The First Full-Size 3D Print of a Human Heart Is Here

Imagine having the option to get a 3D-printed organ. Well, a team of biomedical engineers from Carnegie Mellon University has just developed the first flexible, full-size, 3D-print of a human heart, bringing us one step closer to that reality.
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Additive manufacturing printers are popular, but are typically known to build hard objects using materials like plastic or metal. But rigid plastic organs aren’t very practical. These printers could be used with softer materials, like biological hydrogels -- you know, to make a heart -- but those tend to collapse mid-print. But this new method can change the game.The 3D-printing technique is called Freeform Reversible Embedding of Suspended Hydrogels or FRESH.
It can print biological structures with soft squishy materials like alginate, a biomaterial made from seaweed, which feels like human tissue. AND it cleverly solves that collapsing problem during print by suspending flexible materials inside a container of gelatin.
For this team of researchers it all starts with a MRI scan from a real heart. The scan gets “chopped-up” digitally into horizontal slices by a program which then translates them into code that a printer will understand. A needle-like nozzle moves through the gelatin support bath, extruding thin layers of alginate. The layers stack on top of each other to build the shape. When the print is complete, it’s put in an incubator overnight, where the temperature is raised to 37°C to gently melt away the gelatin support structure, leaving only the 3D-printed heart.
#3dprinting human heart #health #technology #science #seeker #elements
Read More:
3D bioprinted heart provides new tool for surgeons
engineering.cmu.edu/news-even...
"Adam Feinberg and his team have created the first full-size 3D bioprinted human heart model using their Freeform Reversible Embedding of Suspended Hydrogels (FRESH) technique."
The future of bioprinting: A new frontier in regenerative healthcare
www.medicaldevice-network.com...
"Printing body parts may well be the next step in organ transplantation - harvesting stem cells from a transplant recipient and printing them into a replacement organ could help bypass complications associated with organ transplant such as long waits for a suitable donor or immune rejection of the new organ."
Bringing A ‘Ghost Heart’ To Life
www.sciencefriday.com/segment...
"The human heart is one of the most complicated organs in our body. The heart is, in a way, like a machine-the muscular organ pumping about 2,000 gallons of blood in an adult human every day. But can we construct a heart in the lab?"
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[@0ver9000nism]

Last Christmas gonna hit different once people have 3d printed hearts to actually give and take away

[@calebjaymes9710]

I want lungs

[@rockybhaikusalaampodu4125]

I want lungs , heart , kidney , Everything Lol 🤣

[@haxozr]

Last Christmas, I gave you my heart….

[@kairon156]

I would like dental implants myself but I could use a heart replacement.

[@spacelinx]

Becoming a Bionic Commando seems like a reality now.

[@danielcisa107]

Stop playing cyber'bug'

[@magnolia2]

Just don’t wear undies and you’re halfway there!

[@NarattoRadians]

@@danielcisa107 Sorry to hear you have a playststion.

[@bayraktarx1386]

It's just a rubber model... 😂

[@iusetolovehim8]

jpnewpic88.men

[@gladlawson61]

As someone with heart problems. This fills me with hope.

[@itsneverlupus5544]

How are you?

[@ASNEGI]

​@@itsneverlupus5544good, how about you?

[@jadentoh3218]

Teacher: you must help people with a real heart People with 3D printed hearts:

[@goofybutserious4807]

?

[@Clear_Prodigy]

We should also print brains for people who comment “first”

[@triptisharmaaa]

😂😂😂

[@thealtruistmc5020]

there is a 1st comment ryt below urs

[@Clear_Prodigy]

Every bloody video has an idiot commenting first or the year like we care!!! 🤬😂

[@ChrisHarmon1]

Second

[@agent-33]

Also for people who type in something that was already said in the video, and those pple who ask if anyone still listening in ?

[@NextLevelTech]

This is what got me interested in biomechanical engineering about 7 years ago for college when the process was in its infancy, I hope I can one day make a contribution to the field and help save lives. Bravo this is what I love to see.

[@badhrihari1705]

Shame that there's a legal option now *throws away extra hearts*

[@badhrihari1705]

@Sir 4k would u like one sir?

[@waynepooley6950]

Barry Harry 216 I’ll take two. Do you have sesame seed buns?

[@badhrihari1705]

@@waynepooley6950 sure, you also get an extra heart for free

[@magnolia2]

Got any brains? My pet zombies are hungry.

