Catheter for Intracardiac 3D Bioprinting

Viscoelastic hydrogel microparticles are used as bulking agent and for repair of tissue defects and injuries. These are administered as a microparticle suspension using a catheter, syringe, ink printer, or comparable technology into the site, where they can be further stabilized by crosslinking or sealing, or through incorporation of a support structure such as surgical mesh. Materials and methods for crosslinking and sealing these materials can be used that are also biocompatible and easily used even with catheters in the body. The micron sized interstitial spacing provides for ready diffusion of nutrients and gases, as well as ingrowth and migration of cells into the gel matrices.