesis of implanted bio-artificial liver using scaffolds. METHODS: This study used adipose tissue-derived stem cells that were collected from adult patients with liver diseases with conditions similar to the liver parenchyma. Specifically, microfilaments were used to create an artificial membrane and maintain the structure of an artificial organ. After scratching the stomach surface of severe combined immunocompromised (SCID) mice (n=4), artificial scaffolds with adipose tissue-derived stem cells and type I collagen were implanted. Expression levels of angiogenesis markers including vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), CD34, and CD105 were immunohistochemically assessed after 30 days. RESULTS: Grossly, the artificial scaffolds showed adhesion to the stomach and surrounding organs; however, there was no evidence of angiogenesis within the scaffolds; and VEGF, CD34, and CD105 expressions were not detected after 30 days. CONCLUSIONS: Although implantation of cells into artificial scaffolds did not facilitate angiogenesis, the artificial scaffolds made with type I collagen helped maintain implanted cells, and surrounding tissue reactions were rare. Our findings indicate that type I collagen artificial scaffolds can be considered as a possible implantable biomaterial.
Actin Cytoskeleton ; Adult ; Animals ; Artificial Organs ; Biocompatible Materials ; Collagen Type I* ; Humans ; Liver Diseases ; Liver* ; Membranes, Artificial ; Mice ; Stem Cells* ; Stomach ; Tissue Scaffolds ; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A

We developed and designed a new type of artificial trachea. The basic structure of the artificial trachea was polytetrafluoroethylene vascular prosthesis linked with titanium rings on both sides. Dualmesh was sutured on titanium rings. This experimentation follows the replacement of trachea in dogs with a combined artificial trachea to investigate the feasibility of this type of prosthesis. Sixteen dogs were implanted with the combined artificial trachea after resection of 5 cm of cervical trachea. The 5 cm-long trachea of dogs on the necks were resected and the reconstruction of the defect of the trachea was performed with trachea prosthesis. According to the method of trachea reconstruction, the models were divided into 2 groups, artificial trachea implantation group (the control group, n = 8) and group of artificial trachea implantation with growth factor (the experimental group, n = 8). Then computer tomography scan (CT), bronchoscope and pathologic examination were conducted periodically to observe the healing state of the hybrid artificial trachea. None of the dogs died during operation of cervical segmental trachea construction. But four dogs in the control group died of apnea in succession because artificial trachea was displaced and the lumen was obstructed, while 2 dogs died in the experimental group. In the first month there was granulation around anastomosis with slight stenosis. The rest of dogs were well alive until they were sacrificed 14 months later. The mean survival time of the experimental group was longer than that of the control group. The rate of infection, anastomotic dehiscence, severe stenosis and accidental death in the experimental group were lower than the control group (P < 0.05). Artificial trachea was encapsulated by fibrous tissue and no mucous membrane was seen in the lumen of the artificial trachea. The artificial trachea can be used to reconstruction of the defect of the trachea with long-term survival of the animals. The unique design of artificial trachea reduces stenosis around anastomosis effectively but infections and split or displacement of the artificial trachea are still major problems affecting long-term survival of the animals. Application of growth factors to a certain extent promotes tissue healing by changing the local environment.
Animals ; Artificial Organs ; Dogs ; Prostheses and Implants ; Prosthesis Design ; Prosthesis Implantation ; Reconstructive Surgical Procedures ; Titanium ; Trachea ; surgery

Successful assessing intestinal lumen content with ultrasound signals might lay a strong basis for the development of the artificial anal sphincter. In the present study, we utilized a modified MLU02-212 ultrasonic gas bubble detector to test the distal part of proximal colon in each rabbit, for the group of twenty healthy New Zealand rabbits. Voltage signals of solid, liquid, gas and empty content of the lumen were collected and compared. The results indicated that there were significant differences among the voltage signals in the 4 conditions (P = 0.000), respectively. Multiple comparison showed significant differences existed in any pair of the four conditions (P = 0.000). Three signal non-overlapping regions existed in these 4 conditions. Thus it seemed that ultrasound could be utilized to distinguish various contents inside the intestinal lumen and could act as "artificial sensory nerve".
Anal Canal ; innervation ; physiology ; Animals ; Artificial Organs ; Colon ; diagnostic imaging ; Enteric Nervous System ; physiology ; Fecal Incontinence ; surgery ; Female ; Gastrointestinal Contents ; Gastrointestinal Motility ; physiology ; Male ; Rabbits ; Sensory Receptor Cells ; physiology ; Ultrasonography

This article introduces the working principle and the structural design of an initiative lung simulator based on plunger. The lung simulator is intended to test the monitor parameter and trigger function of the ventilator. Lung simulator can ventilate initiatively by adjusting the parameters such as tidal volume(VT). frequency and inspiration time.
Artificial Organs ; Equipment Design ; Lung

OBJECTIVETo distinguish the ginseng and American ginseng pieces accurately and rapidly by electronic nose technology and principal component analysis (PCA) method.

METHODThe optimum conditions of electronic nose for ginseng and American ginseng pieces, such as sample size and volume, headspace volume, incubation time and temperature were determined by the orthogonal test, the data were processed by the normalization method and the preprocessed data were analyzed PCA.

RESULTThe detection methods of ginseng and American ginseng pieces was established by electronic nose, and the odor fingerprint figures of ginseng and American ginseng pieces were obtained, and ginseng and American ginseng pieces were distinguished by PCA recognition pattern.

CONCLUSIONA new accurate and rapid method to distinguish ginseng and American ginseng pieces was established by electronic nose detection.

Artificial Organs ; Electronics ; methods ; Nose ; Panax ; classification ; Principal Component Analysis ; methods

OBJECTIVETo investigate clinical effects of coracohumeral ligament reconstruction with autologous double-strand of long palmaris longus tendon and artificial ligament for the treatment of acromioclavicular joint dislocation.

METHODSFrom April 2006 to June 2009, 31 patients with acromioclavicular joint dislocation were treated with coracohumeral ligament reconstruction using autologous double-strand palmaris longus tendon and artificial ligament. There were 18 males and 13 females, ranging in age from 18 to 60 years, with an average of 35 years. Twenty-six patients were acute trauma and other 5 patients were chronic trauma. Preoperative symptoms included different degrees of pain, restricted movement, and instability of acromioclaviecular joint. The X-ray showed acromioclavicular joint dislocation.

RESULTSThe patients had good incision union without vascular and nerve injuries. All the patients were followed up, and the average duration was 23 months. The JOA scores decreased from preoperative (38.8 +/- 1.5) to (73.2 +/- 1.1) at 1 month after operation,and (93.5 +/- 0.8)at the last follow-up. Twenty-eight patients got an excellent result, 2 good and 1 fair.

CONCLUSIONThe reconstruction of coracohumeral ligament using autologous double-strand palmaris longus tendon and artificial ligament is an effective method for the treatment of acromioclavicular joint dislocation.

Acromioclavicular Joint ; injuries ; physiopathology ; surgery ; Adolescent ; Adult ; Artificial Organs ; Clavicle ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Joint Dislocations ; physiopathology ; surgery ; Ligaments, Articular ; physiopathology ; surgery ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Reconstructive Surgical Procedures ; methods ; Scapula ; Tendons ; Treatment Outcome ; Young Adult