[@badhrihari1705]

@@magnolia2 yes, take them before 3d printed brains flood the market Plus the zombies deserve 100% geniune brains

[@unematrix]

"you might be willing to pay any price" You know someone is from 'Murican when...

[@LUCTIANITO]

Once I heard an american saying "dying is cheap and easy, advanced brain cirgury is not". Not gonna say he is wrong but profit shouldn't be the focus of the medicine industry, although it's an industry.

[@bluegleam8168]

@@LUCTIANITO surgery*

[@reidkrupps3597]

@@LUCTIANITO well I mean, when someone spends a decade or more in university honing and learning a highly advanced, very difficult, rare and sought after craft, works in an area that has machines worth tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands, or millions of dollars, and eluded to facility has the hire engineers to perform maintenance on regularly, costs become substantial. Now, the United States is a VERY large landmass with a very spread out population and has to have a very large number of such facilities employing prior mentioned personnel, so it wouldn't be hard to assume that someone would be paying for the facility, specific action, procedures or substance, along with the equipment needed, yes? Universal government provided health care and insurance if scaled to individual facilities on a plus end and mandatory value evaluated and to be provided as a minimum on the minor end would cost the US government horribly if it wants to maintain peak care of advanced facilities and to increase care in those to which are negatively aberrant. It can't without cutting costs. And most countries even with a smaller population and more importantly a smaller landmass (which effects the total number of facilities in most or certain circumstances) can't keep up as well, which is why a term know such as "brain drain" exists, and why the United States receives so many migrants of high vocational background

[@infinidominion]

@@LUCTIANITO you just cursed your own existence with that bs spelling of surgery😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂🤦‍♂️

[@MadChrisp]

@@reidkrupps3597 of course it would be costly. But the simple fact that we are choosing between lives and cost is ridiculous. No expense should be "too high" to guarantee your citizens decent Healthcare. Expecially considering the budget we use on military and foreign spending.

[@mwakafrancismatthew868]

Haha. She thought she'd have the last laugh when she broke my heart 🙂....

[@waywardvoid]

Well, you had to replace it...

[@Xyza.]

Heartbreaking to hear

[@Mark-sr3jw]

Awww

[@Ralph2k20]

Dude, pharmacology is going to be set up in the coming years. Gene editing, Quantum computing, 3D Printed organs with organic similarities. Jeez what am I going to ingest years from now?

[@nuterra9143]

Crispr body manipulating pills. I am guessing in 15 years.

[@attitudekilleroriginal]

Best part is this may end or at least reduce illegal organ trade

[@Darkmattermonkey77]

True. The illegal heart thefts have been steadily rising the last few years.

[@jmatt98]

@@Darkmattermonkey77 yep. You can pick from a menu in China

[@andreaam805]

There isn’t illegal organ trade 🤣

[@thegrumpypanda1016]

@@andreaam805 love idk what world u living in but yes there is.

[@rockybhaikusalaampodu4125]

I'll be immortal 🤣

[@smiletolife4353]

1 year later: First human skin made by 3d printer

[@aportfolio8324]

BRO! ITS ALREADY HERE! The made synthetic skin like 3 years ago.

[@TheBodiesInTheWaterBeckons]

3D printing Dong is where its at bois. Those small PP dudes/bros will be on it at the very first commercial opportunity.

[@jbhann]

That would be great for burn victims.

[@gregorymalchuk272]

@@TheBodiesInTheWaterBeckons I want 3D printed foreskins for boys and men.

[@jonathans1759]

My step father literally arrived home an hour ago after 3 weeks in hospital and needs to go back for the stent shown here in about a month. Talk about timing. Merry Xmas.

[@m1thras]

I hope all goes well. Merry Christmas.

[@eddierich6179]

"fresh hearts" is an uncomfortable phrase...

[@danielcisa107]

Look darling, i ain't gonna chopping hearts in the field all day Just for You to show up complaining about Bad marketing campaign names...

[@hanavesela5884]

I like the name it’s great especially if they advertise during the Valentine’s Day 😝

[@waywardvoid]

Depends how you grew up

[@TheGeckoNinja]

just go to china they have plenty

[@Zing123_]

100th like

[@Kirealta]

Immune system- "I'm about to end this whole molds career."

