Day: June 28, 2016

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3D Printed Titanium Prosthetic Jaw Implanted in a 32-year Old Man in Australia

A 32-year old psychologist Richard Stratton was implanted a 3D printed titanium jaw, the first of its kind, in an operation in Melbourne, Australia. A part of Stratton’s jaw was missing as it had not grown properly due to an injury in school, which included a joint to the skull called condyle. He suffered immense pain in his mouth while eating or moving his jaw.

Dr. George Dimitroulis, an oral and maxillofacial surgeon, designed a prosthetic jaw, along with the mechanical engineering team of the Melbourne University. Though jaw replacement surgeries are performed all around the world, it is the first of its kind as it uses a 3D printed titanium jaw part and a plastic jaw joint. His joint is called the temporomandibular joint and was incorporated in plastic to protect the skull from corrosion with metal points.

3D Medical, a Port Melbourne firm 3D printed this jaw using powdered titanium that was heated and placed layer by layer. CT scan images of Stratton’s skull were done and a plastic model of his skull was made to test and make the titanium fit perfectly. This part was manufactured in New Zealand but in future, the parts will be indigenously manufactured in Australia. The chairman of the company, Dr. Nigel Finch said that since it was the first time, about 30 customized parts of the jaw were printed, but it will be easier in future.

Dr. Finch further went on to say that with the successful adaptation of this technology in hospital and other healthcare systems, the design and manufacturing costs of these parts would become very cost effective.

Melbourne University biomedical engineer, Dr. David Ackland, said that the prosthetic had to be tested several times before implantation to see how a foreign body would adjust in the human body environment. Computer simulations were performed to see the impact on the joint and the jaw implant and actions like chewing and biting were initiated for testing.

The 5-hour long operation was a success and Dr. Diimitroulis said that the 3 years of labor and efforts had paid and paved a path for future 3D printed implants.

Source: abc.net.au

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3D printed 3-Lens Injectable Camera by German Engineers

The latest zenith of German technology is the 3D printed lens camera that is the size of a grain of salt and can be placed into the human body/brain with the help of an injectable syringe.

Researchers at the University of Stuttgart have built a 3-lens camera that can be fit at the end of an optical fiber which has a thickness of two hair strands. While talking to the Journal Nature phonetics, these researchers said that this camera could be used for endoscopic purposes or be utilized in ‘mini’ robots, or invisible security monitors. They can be used for both medical and industrial fields and also for security operations as due to their tiny size they can be safely placed at any point without being visible to the naked eye easily.

Due to manufacturing limitations, the lens of the cameras could not be so intricately built, but with 3D printing technology this innovation has been made possible. This lens is compact and efficient and it took only a few hours to build it. The lens is just 100 micrometers wide and 120 micrometers in width. It can be used to focus on an object from 3.00 mm and can reflect it to the end of an optic fiber of 1.7 m to which it is bound. This whole lens system fits well inside a syringe and can be transferred to the human body with great ease with the help of the syringe.

With the help of this technology, objects can now to be scrutinized in a non-invasive manner that will not pose any kind of harm to the human organs. This lens will then be successfully used in medical and industrial sectors.

This compound lens can also be 3D printed and incorporated into image sensors that are used in the digital cameras.

Source: abc.net.au

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Wear Phone On Your Hand With 3D Designed Glove One

Brian Cera, a 3D enthusiast a professional artist, has come with the latest breakthrough in 3D printed products with the launch of Glove One. Glove One is actually a smartphone built inside a glove. The 3D design by Cera resonated the need of the future and how it can be met.

The latest design was propelled by the growing use of the smartphone. Cera thought of bringing revolution in the smartphone industry by providing a phone that can be worn on the hand. The designing of the Glove One was complete by Cera in nearly two months and has even published online on how the technology can benefit the masses. Although the design seems to be promising, Cera has also issued a warning regarding the safe usage of the final product. The creation of the Glove One calls for the use of certain tools and chemicals that can cause serious damage to one. It has been advised that Glove One should be used while wearing goggles and gloves. Ventilation is also believed to be necessary for the safe use of the 3D designed technology.

For the design of the Glove One, Cera dissembled a phone completely and solder the wires and components. For the smartphone savvy phone, Cera first used paper to model the project and then decided to use 3D-printing technology after getting inspiration from Mk. IV and Mk. V armor gloves from Iron Man 2. Cera believed that the use of 3D-printing technology would also simplify the process of integrating the circuit and components into the design.Cera used the technology of SolidWorks to develop the glove’s files. For the logo of the glove, Cera followed Apple’s logo design idea and hacked LEDs from the Burg Watch Phone circuit that lights up under power. Cera lives in Milwaukee and works at Cardinal Stritch University as Assistant Professor of Digital Media.

