Researchers from Duke University and Harvard Medical School have developed an innovative 3D bioprinting method called “deep-penetrating acoustic volumetric printing” (DVAP). This technique uses ultrasound waves, rather than light, to solidify special “sono-inks” inside tissues, enabling the creation of complex biomedical structures at deeper levels than previously possible.

DVAP overcomes the limitations of traditional light-based 3D printing, which can only penetrate a few millimeters into tissue. With ultrasound waves, the team can build structures, such as scaffolds or hydrogels, within organs, bones, and deeper tissues, without invasive surgery. The ink, composed of hydrogels, microparticles, and molecules, hardens upon exposure to the ultrasound, forming intricate patterns.

Potential applications include sealing heart tissue (tested on a goat heart), bone reconstruction, and localized drug delivery, as shown with a chemotherapy drug released into liver tissue. While still in preclinical stages, this method could transform medical treatments by reducing the need for invasive procedures​.