[@sethdrake7551]

the 3d printed heart: "im you"

[@valikillsthecrew3782]

Lmao

[@godlikemachine645]

It'll probably be printed from your own stem cells, so that shouldn't necessarily be a problem.

[@andreabarrett878]

@@godlikemachine645 You're talking fantasy sci fi which doesn't exist (& scientists who've tried for 50 years have gotten not far in achieving)! Shutting down conversations about reality of transplant complexity by 'solving' issues with fiction prevents actual progress based on a cultural investment in there still being a problem.

[@godlikemachine645]

@@andreabarrett878 bruh. Did you even watch this video?

[@Geomaverick124]

I could see a hybrid...maybe a heart built with collagen but with electronics to mimic the heart's function

[@Aetohatir]

That's probably not what is going to happen. The printed heart would probably used as a sort of scaffold to then culture muscle cells onto

[@Geomaverick124]

@@Aetohatir anything is possible...especially if we start moving to a more bio cybernetic culture

[@megamanx466]

@@Geomaverick124 Indeed. Muscles have to be trained and heart cells are one of the earliest cells created/differentiated in a fetus. So I see what you're suggesting as perhaps the early version or a way to exercise/train the cells, because a weak heart wouldn't help much as a transplant. 😅

[@gamberofritto]

Somebody got an artificial heart

[@megamanx466]

@@gamberofritto Jean Luc Picard. 😆

[@tocallopr]

4:36 Her face cracks me up! You know that she knows that we know that was a lame joke and I love it. 😆

[@forceuser8214]

IM GOING TO LIVE FOREVER!

[@hufopi7286]

You can say living forever is curse not a bless

[@phantom66games45]

@@hufopi7286 not if you can play videogames everyday

[@naveenk8687]

Lol

[@jimppa159]

@@phantom66games45 they will get borign

[@TheBodiesInTheWaterBeckons]

@@jimppa159 nah. It won't. Been gaming for more than 20 years and it ain't getting boring.

[@moltenlava1877]

Feeling heaviness in my Heart while seeing this video. Anyone else felt same like me ?

[@romfrolov]

That is amazing. Great job, Carnegie Mellon University!

[@timothymotilal6320]

As a manufacturing and design student I see this a great breakthrough but as for a side project this is extremely expensive 😅

[@vaibhavdlxit1050]

Surviving next 50 years would let anyone see so many awesome things like these.

[@punkradio5384]

I love y’all channel please never stop making video 💕💕💕 nobody has these types of video. You guys talk about interesting topics and realistic things as well. It’s a great blend. I’m always learning something new from you guys

[@ShivamSingh-zj5tm]

Never give up

[@jerrymuns]

This is a major step toward the ultimate goal of life. Great job humans!!

[@philipemmons3580]

Ha! No one will be calling me heartless ever again! Victory is mine!

[@nedya5358]

Lmao

[@Ghost-hs6qq]

Damm that is cold

[@10-OSwords]

So this seems like it's just a kind of scaffolding for an organ at this point. How does this compare with growing organs from stem cells in terms of which tech is closer to getting a usable organ?

[@megamanx466]

I think the Stem Cells are rather easy to acquire, whereas the natural scaffolding isn't. So they're working on 3D-printed versions. The vessels and nerves would still need to be worked out also. 😅

[@10-OSwords]

@@megamanx466 Hmm, so maybe they use this to put stem cells into instead of fully growing an organ on it's own, which I've heard they can only make small versions of. It's all quite confusing to me but interesting.

[@megamanx466]

@@10-OSwords Well heart cells know to beat and will do so when simply touching another heart cells, but they don't know how the whole heart's shape is or how to pump. Researchers found this out after learning how to create stem cells(perhaps before with embryonic stem cells) and so then started down the path of creating a biological scaffold as a frame to "build" a heart on. 😅

[@joeblack9082]

I remember the problem with 3-d printed stem cell structures is cells don't stay in the structure form. Until they can figure out that piece of the puzzle I don't see 3-d printed organs in the near future, or until we get quantum computing......😅. Excuse my grammar. O j juice mane 50 bricks youtube😆

[@Bob-dp9rs]

Thamk you seeker for bringing amazing new science discoveries and innovations to my attention!

[@curtisdaniel9294]

I've had one shoulder and a knee replaced, the other shoulder is next summer....this is interesting in what could be done in the future!

