7 Amazing Things You Can 3D Print.
1. Human organs
Scientists can already printskinHow Close Are We to 3D Printed Skin? / 3D Sourced, kidneys3D‑printed organs and their affordability / Medical Device Network,baked fabrics3D Bioprinting / Organovo,heartResearchers 3D print a heart with human tissue and blood vessels / 3Dnativesand a number of other bodies. True, while they are usually smaller than real ones, and therefore suitable only for clinical trials or surgical practice. But in the future, they should seriously help in the fight against various diseases. For example, 3D skinwant to useR. J. A. Moakes, J. J. Senior, T. E. Robinson, M. Chipara, A. Atansov, A. Naylor, A. D. Metcalfe, A. M. Smith, L. M. Grover. A suspended layer additive manufacturing approach to the bioprinting of tri‑layered skin equivalents featured / APL Bioengineeringas a wound healing agent. And full-fledged printed hearts or kidneys can shorten the queue for donor organs and save more lives: transplant annuallyrequiredEstimated number of organ transplantations worldwide in 2020 / Statistahundreds of thousands of people.
3D OrganscreatedPrinting the future: 3D bioprinters and their uses / Australian Academy of Sciencefrom real living cells: either from adult stem cells or from a sample taken directly from a person. They play the role of ink, which the printer heads put on an organic or synthetic base. The correct shape, texture and tissue layers are programmed based on the results of the scan – this ensures maximum copy accuracy. The main challenge facing scientists now isfind an opportunity3D‑printed organs and their affordability / Medical Device Networkcreate organs capable of functioning inside the body: contact with the nervous and circulatory systems and perform their tasks correctly.
2. Bones and cartilage
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But they are already used by surgeons in real life. For example, 3D implants are used tosubstitutions100 000 Patients Later, the 3D‑Printed Hip Is a Decade Old and Going Strong / Orphopedia Design & Technologythigh bones. There are also good examplestransplants75% of a human skull replaced with 3D‑printed material / ExtremeTechprinted skull bones and cartilageauricleDoctors Transplant Ear of Human Cells, Made by 3‑D Printer / The New York Times. The next step in the application of this technology may be the replacement of small damaged areas right inside the person. This 3D printing method, according to the researchers,will allowS. Romanazzo, T. G. Molley, S. Nemec, K. Lin, R. Sheikh, J. J. Gooding, B. Wan, Q. Li, K. A. Kilian, I. Roohani. Synthetic Bone‑Like Structures Through Omnidirectional Ceramic Bioprinting in Cell Suspensions / Advanced Functional Materialspeed up the process and save in cases where speed of reaction is critical, for example, in the treatment of bone cancer.
3D printerscome in handyOpen wide: how 3D printing is reshaping dentistry / Medical Device Networkand in dentistry. They simplify the process of creating crowns, bridges and prostheses: the specialist does not need to select sizes manually – the model is formed and printed on the basis of images of the oral cavity. They can also be used as temporary implants to help patients get used to their new teeth and make sure they fit well in their mouths. Technology is safe: for printinguseHARZ Labs Received Patent for Dental Resins / Хабрspecial photopolymer resins. They are strong, retain an aesthetic shade for a long time and do not irritate the mucous membrane.
3. Dentures
Hands, feet and other parts of the body. Due to the simplified production process of the 3D prosthesisstandScientists Create Fully Automated 3D Printed Prosthetic Production Line / 3D Printing Industrycheaper and faster to create. In the standard scheme, you first need to make a cast of the remaining part of the patient’s limb, then cast a trial version from plaster, then try it on, correct inaccuracies, and only then proceed to create the finished product. In the 3D version, it is enough to collect measurements, correct the model on the screen and print it.
However, such prostheses do not necessarily perform an exclusively cosmetic function. 3D hands withtouch controlThese bionic arms make kids feel like superheroes / Insider, that is, a reaction to body signals, or withvibration response3D printed prosthetic arm providing feedbacks / Sculpteofor touching objects already exist. In addition, it is easier to replace a printed artificial limb after wear with a similar one by re-creating it according to the saved layout.
