An amazing instance of where 3D Printing does some amazing things…
Stephen Power was in an accident two years ago, during which he severely injured his face. So recently at the Morriston Hospital in Wales, they reconstructed his face. They were able to do this accurately because they had been using 3D model of his skull – printed.
The doctors say that hopefully they can make the technology more efficient and cheaper in the future. Being able to print a person’s 3D face eliminates a lot of the guess work as to where things go. I didn’t know for instance that “Without this advanced technology, it’s freehand. You have to guess where everything goes. The technology allows us to be far more precise and get a better result for the patient.”
So with 3D printing developments there are also a lot of biomedical implications! If doctors can get actual models ahead of time, it shortens the planning time considerably.
Below is the article for anyone wanting to read more:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/03/12/3d-printing-face-rebuilt_n_4951250.html?utm_hp_ref=mostpopular
Wow, I can’t believe that the modeling and printing can be done in high enough resolution to work. I wonder if they had to use a special type of polymer so that the printout could be used as an implant for the long term?