High-throughput ultrasound-based volumetric 3D printing for tissue engineering
What is SONOCRAFT?
SONOCRAFT is a visionary EU-funded initiative at the forefront of cardiac tissue engineering. Its mission is to address the pressing need for reliable, physiologically relevant models of human heart tissue. Existing myocardial cell constructs—such as organoids or spheroids—often fail to mimic the intricate structure and function of real cardiac tissue, limiting their effectiveness in research and therapeutic applications.
To solve this, SONOCRAFT combines rapid volumetric 3D bioprinting with ultrasonic particle manipulation, enabling the formation of aligned, centimetre-scale cardiac constructs embedded within hydrogels. These constructs feature built-in vasculature to maintain long-term tissue health through efficient nutrient and oxygen delivery.
SONOCRAFT is more than a tool—it’s a platform for building the future of cardiovascular research, offering scalable, reproducible, and high-fidelity cardiac models that simulate in vivo conditions more accurately than ever before.
Who will benefit from SONOCRAFT?
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Biomedical Researchers will gain access to advanced 3D cardiac tissue models that improve the study of disease mechanisms and regenerative therapies.
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Pharmaceutical Companies can perform more accurate drug testing and toxicity screening on lab-grown human-like tissues, reducing costs and timelines.
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Clinicians and Cardiologists may eventually benefit from personalised cardiac constructs for patient-specific studies or therapeutic implants.
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The Biotech Industry will have access to a next-generation platform with broad applications in tissue engineering, organ-on-a-chip technologies, and diagnostics.
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Ethical Committees and Regulators will appreciate the reduced reliance on animal models, aligning research practices with 3Rs principles (Replacement, Reduction, Refinement).
SONOCRAFT paves the way for safer, faster, and more ethical innovation in medicine.
