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The Mexican patient was born with microtia, a rare birth defect that causes the pinna, or the outer part of the ear, to be small and misshapen (which can also affect hearing in the ear). Company executives said that with further research, the technology could be used to make many other replacement body parts, including spinal discs, noses, knee menisci, rotator cuffs, and reconstructive tissue for lumpectomies. Further, they said, 3D printing could produce even much more complex vital organs such as the liver, kidney and pancreas.
Dr. Pediatric ear reconstructive surgeon who performed the woman’s implant surgery in San Antonio. “It’s very exciting, sometimes I have to push myself a little bit,” said Arturo Bonilla. The trial was funded by 3DBio Therapeutics, but Dr. Bonilla has no financial stake in the company. “If all goes as planned, this will revolutionize the way this is done,” he said.
Other 3-D-printed tissue implants are in the pipeline, but he was unaware of other products being tested in a clinical trial, said James Iatridis, head of a spine bioengineering lab at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.
Dr. “The 3-D ear implant is a proof-of-concept for assessing biocompatibility and shape matching and shape retention in living humans,” Iatridis said.
Still, Carnegie Mellon’s Dr. Feinberg said the outer part of the ear is a relatively simple extension that is more cosmetic than functional. He warned that the road to solid organs such as the liver, kidneys, heart and lungs is still long. “Going from just one ear to the spinal column is a pretty big leap, but it’s more realistic if you have an ear,” he said.
The 3D printing manufacturing process creates a solid, three-dimensional object from a digital model. The technology often involves a computer-controlled printer that deposits the material in thin layers to create the precise shape of the object.
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