Industrial Design in Biomedical Research

Though the human body exists in 3 dimensions, much research involving human cells is in 2 dimensions.

Research outcomes are therefore limited in their applicability, resulting limited clinical outcomes.

The dearth of 3D tissue research is a result of the lack of 3D tissue biofabrication research tools available to scientists due to several limitations:

• Many systems are too costly for repeatable research

• Many systems are to complex for use by scientists

• Many systems are too cumbersome for research at scale

• Many systems are not reusable, increasing cost and waste

I therefore posit that:

Transition from 2D to 3D Tissue Models Should be a Research and Industrial Design Priority

To promote this priority and reach a goal of accessible, affordable, and high impact 3D tissue research which can lead to effective clinical outcomes, I started the B.R.I.T.E. (Biofabrication, Rapid-Prototyping, Imaging, and Tissue Engineering) Group.

The B.R.I.T.E. Group is a consortium of engineers, scientists, physicists, and roboticist working towards our stated goal.

As Director, I conceived and led the development of the 3D tissue biofabrication research platforms described below, relying not only on engineering and scientific skills but also the tenets of industrial and product design meant to suit user needs.