Auxilium’s 3D printer builds medical devices on the International Space Station

Via a collaboration with Nasa, Auxilium has installed a 3D printer on the ISS to test the promise of manufacturing in microgravity.

3D printer developed by Auxilium Biotechnologies has created medical devices on the International Space Station (ISS) as science attempts to overcome certain gravity-induced manufacturing limitations.
The Auxilium Microfabrication Platform (AMP-1) bioprinter has simultaneously built eight implantable medical devices for peripheral nerve repair on the ISS in two hours.

According to Nasa, US-based Auxilium is developing a drug-delivery medical device to more effectively treat people who have sustained traumatic peripheral nerve injury. The company has developed the Gen 1.0 NeuroSpan Bridge, which is a biomimetic nerve regeneration device that guides and accelerates nerve regeneration. Auxilium is also using its 3D-printing system to adapt its platform to a Gen 2.0 3D-print device in microgravity by adding novel drug delivery nanoparticles.