Drop-on-demand cell bioprinting via Laser Induced Side Transfer (LIST)

We introduced and validated a drop-on-demand method to print cells. The method uses low energy nanosecond laser (wavelength: 532 nm) pulses to generate a transient microbubble at the distal end of a glass microcapillary supplied with bio-ink. Microbubble expansion results in the ejection of a cell-containing micro-jet perpendicular to the irradiation axis, a method we coined Laser Induced Side Transfer (LIST). We show that the size of the deposited bio-ink droplets can be adjusted between 165 and 325 µm by varying the laser energy. We studied the corresponding jet ejection dynamics and determined optimal conditions for satellite droplet-free bioprinting. We demonstrated droplet bio-printing up to a 30 Hz repetition rate, corresponding to the maximum repetition rate of the used laser. Jet ejection dynamics indicate that LIST can potentially reach 2.5 kHz. Finally, we show that LIST-printed human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) present negligible loss of viability and maintain their abilities to migrate, proliferate and form intercellular junctions. Sample preparation is uncomplicated in LIST, while with further development bio-ink multiplexing can be attained. LIST could be widely adapted for applications requiring multiscale bioprinting capabilities, such as the development of 3D drug screening models and artificial tissues.