3D printers are the latest trend in the recent “Do it yourself” movement that has seen the increase in popularity of spaces such as TechShop, FabLab, and MakerSpace. 3D printing is an additive process, where materials such as plastics are progressively layered to create different shapes, based on a digital model. Printers can be small enough to sit on a desk, or large enough to be able to build parts for turbines.
In science and medicine, 3D printing has had many applications. Recently at the University of Louisville, cardiothoracic surgeons used CT images to print a model of patient’s heart. The patient was born with 4 congenital heart defects and required a complex operation to repair the defects. The 3D printed model allowed the surgeons to study the heart defects that needed to be repaired and come up with a complete surgical plan before even picking up a scalpel.
Another recent application of 3D printing in medicine was the announcement of a collaboration between Ekso Bionics and 3D Systems. Ekso Bionics is a California-based company which builds exoskeletons both for military use and for medical purposes in the rehabilitation of patients who have lost the ability to walk. Up until now, their exoskeletons have essentially been a “one-size-fits all,” but on Feb 19, 2014, at a Singularity University conference in Budapest, Ekso Bionics unveiled their first customized exoskeleton suit. The advantage of such a suit is that it can be shaped to the contours of the user’s body, reducing the likelihood of bruising or abrasions from an ill-fitting suit. Given that the patient population using these suits includes paraplegics or stroke patients who may have lost sensation in their lower limbs, such bruising or abrasions may go unnoticed and result in infections.
In the spirit of the DIY movement, a recent story in CNET discussed one man’s year-long work in creating a prosthetic fingertip. The man, Christian Call, lost his right index finger tip through a work-related accident and was unable to afford a professional prosthetic. Given his background and interests in machining and mechanics, he decided to try making his own prosthetic. One and half years and several prototypes later, Call has created a prosthetic that behaves much like a real fingertip, complete with a magnetic tip to assist with picking up metal objects. He has been contacted by other people searching for fingertip prosthetics and has even started his own 3D-printing/design business.
As 3D printing technology becomes more advanced, the potential applications for 3D printing in science and in daily life are limited only by our imagination. 3D printing could be used to create customized lab equipment for specialized experiments, potentially at a fraction of the cost of purchasing from a commercial company. If bioprinting (printing with living cells) becomes more viable, miniature organs could be created for research and drug development purposes, or possibly combined with stem cell technology to grow whole organs in the lab for transplant purposes.
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