Currently 3D printing is very limited in what they can create- shape and material wise (the most common material being plastic). However, recently many scientists have been working to improve the skill set of 3D printers to create more useful products such as body parts. By creating things like artificial organs and blood vessels this new breakthrough can lead to new medical advancements. Jennifer Lewis, a contributor to this project, was able to find materials to print with that could respond and sense their environment. However, there are still many obstacles to cross and questions to be answered such as how can one keep the cells alive in the 3D printed vascular system? Or how get push certain materials through the nozzle without distorting and ultimately becoming unusable? So although scientists are heading on the right track, there is still a long way to go until actually producing a functioning kidney, organ, etc.
Source: http://www.technologyreview.com/featuredstory/526521/microscale-3-d-printing/
Sounds interesting. Can you attach a link for further study?
ReplyDeletePrinting body parts will be chill. People will no longer have to get organ transplants. They have been able to print a hamburger, but it costs $30,000 to do it.
ReplyDeleteAs of recent, some surgeries have been carried out with 3D printed parts. The example I know of is the 3D printed skull. The top of a the skull needed to be replaced for a person so the doctors straight up printed it. This I find amazing.
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