A bioficial heart is a biological heart that is produced by merging natural cells with artificial means, such as 3D printing or molding. It's called "bioficial heart" because it's a blend of natural and artificial. An organ built from a patient's cells solves the rejection problem that some patients have with donor organs or an artificial heart, eliminating the need for anti-rejection drugs. The biggest challenge with a bioficial heart is to get the cells to work together as they do in a normal human heart.

The 3D printer works in much the same way an inkjet printer does, with a needle that squirts material in a predetermined pattern. The patient's cells are first purified in a machine, and then printing begins in sections, using a computer model to build the heart layer by layer. The printer usually uses a mixture of a gel and living cells to gradually build the shape. Eventually, the cells would grow together to form the tissue.

In experiments, scientists have made rodent hearts that beat in the laboratory. Some simple body parts made using this method have already been implanted in people, including bladders and windpipes. The technology has helped in other areas of medicine, including creating sure-fitting prosthetics and a splint that was printed to keep a sick child's airway open. Doctors have also used 3D printers to create an ear with living cells.