3D Printed Prosthetic Limbs

As 3D printing transitions from commercial manufacturing use to personal private use individuals will have the ability to print any design. Products can range from a pair of shoes to complicated engineering designs, life-saving devices, prosthetic limbs and weapons that pass airport security. In the future we will likely see printable medications and

The field of bioprinting, using 3D printing technology for producing live cells with extreme accuracy, could be the answer to many of the problems we as humans face in the medical field. It could be the end to organ waiting lists and an alternative for organ transplants. In 3D printing technology lies the potential to replace the testing of new drugs on animals. However, the idea of applying 3 dimensional printing to the health industry is still quite new and yet to have a major impact. Manufacturing working 3D organs remains an enormous challenge, but in theory could solve major issues present today.

In a study conducted through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services on “average 79 people will receive an organ each day; however, an average of 22 people die each day” waiting for transplants that cannot take place because of the shortage of donated organs (U.S. D.H.H.S). The average amount of patients waiting for an organ can reduce to zero with the continued development of 3-D printers. 3-D printing is a process of making three dimensional solid objects from a digital file. The digital file is uploaded onto a computer software, and then the 3-D printer prints the digital file out onto different materials. The materials include plastic, resin, nylon, sandstone. The finish products become replicas of the digital file, and what was an idea is now a reality. Therefore, 3-D printers will one day be the future of organ transplants because over the past twenty years the technology industry has rapidly grown into the focal point in society. From advancement in communication, to the medical field, science and technology has shaped this world today. Thus, the American Government should invest more money into the medical field budget because the research conducted on new technology (3-D Printers) leads to more lives saved, and expands the opportunity of future medical breakthroughs.

Secondly, advanced 3D printing applied to the medical field can be utilized in an Engels non capitalist technology drive society to impact the area of safety. In this utopian society, advanced 3D printing will have the capabilities to print synthetic tissue and organic tissue that can bond to the patient’s cells. In effect, this helps the patient’s wound heal faster. This type of advanced 3D bio printing can save many lives

The impact of amputation can have many emotional effects on amputees. Many amputees go through a period of low-self esteem and emotional adjustment after losing a limb. Some amputees view themselves of having a problem. This viewpoint is not relatively new, it has been the mindset of amputees for centuries. In the feudal era, knights often had prosthetics made into their armor to appear as if they had all their biological limbs. However, these prosthetics were virtually useless. These views that affected prosthetics can be easily seen today. Cosmesis is a type of prosthetic that can model real limbs with extreme detail such as skin color, freckles, and even hair. Besides the limitations of cosmesis, many amputees report that most people can not distinguish the prosthetic from the real limb (Bowers). Cosmesis is an ongoing study to provide amputees with a life-like prosthesis that offers function and mobility. The desire to gain independence and acceptance of the prosthesis may also influence the advancements of prosthetics.

Kaiba Gionfriddo was born prematurely in 2011. After 8 months, his lung development caused concerns, although he was sent home with his parents as his breathing was normal. Six weeks later, Kaiba stopped breathing and turned blue. He was diagnosed with tracheobronchomalacia, a long Latin word that means his that windpipe was so weak that it collapsed. He had a tracheostomy and was put on a ventilator – the conventional treatment. Still, Kaiba would stop breathing almost daily. His heart would stop, too. Then, his caregivers 3D printed a bioresorbable device that instantly helped Kaiba breathe. This case is considered a prime example of how customized 3D printing is transforming healthcare as

The development of 3D printing has greatly impacted the medical field, more specifically knee replacements. With the new development of 3D printing, patients have experienced a shorter recovery time, less pain, and more mobility.

Silicone looks more realistic and also may feel like human flesh. This material can be produced to match patients skin color, can include artificial hair, acrylic nails, moles, freckles and tattoos and covers any metal parts giving a natural feel and look. In addition, there has been a growth in the use of fibrous materials in prosthetic technology such as Kevlar. Kevlar is a cloth like material that is very though. This material is exceptional because of its flexibility, yet, it is durable. Thanks to these new materials the prosthetics do not need to be adjusted or replaced over time as the materials do not stretch, making it long-lasting and well fitted for amputees regardless of age.