[@doinksinthePM]

So all they have to do is make it out of, or at the least just line it with, a conductive material or fiber that allows for contraction and relaxation and there you go, beating heart! Can't wait to see where this tech goes in the next couple decades!

[@gaijinblow]

Crazy to see this now. I remember watching a thing on TV about 3d printed organs back in 2006.

[@theresabrooke4087]

This is so amazing! Your videos always make my day! Thank you Seeker!

[@Mf-jg3hs]

:0)

[@cesarordaz139]

We’re in the beginning of a complete new era in human history.

[@stopmotionking49]

that story touched my heart

[@benjaminrichard7741]

Well here it is! Congratulations 🍾

[@patrickgabriel9433]

Thanks for the video! Love your channel Excited for developments of the tech. Stay safe. 😁🎄🎁

[@darthbadass9771]

Bio printing real human skin on a metal endo-skeleton will soon be possible. Real-life terminators is not a matter of if, but a matter of when.

[@BARBAROSSAofficial]

Thank you Amanda. Merry Christmas to you.

[@trafficface]

In West Philadelphia born and raised in the laboratory is where I spent most of my days

[@garageflower7154]

Technology and innovation is moving so fast.

[@bayraktarx1386]

Yeah printing model of heart is real innovation!

[@frogec308]

These scientists really seem heart at work!

[@weedking1984]

A cool thing you can do is use hard plastic material to create a rigid structure and then use bioplastics to make a flexible material like building your leg you can use the hard plastic as the foot base in the rigid structures and then use the bioplastic for the knee joint ankle and everything else getting one big piece

[@DaBlondDude]

A similar approach was taken by researchers in Toronto a few years ago, to 3D print organs with stem cells, I believe

[@juddotto3660]

Now we need only keep our brains fresh and we can live biologically forever

[@albertjackinson]

Wow! Hopefully this can be used for organ transplants soon! We're really entering science fiction territory here...

[@erenyeager4452]

so with this can we implant an electric device and make the heart pumping artificially ??

[@jonathans1759]

Unfortunately not. Needs to be human cells or a lattice/scaffold that can support them. There has been a successful growing of cardiac cells that spontaneous beat but it's very early stages of the technology.

[@imikfunartsproductions7444]

In 2168, there will be 'full-size 3D print of a human body' Another edit: fully functional with working organs Another edit: I love drawing Another edit: I display my art drawings on youtube

[@YouPube_X]

Prob 2068

[@arcvyndyraxa]

𝚒𝚝'𝚜 𝚌𝚢𝚋𝚎𝚛𝚙𝚞𝚗𝚔 𝟸𝟶𝟽𝟽 𝚊𝚞𝚐𝚖𝚎𝚗𝚝𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗𝚜 𝚏𝚒𝚛𝚜𝚝

[@kumarthecowboy]

Black mirror episode in reslity

[@nityanandsarkar8054]

2050

[@infinidominion]

They need to print some personality

[@K162KingPin]

This is an incredibly important step but its also as close to having a 3d printed replacement organ as inventing the wheel is to having a race car. It still has a LONG ways to go.

[@sweetwetsugarmess]

Can we have more construction and sustainable city/ smart city videos? Please and thank you for all your hard work

[@maxchronos4567]

the method of printing is pretty FRESH.

[@Ollieharper3]

Check out the company Organogenesis, they’ve got a patent and FDA approval for stem cell plasters or ‘bandaids’

[@sacr3]

It'll happen, one day we will have the means to insert cells and simply wait and we'll end up with a heart, a heart with vessels and arteries, continueing to grow outward after the hearts grown, we'd probably just snip off the excess arteries and structures that grew at crucial points, swap the heart out and use those same cells around the suture points to allow to regrowth of tissue instead of leaving scars. Probably not like that but it'll be done. I'll be long dead before then.

[@jevontewatson7331]

I love how we humans are evolving

[@markandrews1219]

Please do a video on the latest advances on 3D printed knees and other joints.

[@mel2998]

Mr burns: excellent

[@sopankawdekar2339]

This is must needed for eye 🙂🙂

[@Unleashed75]

Oh you nailed that last joke....... lol

[@markmacw]

“My heart is in the work” -Andrew Carnegie

[@TaylorFalk21]

What about the moving parts like the tricuspid valve? I had a heart infection this summer with damage to my valve and that thing is just 2 tiny flaps that regulates blood flow in only one direction your entire life. Can these 3-D printed hearts do all that?

