14 DAY TRIAL // The only 3D printing pen I've ever written about is the 3Doodler, but here is the second one, which transcends that toy in use and sophistication by a mile.
Called BioPen, it was developed by scientists from Australia's University of Wollongong.
It has two different inks, though the term doesn't perfectly fit. One is made of human cells and the other is a UV-activated structural gel.
By layering the cells inside the gel, the BioPen can print bones, as shocking as it sounds.
Medics could actually build bones and mend fractures easier if this catches on, or build cartilage on a person's skeleton in case of an injury.
Replacement tissue that could actually grow after being layered is another possibility, since the protective scaffold can biodegrade as the cells grow and mature.
Researchers at St. Vincent's Hospital Melbourne are trying to optimize the stem cells in the organic “ink” right now.