From peg legs and hooks to mechanical arms and legs, prosthetics have improved drastically since the dawn of time. Prosthetics have allowed amputees to obtain more mobility and flexibility in their lives. The advancements in prosthetics have also led to a better understanding in the area of amputation and in the assembly of the prosthetics themselves. The question is what allowed the advancements of prosthetics to happen in the first place? The answer lies within technology and its role in the medical field. Technology has allowed for prosthetics to not only look like real limbs, but to function as though they are real. Progression in the fabrication of the prosthetic limbs from wood and leather, to now programmable microprocessor controls

Prosthetic limbs have been around for centuries, but what is one thing they all have in common? They have all been a nuisance. In recent years technology of the modern day Prosthesis has ventured to new heights, but they have not perfected an artificial limb yet. With the amount of people in need of prosthetic limbs, the demand for a perfect prosthesis is tremendous. The perfect prosthesis shouldn’t feel or even look like an artificial limb. Prosthetics should go unnoticed throughout the rest of the amputee’s life.

Elizabeth Gough-Gordon, in the article 3D Printing and Medicine: Not Just Science Fiction Anymore, explains that 3D printing in the medical field is “not new technology”, but recent innovations are not only revolutionizing surgical procedures and prosthetics, but also the future of prescription distribution. In her article, Gough-Gordon inputs statistics, dates, speeches, and individual stories of patients who received 3D printed prosthetics in her article in order to assert the changes 3D printing has undergone since the 1980’s and how it is helping people today in 2015. For example, Gough-Gordon explains how 3D printing was first invented in the early 1980’s, despite the futuristic appeal the it has now, and how it has become a less expensive

Bioprinting is very advanced and hard to do correctly. Bioprinters are open to the public, meaning that anyone could obtain one. If anyone can obtain the power to use a bioprinter because there are no requirements it means that someone could wrongly create a prosthetic limb or other major parts. If they are wrongly created and given away then, someone can be severely harmed. “3-D printing using computer-created digital models to create real-world objects, has produced everything from toys to jewelry to food” (Griggs). This means that people use computer based programs to create their projects. After they create their project it gets sent to the bioprinter and then it uses to online program to print the project. Also, “Eyeballs, skin, ear replacements, and organs such as livers are in the works in a new field called bioprinting” (3D Printing: The Future is Here!). This shows that people have begun to do more advanced things with bioprinter and anyone is allowed to use a bioprinter. People without proper education or knowledge trying to successfully do this will ruin the whole project. Using bioprinters correctly is hard and there is a certain amount of thought that needs to be put into to it. As of right now there are no laws or regulations limiting the people who can and cannot use the printers meaning if someone does not know what they are doing they can still try and do it incorrectly without

who want limbs that function faster and better. Their demands push the limits of prosthetic

3D Printing is a unique kind of printing system, which takes a 3D image file and creates a physical 3D image. As I mentioned before 3D files are generated from what is called a .stl file, which is a compressed triangular meshed surface. “These .stl files were originally intended for a rapid prototyping process called Stereolithography, and in the beginning were generated by CAD programs; however, because MRI and CT’s are surface scans, they too can generate a .stl file. These .stl files have become a world standard for exchanging 3D mesh type objects between programs” (McNeel, Sep. 2015, par. 3). Since MRI’s and CT’s can be scanned and converted into stl files it has paved the way into many different aspects of the medical and dental industry for 3D printing. When I say the medical and dental industry I am talking about many different avenues within those industries.

All the techniques contain advantages and disadvantages, but a problem that needs solving before used clinically, is advancing the printer technology. A 3D-printed organ must contain the ability to perform all the functions of a real organ as