The process begins with a biopsy from which chondrocytes – cells that form cartilage – are extracted from a patient’s impacted ear. The cells are expanded in a specialized cell culture system and then mixed with a collagen-based bio-ink called ColVivo. That material is shaped via a 3D bioprinter into a living ear implant that matches the size and shape of a typical ear. This AuriNovo implant is surgically placed under the patient’s skin along with a temporary biodegradable shell that provides protection and structural support.

3DBio's vision is to repair or replace human tissues and organs that are individually designed for each patient — aiming to treat a wide range of conditions, from congenital to traumatic, as well as injuries after degeneration and cancer. Furthermore, 3DBio's products are engineered to support potentially life-long reconstruction and/or replacement with living tissue and organ implants.

Whilst turning their vision into reality, they continue clinical testing of the AuriNovo ear implant in patients born with microtia. 3DBio has successfully taken over where academia leaves off. Usually, with amateur technologies, it takes a while for fundamental technical limitations to be bounded. Nonetheless, the researchers and scientists behind 3DBio have cleared fundamental hurdles and feel that this technology can potentially impact patients' lives. They acknowledge that this can be the start of a new treatment paradigm.