US 12,011,878 B2
Multi-material in situ bioprinting
Ali Tamayol, Storrs, CT (US); Mohamadmahdi Samandari, Storrs, CT (US); and Jacob Quint, Omaha, NE (US)
Assigned to University of Connecticut, Farmington, CT (US)
Filed by University Of Connecticut, Farmington, CT (US)
Filed on Jan. 7, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/570,431.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/134,812, filed on Jan. 7, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2022/0212410 A1, Jul. 7, 2022
Int. Cl. B29C 64/336 (2017.01); B29C 48/02 (2019.01); B29C 64/118 (2017.01); B29C 64/209 (2017.01); B33Y 10/00 (2015.01); B33Y 30/00 (2015.01)
CPC B29C 64/336 (2017.08) [B29C 48/02 (2019.02); B29C 64/118 (2017.08); B29C 64/209 (2017.08); B33Y 10/00 (2014.12); B33Y 30/00 (2014.12)] 19 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A multi-material printer comprising:
a housing that is configured to be handheld, wherein the housing is configured to receive first and second printable materials from respective first and second containers;
a mixer that is configured to mix the respective first and second materials from the first and second containers to form a mixture having a predetermined cross sectional structure having
a plurality of discrete regions, each region defined by one of the first material or the second printable material, wherein the mixer comprises a plurality of helical mixing elements that are sequentially positioned longitudinally along the mixer, wherein each mixing element of the plurality of mixing elements has a flat leading edge and a flat trailing edge, wherein adjacent mixing elements of the plurality of helical mixing elements are rotationally offset from each other;
a nozzle in communication with the housing, wherein the nozzle defines an outlet of the multi-material printer; and
at least one actuator that is configured to cause the first and second printable materials from the first and second containers to flow through the housing at respective constant rates,
wherein the multi-material printer is configured to simultaneously extrude the first and second printable materials from the outlet of the nozzle.