Nasal stem cells and cartilage cells were obtained from other patients who underwent other procedures, and these were replicated and combined with polycaprolactone (PCL) for structural support as well as a special ink made from living cells to make the windpipe or trachea.

Credits: Pexels;

The procedure was performed at St. Mary’s Hospital in Seoul on a woman in her 50s who lost part of her trachea during thyroid removal surgery.

The one-of-a-kind 3D printer, designed with over a decade of research and testing, was provided by the company T&R Biofab.