Swallowable Pill-Sized Bioprinter Treats GI Tract Injuries

Soft tissue injuries in the gastrointestinal tract, such as ulcers and hemorrhages, are typically treated through invasive surgical procedures that carry high risks and do not always result in permanent repair. Bioprinting has emerged as a promising alternative, depositing biocompatible “ink” directly onto damaged tissues to support healing. However, current bioprinters are large, require anesthesia, and remain confined to external or surgical use. Researchers have now developed a breakthrough — a swallowable, magnetically guided bioprinter capable of printing tissue inside the body.

MEDS (Magnetic Endoluminal Deposition System), developed by a research team at the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL, Lausanne, Switzerland), is the first ingestible bioprinter designed for in-situ tissue repair within the gastrointestinal tract. By integrating the principles of in-situ bioprinting with smart capsule technologies, MEDS represents a new generation of non-invasive medical devices that can perform precision tissue restoration without surgery.

Resembling a miniature ballpoint pen, MEDS features a spring-loaded tip that releases living bio-gel “ink.” The capsule, roughly the size of a pill, houses a small chamber of bio-ink and a plunger mechanism that dispenses the material when triggered by an external near-infrared laser. The capsule is magnetically guided by a robotic arm from outside the body, allowing physicians to steer it to targeted sites of injury. This approach combines magnetic navigation with laser-controlled release for accurate tissue deposition without onboard electronics or wires.

In laboratory experiments, the EPFL team successfully used MEDS to repair artificial ulcers and seal simulated hemorrhages on gastric tissue models. Further in vivo experiments demonstrated that the capsule could deposit bio-ink precisely within the stomachs of rabbits. Researchers monitored the capsule’s motion in real time using X-ray fluoroscopy and retrieved it non-invasively using magnetic guidance. The results, published in Advanced Science, validated the device’s ability to perform localized tissue repair inside the body.

In addition to physical wound protection, the bio-ink used in MEDS can be enhanced with therapeutic compounds or living cells to promote tissue regeneration. While early findings are promising, further studies will be needed to confirm MEDS’s performance in living tissue environments. The researchers are now working to extend the device’s applications to blood vessels and peritoneal tissues for broader medical use.

“By combining the principles of in-situ bioprinters with the drug release concepts of smart capsules, we can envision a new class of device: a pill-sized, swallowable bioprinter,” said lab head Vivek Subramanian.

Related Links:
EPFL