Laser-activated pill can 3D print bio-ink to repair internal injuries

Researchers at EPFL’s School of Engineering have developed a novel swallowable device called the Magnetic Endoluminal Deposition System (MEDS) that can bioprint living bio-ink directly onto damaged internal tissues, such as those in the gastrointestinal tract. MEDS combines bioprinting technology with magnetically guided capsules, enabling minimally invasive internal wound repair without surgery. The pill-sized device contains a chamber of bio-ink—a living gel scaffold for new cell growth—and uses a spring-plunger mechanism activated externally by a near-infrared laser. An external magnet mounted on a robotic arm then precisely steers the capsule to the injury site, allowing targeted deposition of bio-ink without incisions. Initial tests on artificial stomach tissue demonstrated MEDS’s ability to repair simulated ulcers and seal mock hemorrhages. Subsequent in-vivo experiments in rabbits confirmed safe navigation and retrieval of the capsule via magnetic guidance, as well as successful bio-ink deposition in the gastric tract. The bio-ink