[@Ahmed_M7]

They can’t yet.

[@stoyanatanasov8012]

Hmmmm, a "FRESH heart", does have a certain ring to it :O

[@taith2]

I think it will be more important when we figure out cryogenics. Ability to 3d print cells that would flash freeze in place and be able to combine after thawing. Majority of organs could be replaced, only nerve system remains challenge.

[@waltermanson999]

So Amazing !

[@sheepleslayer586]

Imma need a new heart in a couple years. Get on it!

[@zteaxon7787]

That's fantastic.

[@booaks2980]

Life expectancy is now 5000 years lol

[@fedoraboy8804]

aight I'm gonna be on the watch for someone on yt to make a flesh light out of this

[@macberry4048]

I wish we could see more medical technology videos. Also diamond batteries

[@mjdorads]

Feels like human flesh? Hmmmm gonna tell my investors at YouHub

[@MrJohnpr12]

If the gel can support itself you can print from multiple angles, 🧠💥

[@Matt.........]

Amazing!

[@nw7696]

A great start! 😊❤👍🏻

[@spacewiz163]

Worth funding🙂

[@terrorsythe8040]

Isn't there already a thing like this? Where they make the template and the use the persons actual heart cells and stem cells to grow the organ

[@megamanx466]

I believe it was in the works, but this seems to be the cheaper & better version/design. 😅

[@benjamine8402]

Now girls can break my hear several times 😃

[@MADHUSUTHAN4072]

Hope you win the HEARTS 💕...

[@0.o.0.o1]

Amazing

[@gregthomson8251]

Awesome vid Amanda

[@amalekgirald]

Christina Yang finally made History with her research...

[@alparslankorkmaz2964]

Nice video.

[@babyruthless9670]

I get Repo Men vibes with this video 🥺

[@jakejonesy9275]

Oh I forgot about that 🤣

[@megamanx466]

I get Scavenger vibes with this video. 😏

[@radiantsquare007jrdeluxe9]

this is heart-tastic news!

[@abhijeetsontakke8397]

Can you please cover the new aptera. That's a cool new innovation.

[@douglazamar8889]

funny fact, back in 2005ish ive read about 3D printed organs in popular mechanics magazine, I think at barn and nobles store?!, and it had a time when will it will it be a reality, I think it predicted 2025. I told people about it, they looked at me like am crazy, back then.

[@mims4085]

Who would of thought it would look like the ball of plastic bags I have under the sink...

[@tallguy2497]

I could use a new pair of kidneys. Is it capable of producing any kind of organ?

[@vnth2186]

She's still gonna break it bro😓

[@anthonydunn729]

Yo where did you get this music from? You need to post your sound tracks

[@marlin2996]

Cant wait to download someone's heart

[@NickdeBey]

i really wanna squish it lmao

[@dbsirius]

I hope they can print brains...

[@kaitlyncramp3100]

We've been working on 3d printing organs for at least 8 years

[@2DMax00]

well, seeing as a normal human heart is worth upwards of $119k, I'd say $2k is more than absolutely worth it, innit?

[@kolektivmozak238]

This has nothing with Human heart but model of the heart! What is so revolutionary about this, except using different filament?!

[@cursed_cats5710]

"wanna print a brain?" -bill wurtz

[@Noedell]

Cyberpunk just got a bit closer to become reality!

[@Muhtracks]

maybe we can print these out and hand them out to politicians

[@Risky_Boots999]

And they would thank you for the free lunch

[@drumkommandr9779]

Here's the fun bit: once they figure it out, the paper they publish on it will describe how it was done, specifically. That means EVERYONE GETS IT AT ONCE rich and poor alike.

[@FabioManganiello]

A human or animal heart isn't only a bunch of organic material in a particular shape and consistency. It's a set of specialized cells that can contract and expand to actually pump the blood. It's not yet clear to me how these 3D-printed models are going to achieve that.

[@megamanx466]

They(these 3D-printed models) are simply the scaffolding that the other parts of the heart adhere to. It's basically one of the final steps in the process to grow a fully functioning heart from "scratch". 😅

[@akashrodge5431]

No Heart Breaks anymore I guess 💔😂

[@sharkemperix1691]

Everybody gangsta, till the scientists made a human body

[@kittiesnmore]

love it