IT'LL NEVER FLY, ORVILLE:

A handheld pen that produces a bio-ink containing a patient's own cells could one day be used to repair knees damaged by osteoarthritis.

In a pilot study written up in The Journal of Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine, a team led by Gordon Wallace from Australia's ARC Centre of Excellence for Electromaterials Science reports the 3D-printing pen produced "exceptional" results when tested on sheep.

The Biopen is effectively a new tool available to surgeons.

In the study, cells drawn from each sheep were mixed with a specially formulated bio-ink. During surgery, the device was then used to create a precise, bespoke implant that replaces cartilage lost through osteoarthritis.

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