Home >> Motion Control Systems Video Library >> Printing Human Organs with the PRO165LM

Surgeon Anthony Atala, director of the Wake Forest University School of Medicine's Institute for Regenerative Medicine (WFIRM), is a pioneer in the field of engineered regenerative therapies focusing on the growth and regeneration of tissues and organs. Most recently, Dr. Atala developed a bioprinting system that may one day be used to print tissues and organs. This advancement in bioprinting technology was acheived in Wake Forest University laboratories utilizing motion control technology from Aerotech, including our PRO165LM linear motor stages and a PRO115 precision ball screw stage, controlled by the Automation 3200 multi-axis machine controller with the NPAQ digital servo amplifier drive rack.

The PRO165LM is a high-performance linear motor stage that is as accurate as it is versatile, providing a cost-effective option for precision applications like bioprinting, as well as laser machining and medical component manufacturing. Noncontact linear encoders, a linear motion guide bearing system, and high-performance brushless linear servomotor make the PRO165LM perfect for applications that require accuracies to ±1.5 µm.

Aerotech's award-winning Automation 3200 multi-axis machine controller features a high-performance, software-only motion controller that offers 32 axes of synchronized motion control. The integration of multiple common automation tools into a single platform provides users the ability to integrate, develop, and maintain the system faster, with lower cost than ever before.

In the following video, you'll see a member of the Wake Forest research team operate the bioprinting system to print a mold of a human kidney from biomaterials and cells that are loaded into the inkjet.

Watch the 30-second flash video here, or from your iPad/iPhone, you can watch the 17-minute, HTML5-compatible demonstration video below.