Customer Publication
Measurement Needs for Biofabrication of Tissue Engineered Medical Products Workshop Report
Journal: NIST Special Publication 1500 NIST SP 1500-23 (2024)
Research Areas: Standards
Summary: On December 1, 2022, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) held a one-day, virtual workshop on measurement needs for biofabricated constructs that contain cells. The workshop focused on metrology for the structure of the constructs, cell viability in the constructs, and functional capacity of the constructs, with the aim of enabling future research directions, standards development, and the adoption of these constructs for clinical use. The workshop convened over 180 participants and represented academia (28%), government (37%), industry (25%) and non-profit (10%) sectors. The attendees focused on discussing and identifying measurement needs for characterizing biofabricated, tissue engineered medical products (TEMPs) for clinical applications. The unanimous call for non-destructive, accurate viability and functionality characterization highlights a pivotal need for innovation. Simultaneously, there is a mounting demand for standardized testing, manufacturing parameters, and reference materials, coupled with application-specific standards for different cell types and manufacturing processes. In this discussion, quantitative phase imaging (QPI) was showcased as a cell friendly opportunity to supply much needed real time cell health information.