Sami Taylor Blog Post 4

Last week we discussed 3D printing and watched the Vice video about printing guns. The video gave an extremely basic explanation about how 3D printing works but it mostly focused on a specific use: printing weapons, especially high powered, automatic guns. I am not particularly familiar with guns but it seems that 3D printing, in time, could be a more cost effective, efficient, and faster method of building weapons. The mood of the entire documentary was very foreboding and almost completely dismissed the usefulness of 3D printed weapons. 

So for this blog I am trying to focus on some of the less scary, useful, and ingenious use for 3D printing. I found articles for 3D printed makeup (woah), musical instruments, furniture, but by far the most amazing piece was about 3D printed organs. If you need a new organ, it is very likely that your situation is dire and you have limited time to wait. But the waiting lists for new organs are long and the donor list is short. For example, there are 93,000 people waiting for new kidneys. While it varies from state to state, it can take 5-10 years to get a new kidney. Most people do not survive that long.

In James O' Toole's article 3-D printed organs are on the way, he explains the printing process.

The process starts when scientists grow human cells from biopsies or stem cells. They then feed the cells into special printers that can arrange them three-dimensionally by cell type in the way that they'd appear in the human body.

A representative from Organovo (the company doing the research) stated that they can’t print a fully functioning liver but they aren’t far off and 3D organs present a unique research opportunity. If they succeed 3D printed tissues could be used “to replace small parts or organs or encourage cell regeneration”. According to the article doctors already started using 3D materials to make prosthetics and replacement bones.

In another article 3D printed organs another step closer as biofabrication enters university mainstream, the author discusses how more universities are teaching about the uses of 3D technology specific to organ regeneration. Two Australian universities are actually creating a master’s program in 3D body part printing. Both universities are especially interested in 3D printing because of it’s ability to reduce patient risk. Often times, when patients receive new organs their body will reject it and cause additional health risks. But with 3D organs they can use the cells of the patient to create the organ. This also reduces the risk of transmitting disease from the donator to the patient. This  makes the process very patient-specific, which increases the need for a whole new program.

I think if the medically community could find a way to perfect the art of 3D printing it would be amazing. It would supplement that lack of donors, decrease risk of disease transfer, and save thousands of lives. Also I imagine that it would reduce costs from the hospitals and for the patients.