Source: 3dprint.com

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3D Printed Stepper Motor Explained Through LEDs

Anthony Garofalo, a person who 3D printed a stepper motor, has made a yet another breakthrough in 3D printing by adding LEDs on it to show how exactly the motor works. The educational project dubbed Axial Flux stepper motor, is focused towards informing others about the working of  the stepper motor. The effort is primarily focused toward empowering the school and college going students about the functionality of stepper motor.

Garofalo’s project is inspired by a pulse motor video and stepper motor was designed. Later on, Garofalo took the initiative to 3D print the motor by using Utilmaker 2 3D printer. The other parts that have been used in the project include a compass to assess the magnetic poles,magnet wire, Arduino Uno,608ZZ bearing,some glue, electrical tape,four transistors,6 1/4″ neodymium magnets,8 8d 2-3/8″ nailsand16 NeoPixel LED ring from Adafruit.

The LEDs light up on the start of the motor. The LEDs have been placed to show as which of the coils are activated at the ignition of the motor. The ignition of the motor follows 15-degree steps. Besides, activating a couple of coils at a time can make the motor capable of half stepping. The entire process on how stepper motor starts has been explained elaborately by Garofalo through the LEDs.

Garofalo’s project is entirely an education project which is believed to help students in a long run in learning about the electronics that are used by us in everyday life. The details of the stepper motor LED project is available on Thingiverse. Garofalo is a UCF graduate and he also has experience of working with NASA. At NASA Garofalo got to know about different aspects of 3D printers. While working with the NASA Garofalo got inspired to use 3D printers in his projects.

Source: 3dprint.com

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Microsoft And Materialise Collaborate OnCloud-Based 3D Printing Services

Microsoft and Materialise have collaborated to integrate cloud-based 3D printing service of Materialise into 3D builder and other MS 3D printing apps. Under the partnership, Microsoft will enable its consumers to avail the cloud-based 3D printing services.

The collaboration is focused towards enabling the users to download as well as develop and design something new and unique by the utilizing the Windows 3D Printing Platform.In addition, the collaboration will provide the users an ease of direct link to the horde of top-notch materials and final products available through i.materialise, while improving their 3D printing experience, as informed by Adrian Lannin,Group Program Manager atMicrosoft (3DPB.com).

In addition, the partnership will enable i.materialisecustomers of Microsoft’s 3D printing apps such as 3D builder to use Materialise Magics 3D Print Suite which runs on 3D printing services platform within the app. The i.materialise users will also be able to get real-time printing estimate. According to Materialise CTO, Bart Van der Schueren, the partnership is focused towards providing its customers with exclusive in-house 3D printing products. It is for the first time when Windows 3D printing app users will get Materialise’s online 3D printing option.

It is not for the first time when Microsoft has taken an interest in 3D printing. In the past, it has explored many ways by which it can use the technology to improve its products and services as well as enhance its customer’s experience. However, lately the tech company has explored the greater side of 3D printing. The company has unveiled an app that would allow Windows users to incorporate a 3D printer to a home or office network. It is believed that the app will support 3D printer networking on a wider level and will provide lucrative to the customers.

Source: 3dprint.com

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Tech Companies To Create 3D Bioprint Human Tissues And Organs In Space

Three tech companies -Techshot Inc, nScrypt and Bioficial Organs Inc – undertook a test flight above the Gulf of Mexico on June 14 in a partnership. The test flight was carried out through the ZERO-G craft, the only FAA-approved weightless fight provider in the US. The project was focused towards creating the world’s first 3D printed structures of cardiac and vascular zero gravity using adult human stem cells.

For the test, the companies used techshot5A, a 3D bioprinter designed to work in space. During the test flight, each company demonstrated how their latest technologies can be used to bioprint human tissues as well as organs in space. Techshot Inc is one of the contractors of NASA, nScrypt Inc is a manufacturer of industrial 3D bioprinter and electronics printer, and Bioficial Organs Inc is a developer of bioink. Bioficial Organs Inc’s proprietary bioink formulation is popular for storing adult human stem cells alive and viable for organ transplantation.Bioficial Organs’ President and CEO, Stuart Williams believes that the space-based bioprinter can play a vital role in advancing human healthcare (3DPB.com).

The partnership led by, Techshot, will use the data thus collected during the test to continue to create viable, transplantable human organs. The test was focused towards finding long-term solutions for the future when space travel will become a necessity. The findings of the test demonstrate that in the future it would be possible to bioprint human tissues and organs in the space by using adult human stem cells.

As the second step of the partnership, the companies intend to create next generation of the bioprinter that would be more advanced and has a smaller footprint.Techshot is also eyeing to launch a commercial Blue Origin suborbital space capsule, where it would operate separately. The launch of the capsule is expected to take place in January 2017— before the commencement of the International Space Station (ISS) in 2018. The bioprinter planned for the ISS is expected to print thicker, more complex tissues.

