The human gut is one of the most complex and dynamic microbial ecosystems. Often referred to as a “forgotten organ,” the intestinal microbiome plays a decisive role in digestion, immune modulation, metabolic balance, and even neurological health. Yet despite decades of research, one fundamental challenge has remained unresolved: how to accurately sample microorganisms from different regions of the gastrointestinal tract, especially the small intestine, in a safe, non-invasive, and region-specific way.
Traditional fecal sampling only reflects the microbial composition of the distal colon and cannot represent upstream intestinal environments. Endoscopy, while informative, is invasive, costly, and unsuitable for routine or repeated monitoring. Against this backdrop, a new generation of biomimetic, passively functioning ingestible capsules enabled by micro 3D printing is opening an entirely new pathway for targeted intestinal sampling.
Biomimicry Meets BMF’s PμSL Technology
Nature offers countless examples of highly efficient structures formed without electronics or moving parts. Among them, coral stands out as a biological system optimized for microorganism attachment, nutrient exchange, and long-term structural stability under constant fluid flow. Inspired by such natural architectures, researchers have begun to translate tortuous, high-surface-area porous geometries into ingestible micro-devices capable of selectively capturing microbes inside the human body.
What makes this approach transformative is not only the biological inspiration, but the manufacturing technology that finally makes such complex micro-architectures possible. BMF’s Projection Micro Stereolithography (PµSL) technology, enables the fabrication of mathematically defined porous lattices with micrometer-scale accuracy, something that is nearly impossible to achieve using conventional machining or molding.
The Structural Logic Behind Passive Microbial Capture
At the core of these biomimetic capsules lies a class of geometries known as interconnected tortuous lattices. Unlike simple porous sponges, these lattice networks form continuous, non-intersecting channels that dramatically extend fluid residence time while maintaining mechanical integrity.
When exposed to intestinal peristalsis, intestinal fluid is naturally driven through these microscopic pathways. As the fluid navigates the labyrinth-like internal structure, microorganisms are trapped, retained, and protected from downstream contamination. No batteries, no sensors, no pumps—only physics, geometry, and natural biological motion.
This type of “structure-driven functionality” represents a paradigm shift in medical device design: instead of relying on electronic actuation, function is embedded directly into micro-scale architecture.
Why BMF’s PμSL Technology
Producing such fine, interconnected structures at millimeter-scale device dimensions demands a manufacturing platform with true micrometer-level resolution,excellent surface fidelity, high consistency across repeated builds and freedom of design for complex internal channels.
BMF’s PμSL technology is uniquely suited for this task. By combining ultra-high-precision optical projection with layer-by-layer photopolymerization, BMF enables feature sizes down to the micron scale, accurate reproduction of tortuous lattice and multi-component assemblies.
For biomimetic capsules, this means that intricate internal sampling cores, external protective shells, and multi-part locking structures can be printed as integrated, dimensionally stable systems, without secondary micro-machining or manual assembly.
From Passive Sampling to High-Fidelity Microbiome Data
In practical use, these micro-capsules are designed to travel naturally through the digestive tract. As they pass through targeted intestinal regions, local fluid is passively drawn into the internal micro-lattice. The surrounding shell isolates the captured content from later segments of the gut, preserving region-specific microbial signatures.
Compared with fecal samples, which represent a heavily mixed microbial population, micro printed sampling capsules offer spatial precision, allowing researchers to study location-specific microbiota that directly influence nutrient absorption, immune signaling, and disease processes.
This capability directly supports the broader vision of precision medicine, where diagnostic tools are customized to individual physiology rather than standardized for all patients.
BMF’s Role in Enabling Next-Generation Biomedical Micro-Devices
As one of the global pioneers in high-precision micro 3D printing, BMF has been actively supporting cutting-edge biomedical research through its PμSL technology. From microfluidic chips and microneedles to biomimetic capsules and tissue engineering scaffolds, BMF’s systems provide sub-2/10/25μm optical precision, stable, biocompatible material processing, multi-scale architectural freedom from microns to centimeter.BMF is helping accelerate the transition of innovative biomedical concepts from laboratory design to real-world clinical exploration.
As gastrointestinal research, microbiome science, and personalized medicine continue to converge, biomimetic capsules manufactured at the micro scale are poised to become a key interface between the human body and precision diagnostics—quietly, safely, and with remarkable structural intelligence.
Read the Full Study：https://doi.org/10.1016/j.device.2025.100904
