In Israel, cultured meat innovator MeaTech has filed a provisional US patent application for its bioprinting method. The application covers an in situ inkjet printing method in which bioink is deposited with “exceptional control” in multiple layers on sacrificial substrates. MeaTech believes the ability to precisely control droplet size, volume, and placement will enable the 3D printing of “premium, thick meat emulating products.”
MeaTech also expects the method could introduce “important bioprinting flexibilities,” such as increased printing speeds and the capability to use varied inks with greater viscosity, which are difficult to bioprint.
To date, MeaTech has a portfolio of six provisional and non-provisional patent applications with the United States Patent and Trademark Office and World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) filed through the PCT. The patents are in two main areas, mechanical and biological, covering MeaTech 3D’s activities, products and much of its supply chain, both pre- and post-processing.