Source: 3dprint.com

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SU And Amnesty To Bring Advancement In Human Rights Through 3D Printing

Singularity University (SU) and Amnesty International have collaborated to bring advancement in human rights with the use of 3D printing. As the first step of collaboration, the two parties will use 3D printing on virtual reality. This will be focused towards bringing public and corrective measures towards the advancement of human rights. The fundamental of the partnership is to combine other latest technologies to combat injustice. As of now, no specific 3D printing project has been disclosed which will be undertaken by them.

Sherif Elsayed,Deputy Director of Global Issues at Amnesty, believes that with the cutting-edge technologies can be used to develop new methodologies to bring awareness among masses about the underlining issues of human right (3DPB.com). Besides, the use of technology can also lead to bringing together people and finding practical solutions for human rights problems, according to Elsayed. It would be quite interesting to see how SU and Amnesty bring together the latest technologies in the advancement of human rights.

These days, 3D printers have become quite popular among the masses because they are convenient to use. Besides, 3D printers are also playing significant roles in improving the success rates of operations and for crafting amazing artifacts. There are many cutting-edge technologies that can be connected with the 3D printers and wonders can be done. The collaboration between SU and Amnesty will analyze as which technological combination can bring about amazing changes and lead to advancement in human rights. Amnesty is currently running social justice campaigns and is confident that virtual reality can be used to support its campaigns. It is believed that the cooperation between the two will make it easier to solve conflicting and unjust human rights activities.
Elsayed has strongly pressed that combine investigations with practical solutions and support from the public can help in solving the daunting problems arising from challenging human rights issues.

Source: 3dprint.com

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2030- Mission to Mars Achievable with Lunar 3D Printing as Pitstop

A flight to Mars with people aboard is the next big thing scientists and researchers from all over the world are looking forward to. AS per the European Space Agency and the NASA it will be another 15 years before this dream is achievable. The 2-year long journey is a long travel time and needs a good amount of preparation before it can be commenced. The people who would board the flight would have to be suitable equipped and trained for this long journey.
A major concern for embarking a tedious expedition like this would be the absence of pitstops on the way. The ESA director general John Woerner talks about the plans of setting up lunar research laboratories that are equipped with 3D printing technology, on the way to Mars.
These moon villages would not only be a stopover for refueling on the way to Mars, and also equipping these colonies with a Mars environment as testing grounds for preparing the humans to land on the surface of Mars. The idea is to 3D print moon rock and other creation and build an environment similar to that of Mars. Since there is no flora and civilization on that planet, is important to 3D print and create surroundings to replicate those conditions.
Elon Musk of Tesla Motors plans to have an unmanned mission to Mars executed by 2018 and thereafter the human travel commencement by 2030. But Warner states that funding is a big factor and though numerous communities are interested in joining hands for this project, where a moon village can be created and activities like tourism, site research, mining and similar activities can be executed, there will still be a long time before these ideologies become a reality.

Source: 3dprint.com

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Kanesis Launches Indegigo Campaign for its 3D Printed Filament ‘ HempBioPlastic’

An Italian startup company Kanesis invented the hemp 3D printed filament known as the HempBioPlastic filament. Kanesis is an Italian startup company in Sicily which has been engaged in refining its 3D printing filament and recently filed for its patent.
First, let’s discuss a few facts about hemp. Hemp has been used to make fiber, cloth, and ropes due to its versatile nature but due to its biological proximity to marijuana, the production of hemp has suffered a major decline in the last hundred years. But now, this decline has raised concern among environmentalists and researchers all around the globe as hemp can be used to manufacture natural green decomposable plastic.
HempBioPlastic is an environment-friendly plastic that can be fully decomposed and 20-30% stronger than PLA a material used for 3D printing, and more efficient than other bioplastics in the market. The hemp filament is extremely strong and has high resistance to warping which would make it suitable for industrial applications. Further, it has a low producing temperature and low energy usage which makes it environment-friendly. The wood-like appearance of hemp is a great aesthetic advantage and it can also be used for artistic designing.
Kanesis aims to use HempBioPlastic for industrial uses that go beyond 3D printing and hence, started a crowdsourcing campaign through Indiegogo on 17th May, to keep up the ongoing project. Giovanni Milazzo and Antonio Caruso, Kanèsis co-founders stated that they did not want to stop at that stage of the project where things looked bright and promising. They further said that their efforts would be pioneers in inducing changes in the entire industry to start the usage of hemp for manufacturing and design application replacing petrochemical materials.
The young entrepreneurs finally stated that it was not just a fundraising campaign but also a cause for environmental concern.

Source: 3ders.com