After introducing its BIOprinter at the recent Formnext 2019 event in Frankfurt in November, FELIXprinters announced that the machine is now commercially available, and pre-orders are already being processed.
The global 3D bioprinting market — currently valued at $965 million — is expected to grow at a CAGR of nearly 20% up to the mid-2020s, driven by increased healthcare demands, but also to overcome the supply bottlenecks and ethical issues associated with organ donation and tissue repair. Bioprinting also caters to the increased demand for custom, patient-specific healthcare solutions, a trend that is only likely to accelerate moving forward.
The FELIX BIOprinter was developed on the chassis of the established FELIXprinters product line. The printer is characterized by key features designed for medical, scientific, and research applications, including syringe cooling, print bed cooling and heating, a dual-head system, easy syringe positioning (ergonomic access to the machine supports researchers in their work), and automatic bed leveling.
Wilgo Feliksdal, Co-Founder of FELIXprinters says, “Uniquely, the BIOprinter combines dual sterilizable printheads which have a modular design for easy changeovers, and separate heads are available to print different bio-inks at the same time. This integrates different material properties into a single scaffold structure.”
The BIOprinter has automatic bed leveling through the use of a unique probing systems which results in a perfect first layer, which means a quality end result. The BIOprinter also retracts with a highly precise motor for better dosage or materials and more accurate material flow versus alternative air pressure systems.
Feliksdal continues, “The BIOprinter consists of an adaptable and flexible ecosystem to ensure that it can meet a range of researchers’ needs without generating unnecessary costs. One major advantage is the source control system which enables the user to use standard slicing software and make changes themselves if needed. Also, syringes are not restricted to expensive brand-specific or in-house produced products that essentially drive up operating costs. The machine instead has been designed to use a standard 5ml syringe, and standardized Petri dishes and culture plates, so there are no limitations on auxiliary parts and materials.
The print heads are easy to sterilize, which eliminates the likelihood of contamination. The BIOprinter is hand-made in the Netherlands and has undergone testing for 24 hours before being issued with CE certification. The machine is WIFI and LAN enabled, comes with a one-year warranty, and lifetime customer support.
The FELIX BIO is appropriate for all types of bio-printing research and is equipped with strong motors that can extrude a range of different viscosity of materials. In addition, the BIOprinter has been designed to be easily upgradeable, which means that the lifecycle of the machine can be extended without compromising quality, reliability, and productivity.
FELIXprinters
www.felixprinters.com
