Custom microfluidic printhead for 3D bioprinting of bi- And trilayered hollow microchannels in gels

One of the primary focuses in tissue engineering has been the fabrication and integration of vasculature into artificial tissues. However, most available methodologies lack the ability to create multi-layered concentric conduits inside natural extracellular matrices (ECMs) and gels that replicate more accurately the hierarchal architecture of blood vessels. Here, we present a new microfluidic nozzle design capable of multi-axial extrusion in order to 3D print and pattern bi- and tri-layered hollow channel structures. This nozzle allows, for the first time, for these structures to be embedded within layers of gels and ECMs in a fast, simple and low cost manner.