A MEDICAL FIRST, WOMAN GETS 3D PRINTED SKULL CAP: Science has made leaps with 3D printing. It is perhaps one of the most astounding technological advances in recent years. As we’ve seen, scientists have been able to develop functioning organs, bones and tissue using a person’s own stem cells, prosthetic limbs, 3D printed guns that can withstand the force of firing a bullet, and cars (among many other things). In fact, 3D printers can even print other 3D printers, which could have some cool implications for using the technology to build the first human base on the moon or Mars. The sky is the limit. Which brings us to this awesome development. In March 2014, a Dutch woman with a rare condition needed a new skull, surgeons 3D-printed one for her and put it on her brain like a cap. The women in question needed this procedure, because her skull was more than three times thicker than a normal. This cause pressure on her brain. This caused excruciating headaches and, ultimately, vision loss The surgery took some 23 hours, and the Dutch News reported that the patient has returned to work. “The patient has her sight back entirely, is symptom-free, is back to work, and it is almost impossible to see that she’s ever had surgery,” lead neurologist Ben Verweij said in a statement. “Using 3D printing we can make one to the exact size. This not only has great cosmetic advantages, but patients’ brain function often recovers better than using the old method.” Some of the other 3D printed body parts that have been previously constructed include a fingertip, a hand, prosthetic eyes, arms, a jaw, and even a new foot for a duck. See more in the video below.https://youtube/watch?v=w2K_cQFyctQ
Posted on: Thu, 22 Jan 2015 04:36:21 +0000
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