Many exciting new materials are being introduced to the world of 3D printing, and a certain gel coming out of Australia promises to be a great boon to medical science. This gel is being brought to us by the University of Wollongong, a school notable as the first institution to offer a master’s degree in bioprinting. It is here that Marc in het Panhuis, associate professor of chemistry and head of the soft materials group, has been heading up research on edible, 3D printable gelatin capable of conducting electricity.
More than just a novelty, such a gel has many applications in the medical field. The goal is that a patient would be able to swallow a functional electronic sensors that would perform a function within his or her stomach, and then pass harmlessly from their system. Existing hydrogels have proved to be too fragile for these purposes, but in het Panhuis and his team have managed to come up with a more durable material by cross-linking several different gel materials.
Research is still in its early stages, edible medical sensors are still a ways off. However, in het Panhuis is optimistic about the project’s potential.
