NSW team claim world first in 3D printed skin for burn patients

Researchers at NSW’s Concord Hospital and Australian bioprinting specialist Inventia Life Science have teamed up for a claimed world first, developing a technique to 3D print skin for burn patients.

According to a statement from NSW Health on Friday, the process used makes use of a patient’s own cells, depositing biomaterials “directly onto the wound with precision” using Inventia’s Ligo Surgical Robot.

Researchers at the Skin Laboratory at the hospital’s Burns Unit isolated skin cells from patients, before generating new skin using the 3D printer, the release states. Early studies in a world-first clinical trial “are showing that 3D printed skin encourages faster wound healing and significantly reduces pain” for those using it.

“[S]kin printing is used on a wound that is surgically generated when a skin graft is harvested to treat a burn injury [and, following] this, the team will analyse the results and determine the suitably to print directly onto the burns site and deeper wounds as well.”

Strathfield state MP, Jason Yat-Sen Li added: “Most people will know the Burns Unit from their treatment of the 2002 Bali bombing victims.

“The team ha[s] also achieved remarkable outcomes for some of our most seriously injured burns patients, here at home, as well as their significant research efforts. These… have resulted in world-first technology like 3D printed skin.”

Inventia LifeScience were recent recipients of a $3,469,000 grant through the state’ government’s Medical Devices Fund to continue advancing the Ligo Surgical Robot.

According to its website, Inventia’s history goes back to 2011, and its proof of concept was delivered two years later before design consultancy Design + Industry was brought on board. A series of prototype machines followed and the first sales of its Ligo machine was achieved in 2019. 

Inventia Life Science and Design + Industry won the Good Design Award of the Year for the Inventia Rastrum 3D Bioprinter that same year.

Further reading

Problem solvers triumph at 2019 Good Design Awards

Australian Engineering Excellence Award winners named