Engineers pioneer use of 3D printer to create new bones - Polidicks

[URL]http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-15963467[/URL] [QUOTE][B]A 3D printer is being used to create "bone-like" material which researchers claim can be used to repair injuries.[/B] The engineers [URL="http://news.wsu.edu/pages/publications.asp?Action=Detail&PublicationID=29002&TypeID=1"]say the substance can be added[/URL] to damaged natural bone where it acts as a scaffold for new cells to grow. [B]It ultimately dissolves with "no apparent ill-effects", the team adds.[/B] The researchers say doctors should be able to use the process to custom-order replacement bone tissue in a few years time. Prof Susmita Bose helped carry out the work at Washington State University and co-authored a report in the Dental Materials journal. "You can use the bone-like ceramic powder as a feed material and it can make whatever you draw on the computer," she says. "It is mostly [suitable for] low load bearing applications. However, what we are trying to develop is the controlled degradation... of these scaffolds where as the scaffold dissolves in the body the bone tissue grows over it." Prof Bose's team have spent four years developing the bone-like substance. Their breakthrough came when they discovered a way to double the strength of the main ceramic powder - calcium phosphate - by adding silica and zinc oxide. To create the scaffold shapes they customised a printer which had originally been designed to make three-dimensional metal objects. It sprayed a plastic binder over the loose powder in layers half as thick as the width of a human hair. The process was repeated layer by layer until completed, at which point the scaffold was dried, cleaned and then baked for two hours at 1250C (2282F). Tests carried on immature foetal bone cells in the laboratory found that new bone cells started growing over the scaffold within the first week of it being attached. The team say they have also had promising results from tests involving live rabbits and rats. "The way I envision it is that 10 to 20 years down the line, physicians and surgeons should be able to use these bone scaffolds along with some bone growth factors, whether it is for jaw bone fixation or spinal fusion fixation," says Dr Bose. This is not the first time that orthopaedic experts have investigated the use of 3D printers. Earlier this year a surgical trainee at Scotland's Monklands hospital detailed a technique to produce bone replicas using the technology. Mark Frame suggested using a CAT scanner to produce images of damaged bones. He said the data could then be fed into a 3D printer to create a model to help doctors plan their surgery. [B]He said the process cost about a tenth of traditional techniques.[/B] [/QUOTE] The parts in bold are what really got my attention. Obviously...

Next: We print objects created on the computers. Shclongs included.

[QUOTE=Zillamaster55;33515875]Next: We print objects created on the computers. Shclongs included.[/QUOTE] Now I can cut my 3 inch dick off and get a 14 inch dick attached. Yessss!

3D printer for best invention of 21st century so far? Even though we're only 12 years into it but..

We need to start using these 3D printers more, they can do so much cool stuff, are they hard to mass produce or something? you would thing several industries would switch over to them.

Does this mean I can grow my hips back?

[QUOTE=seano12;33515964]Now I can cut my 3 inch dick off and get a 14 inch dick attached. Yessss![/QUOTE] Will it erect? Noooo, it will already be erected.

[QUOTE=OvB;33516063]Does this mean I can grow my hips back?[/QUOTE] Yes. This thing apparently provides a scaffold for your body to create new bones; in a sense, you can grow your bones back.

So we can safely clone animals/humans now, or close to it?

dergn dick replacements please

[QUOTE=Dogchow33;33516268]So we can safely clone animals/humans now, or close to it?[/QUOTE] Think of it as "hey, old bones, stop being shitty, we're replacing you with these blueprints so your body can rebuild you".

[QUOTE=seano12;33515964]Now I can cut my 3 inch dick off and get a 14 inch dick attached. Yessss![/QUOTE] Dragon dildos rrerr

[QUOTE=BldrGyMnGy;33517040]Think of it as "hey, old bones, stop being shitty, we're replacing you with these blueprints so your body can rebuild you".[/QUOTE] Sweet. As mentioned before, I'm currently the owner of a titanium replacement. Eventually there will be two. I'd be nice to have real bone as you can flex it it more natural positions. Though all the precautions doctors tell you about them is intended for 80 year old ladies. It's sort of like braces. How many people do you know with braces that have actually not eaten gum, candy, soda, and the likes? I can pretty much get away with normal activity. I don't even notice it's metal. Real bone would be nice though.

Goddamn, Science. Is there anything you CAN'T do?

[QUOTE=Trunk Monkay;33516011]We need to start using these 3D printers more, they can do so much cool stuff, are they hard to mass produce or something? you would thing several industries would switch over to them.[/QUOTE] Right now they're good for nothing but prototyping products.

Next up: Artificial ones that are actually better than normal bones in every way. [I]My whole skeleton is augmented.[/I]

[QUOTE=Trunk Monkay;33516011]We need to start using these 3D printers more, they can do so much cool stuff, are they hard to mass produce or something? you would thing several industries would switch over to them.[/QUOTE] Creating a decent 3D printer is an engineering feat in itself, much less one that prints at an acceptable resolution. Plus there's at least 5 different ways to print stuff in 3D with various materials, so it's still very much an immature but rapidly developing science.

[QUOTE=Zillamaster55;33515875]Next: We print objects created on the computers. Shclongs included.[/QUOTE] We can already do that. :v:

[QUOTE=OvB;33517845]Sweet. As mentioned before, I'm currently the owner of a titanium replacement. Eventually there will be two. I'd be nice to have real bone as you can flex it it more natural positions. Though all the precautions doctors tell you about them is intended for 80 year old ladies. It's sort of like braces. How many people do you know with braces that have actually not eaten gum, candy, soda, and the likes? I can pretty much get away with normal activity. I don't even notice it's metal. Real bone would be nice though.[/QUOTE] I had no idea dude.

[QUOTE=Teacher;33517849]Goddamn, Science. Is there anything you CAN'T do?[/QUOTE] Make everyone agree on something. No matter how good science can do someone will always complain.

Wowser, bone-growth scaffolds made in a 3D printer? Gee golly whiz is this a medical tech boost or what?!

[QUOTE=Dogchow33;33516268]So we can safely clone animals/humans now, or close to it?[/QUOTE] HAHAHA OH WOW

Science always makes my day better.

Soon we will be able to download illegal hardware on the internet.

[QUOTE=Azaz3l;33519300]Soon we will be able to download illegal hardware on the internet.[/QUOTE] I could pirate a damn [I]car[/I] on the internet soon

I just want to synthesize food with these 3D printers. Maybe tofu as the ink with flavor sprays. [img]http://sae.tweek.us/static/images/emoticons/emot-barf.gif[/img]

[QUOTE=Teacher;33517849]Goddamn, Science. Is there anything you CAN'T do?[/QUOTE] Disprove Religion once and for all, ousting it from the political arena? Also stop it from hampering with scientific progress! I like my scientific progress, thank you...

[QUOTE=just-a-boy;33520781]Disprove Religion once and for all, ousting it from the political arena? Also stop it from hampering with scientific progress! I like my scientific progress, thank you...[/QUOTE] Translation: Science can't fix human stupidity.

And in two or three years, we can finally download more RAM and warez hardware...

I can't wait until I can illegally download a new phone from thepiratebay