3D Printing Electronic Sensors Directly on the Lungs

Researchers at the University of Minnesota  have developed a 3D printing technique that uses motion capture technology to print electronic sensors directly on organs that are expanding and contracting. The team was able to successfully print a soft hydrogel-based sensor directly on the surface of an animal lung in the lab that was artificially inflated. The new 3D printing technique could have future applications in diagnosing and monitoring the lungs of patients with COVID-19. The researchers say the technique could also potentially be used to 3D print sensors on a beating heart.