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Stu Jacobson of DEKA discusses the impact biofabrication will have on the future
The Stages of Biofabrication
The Stages of Biofabrication
Biofabrication is an aspect of regenerative medicine that refers to the production of human tissues from organic and synthetic sources.
Biofabrication is an aspect of regenerative medicine that refers to the production of human tissues from organic and synthetic sources.
There are four stages of the biofabrication process to explore:
Cell Culture & Harvest
Scaffold Fabrication
Tissue Maturation & Bioreactor Culture
Packaging, Preservation, & Transport
A vital aspect to every stage of the biofabrication process is automation. Biofabrication relies on automating the manufacturing process in order to produce human tissue at a larger scale.
Automation in Biofabrication
Automation in Biofabrication
As the biofabrication industry grows, the importance of automated manufacturing will greatly increase.
As the biofabrication industry grows, the importance of automated manufacturing will greatly increase.
Scientists, researchers, and doctors have discovered how to create human tissues in the lab. Now it is up to engineers, manufacturing technicians, and industrial workers to mass-produce them.
The goal of using automation in biofabrication is to mass-manufacture organs and make sure they are available to the thousands of people who need them.
The Four Stages
The Four Stages
Photo credit: Istock by Getty
Cell Culture & Harvest
Cell Culture & Harvest
Cell culture and harvest is the process of growing living cells in a lab environment or extracting specific cells from human or animal tissue.
This stage includes:
Cell banking
Expansion culture
Cell harvest and wash
Scaffold Fabrication
Scaffold Fabrication
Scaffold fabrication is the process of creating structures that support the growth of living cells. 3D printing is most often used to create the structures.
Photo credit: Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine
Tissue Maturation & Bioreactor Culture
Tissue Maturation & Bioreactor Culture
Tissue maturation and bioreactor culture is the process where tissues are grown on scaffolds in a sterile, controlled environment to become a usable product.
This stage includes:
Tissue assembly
Tissue maturation
Preservation, Packaging, & Transport
Preservation, Packaging, & Transport
Preservation, packaging and transport are the processes where the tissue products are safely moved from a controlled growth environment to the patient.
This stage includes:
Preservation
Packaging and storage
Transport to patient
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