Bioprinting · Laser-assisted · 2026 · BMC Methods
Srishti: a custom-built laser-assisted 3D bioprinter for fabricating high-resolution biological constructs
Laser-assisted bioprinting is a nozzle-free, non-contact technique that employs drop-on-demand technology for the fabrication of high-resolution three dimensional (3D) structures for various applications including tissue engineering, in vitro modeling, spheroid/organoid production, biosensors, and more. Globally, custom-designed laser bioprinters are primarily being developed to create tissue-engineered cellular constructs.
Performance the paper reports
3 of 5- Motion70 mmMotion accuracy: reported
- Volume—Volumetric accuracy: not reported
- Viability90%Cell viability: reported
- Unattended—Unattended operation: not reported
- StandardASTM 52900Standard compliance: reported
- Motion / positional accuracy70 mm
Controlled variations in inter- strand spacing distance enables tuning of porosity in the printed hydrogel structures, where larger gaps facilitate nutrient diffusion, and smaller gaps promote denser cell- cell interactions. [48] The Srisht
- Cell viability90%
The optimized parameters enabled the successful printing of controlled mouse cone cells, with a minimum of 3–4 cells per droplet, and a cell viability rate of 80–90%.
- Reported against a written standardASTM 52900
According to ISO/ASTM 52900:2021 (ISO - International Organization for Standardization and ASTM - American Society for Testing and Materi- als), AM refers to layer-by-layer creation of 3D structures based on digital design models, that clos
How hard this is to adopt
2.9 of 5, higher is easierEach score is shown against the range the other 59 builds actually occupy, because no criterion uses the full 1–5 scale. These describe how reproducible the build is, not how good the science is.
Resolution
4/1–5Smallest feature/positioning evidence about 58 µm.
Throughput
2/2–5Operation appears single-unit or manually constrained.
Parts sourcing
3/2–4Mix of common parts and custom/printed components.
Skill needed
2/2–4Multiple advanced technical skills appear required.
Facilities needed
2/2–4Requires specialized facilities, equipment, or consumables.
Documentation
3/2–5Some open documentation or files are available.
Validation effort
4/2–4Validation includes standards, benchmarking, replicates, or multi-condition tests.
Cycle time
3/1–4Speed evidence suggests typical operation
2 further criteria are recorded but not shown
- Application Level — scored 3 (75% of records share one value), so it cannot separate one build from another.
- Build Time (scored for only 6 of 60 records), so it cannot separate one build from another.
Both remain in the published dataset.
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Publication data
Matched by doi · retrieved 2026-07-21
Abstract
Laser-assisted bioprinting is a nozzle-free, non-contact technique that employs drop-on-demand technology for the fabrication of high-resolution three dimensional (3D) structures for various applications including tissue engineering, in vitro modeling, spheroid/organoid production, biosensors, and more. Globally, custom-designed laser bioprinters are primarily being developed to create tissue-engineered cellular constructs. Bioink printability and its printing resolution are influenced by the design of the laser bioprinter and its parameters. There are only a few established laser bioprinters that are actively employed in the to development of living cellular constructs. “Srishti”, a custom-built laser-assisted bioprinting system with 8-axes control movement, was specifically designed, and developed to explore diverse biomedical applications. It is designed to facilitate precise control over motor movements to achieve high levels of reproducibility. This study examined the influence of key parameters such as donor-receiver distance (mm), donor & receiver printing speed (mm/s), bioink concentration (% & w/v), and bioink coating thickness (µm) on laser bioprinting of pre-designed patterns. Laser parameter optimization resulted in a significant enhancement of printed line width resolution, reducing it 13-fold from 1000 ± 47 μm to 78 ± 8 μm. Various bioink formulations, including sodium alginate, gelatin, and sodium alginate/gelatin blends, were investigated to determine the ideal bioink properties required for laser bioprinting. Further, in vitro studies were carried out to determine the viability of NCTC clone 929 (mouse fibroblast) cells after laser bioprinting. Under optimized conditions, bioink droplets containing one to three cells with an average diameter of 58 ± 6 μm were successfully printed using the Srishti bioprinter. Additionally, embryonic rat cardiomyoblast (H9c2) cells were also bioprinted to demonstrate viability upto 8 days in culture. Our analysis reveals the successful development of a cost-effective laser bioprinting system that offers precise control and facilitate printing of high resolution cellular bioink droplets. The designed Srishti system has been proven to be effective in live cell patterning with excellent viability and expression native cell phenotypes post-printing. These findings highlight the potential of Srishti in fabricating high-resolution tissue structures, making it a promising system for applications in tissue engineering, and drug testing.
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Why it matters
2026 methods paper; brings recency and a non-extrusion modality.
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