13 replies to this topic

[+Blank]

Quote

A MAN has had 75 per cent of his skull replaced with a custom-made 3D-printed implant.
The un-named patient in the United States had his head imaged by a 3D scanner before the plastic prosthetic was crafted to suit his features.




Oxford Performance Materials in Connecticut then gained approval from US regulators before the printed bone replacement was inserted in his skull during a surgical procedure earlier this week.
The ground-breaking operation has only now been revealed.

The company says it can now provide the 3D printouts to replace bone damaged by disease or trauma after the US Food and Drug Administration granted approval on February 18.

The implant is more than a simple moulded plastic plate: Tiny surface details are etched into the polyetherketoneketone to encourage the growth of cells and bone.
The company says about 500 people in the US could make use of the technology each month, with recipients ranging from injured construction workers through to wounded soldiers.
It says it can produce an implant within two weeks of obtaining 3D scans of the affected area.

http://www.news.com....0-1226593075470

[+hedleigh]

That is pretty cool, can see a lot of people benefiting from this.

[+Fus10n]

Pretty damn awesome.. maybe they can print up some brains too

[+exotoxic]

hedleigh, on 09 March 2013 - 01:18, said:

That is pretty cool, can see a lot of people benefiting from this.

As long as they have the $$$$$$, i can not see it being cheap.

[seanseany]

T-800 Model 101 ?

On a serious note , that's good news and will save lives.Amazing how tech can be used for good when needed and not just for bad.

[CrashGordon]

Fus10n, on 09 March 2013 - 02:00, said:

Pretty damn awesome.. maybe they can print up some brains too

Wouldn't that be great...sad part is the ones that REALLY need it would be too stupid get it.

[+techbeck]

Blank, on 08 March 2013 - 23:25, said:

http://www.news.com....0-1226593075470

http://www.neowin.ne...-of-mans-skull/

posted already

[Growled]

That's just cool. Amazing.

[DocM]

This really belongs in the Science forum, but....

3D printing is making great strides in medicine; making custom forms for custom-fit joint replacements, printed titanium jaws, all manner of bits. Down the road expect to see printed collagen frameworks for organs, into which stem cell cultures will be placed & grown to produce parts for transplant.

[+Brando212]

exotoxic, on 09 March 2013 - 02:03, said:

As long as they have the $$$$$$, i can not see it being cheap.

you'd be surprised, 3D printing isn't as expensive as you'd think it'd be

[+hedleigh]

Brando212, on 09 March 2013 - 07:37, said:

you'd be surprised, 3D printing isn't as expensive as you'd think it'd be

Especially with a decent healthcare system or insurance. I'd imagine over here the people that need that sort of treatment would be looked after.

(I could be wrong though, the way this government is cutting funding all over the place)

[arachnoid]

It beats having donor bone tissue being extracted from other parts of your body too

[blerk]

Brando212, on 09 March 2013 - 07:37, said:

you'd be surprised, 3D printing isn't as expensive as you'd think it'd be

While the implant I imagine is rather cheap, I imagine the surgery is still horrifically expensive.

I think this sort of 3D printed material would initially cost $5-8K as manufacturers try to recoup some R&D spending and approvals costs. However I can easily envision this sort of product being under $1K. The materials I imagine probably are not particularly exotic and the process costs of design + printing wouldn't be particularly onerous.

[+Brando212]

blerk, on 09 March 2013 - 10:07, said:

While the implant I imagine is rather cheap, I imagine the surgery is still horrifically expensive.

well yeah, but that's with pretty much any surgery
there's not really such a thing as a cheap surgery