Overview
- The McGill‑led device uses a 2.7 mm printhead—the smallest reported bioprinter—on a tendon‑controlled flexible arm with manual controls mounted on a surgical microscope.
- In surgical simulators, the printer was fed through a standard scope and deposited hydrogel onto artificial vocal folds with repeatable precision, producing ~1.2 mm lines within a ~20 mm workspace.
- The approach targets a key surgical challenge by enabling precise in‑mouth placement of hydrogels to help limit postoperative scarring and stiffness after lesion removal.
- Researchers reported accurate reconstruction of vocal‑fold geometry in training models, from localized cavities to full‑fold repairs.
- The study was published Oct. 29 in Device, and the team plans animal testing and is developing semi‑autonomous control as steps toward human clinical trials.