02/09/2026
🫁 3D-Printed Lungs Just Took a Major Leap Forward
A new 3D-printed lung membrane shows how advanced mathematics and engineering could help reshape the future of artificial lung support. Researchers in Hannover and Aachen created a continuous TPMS-based structure that reportedly improved oxygen-transfer performance by up to 88% over conventional hollow-fiber designs in controlled laboratory tests. Its compact, printable architecture could also provide a surface suitable for future biological cell linings, potentially bringing engineered devices closer to the behavior of natural lungs. If these laboratory results translate successfully to larger and clinically viable systems, tomorrow’s lung-support machines could become smaller, more efficient, and better suited for longer-term use.
Literature sources:
Alabdullh, H. A., Pflaum, M., Mälzer, M., Kipp, M., Naghilouy-Hidaji, H., Adam, D., Kühn, C., Natanov, R., Niehaus, A., Haverich, A., & Wiegmann, B. (2023). Biohybrid lung development: Towards complete endothelialization of an assembled extracorporeal membrane oxygenator. Bioengineering, 10(1), 72. MDPI.
Barbian, K. P., Hirschwald, L. T., Linkhorst, J., Neidlin, M., Steinseifer, U., Wessling, M., Wiegmann, B., & Jansen, S. V. (2024). Flow and mass transfer prediction in anisotropic TPMS-structures as extracorporeal oxygenator membranes using reduced order modeling. Journal of Membrane Science, 690, 122160. Elsevier.
Barbian, K. P., Lemainque, T., Grunden, I., Iwa, R., Wiegmann, B., Linkhorst, J., Wessling, M., Heyer, J., Steinseifer, U., Neidlin, M., & Jansen, S. V. (2025). Tailored 3D lattice microstructures for enhanced functionality in blood-gas exchange. Advanced Science, 12(25), 2501162. Wiley-VCH.
Barbian, K. P., Neuhaus, F., Hirschwald, L. T., Linkhorst, J., Wessling, M., Wiegmann, B., Focke, J. M.,
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This content is for informational and knowledge transfer purposes only. No claims are made about timelines for development, safety, effectiveness, or eventual regulatory approval. The described procedure remains in the experimental or testing stage.