3D prostheses can be used not only in humans. For example, in Australia on a printercreatedMillie The Dog : Australia’s First Pup To Receive a 3D Printed Prosthetic Leg / HuffPostartificial leg for a dog
The speed and cost of producing 3D prostheses is a chance for many children: conventional options are too quickly rendered useless due to the active growth of the child. And a printed model can be created even for a one-year-old patient who is just learning movements: such a development has alreadypresentedFirst 3D‑Printed Sensor‑Operated Prosthetic Arm for Toddlers / University of Lincolnscientists from Lincoln University.
4. Food
BrandsuseIs 3D Printing the Future of Food Manufacturing? / Blacksmith Applications3D printers for modeling future products or creating unusual shapes of familiar food. Creative serving options are also used in some restaurants. In 2016, an entire establishment was temporarily opened in London , the menu of which consisted entirely of dishes obtained using 3D technology.
But the choice of appearance is not the only plus of 3D food printing. Due to the possibility of virtual programming of the composition, the dishes created by the printer are easy to adjust to the desired nutritional value: control the calorie content, the amount of proteins, fats, carbohydrates, fiber, vitamins. This will make life easier for people who are on a strict diet for medical reasons. Also, the printer will allow you to cook the usual food, but from budget ingredients. For example, to form a fish fillet from seaweed. It’s in theoryshould helpSolving World Hunger with 3D‑Printed Food / The American Society of Mechanical Engineersin solving the problem of world hunger.
In the future, 3D printers can make the diet more ethical. For example, they will make it possible to stop killing animals for the production of meat products. One of the alternatives is herecreationWould you eat a steak from a 3D printer? / SBSmeat is completely based on vegetable ingredients.
Another way is to form “ink” for a 3D printer from a meat sample taken from an animal by biopsy. A device for printing using this technology was created at the Moscow State University of Food Production (MGUPP). True, for a 3D printer to be able to make a whole steak from a tiny piece of fabric, it takes several months. First, the sample is cultured in a bioreactor. When there are enough cells, they begin to form the base – from ingredients of plant origin. After that, animal and vegetable “ink” are alternately applied to it. As a result, the product retains both taste and texture.
The MGUPP 3D printer is capable of printing not only meat, but also, for example, chocolate or dough. University researchers plan to experiment with the technology further to expand their product range.
5. Clothes and shoes
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Things created using 3D printing are produced by many brands. For example NikemadeNike’s 3D‑Printed Uppers Are a Game‑Changing First for the Sneaker World / Esquireon the printer, the upper part of the sneakers, and Adidas -midsoleAdidas running shoes with 3D printed midsoles push your feet forward / CNET. The dresses of the Dutch designer Iris van Herpen sewn using this technology regularlyput onWho is Iris Van Herpen? Here’s what you need to know about the designer who dominated the Met Gala 2022 / Glamourcelebrities. Austrian Julia Koerner also works with the printer – accessories that she created in collaboration with costume designer Ruth Carter,stretcherMeet Julia Koerner The Designer Who Helped Bring Black Panthers 3D Printed Costumes To Life / UCLAAngela Bassett in Black Panther.
3D printing in fashion expands the creative possibilities of designers, allowing for futuristic shapes that are difficult to achieve with conventional sewing methods. However, this is not the main advantage of the technology. 3D printerreduces3D Printing: The Solution to Fashion’s Waste Problem? / ÀLA.HAUSSEresource consumption: a thing or its element immediately appears in the right size – no extra shreds and threads remain. In addition, 3D fabric requires less water to make than cotton, and it can also be quickly created from recycled or recycled materials. In the future, printing things maydestroyCould 3D printing clothes be the future of fashion? / Thredfast fashion, allowing you to create them individually, ideally suited to the parameters and requests of the client.
6. Laboratory instruments
Printed instruments, due to the speed and cost of production, can help in research in poor countries. Now there are several projects that create budgetmicroscopesOpenFlexure: an open‑source 3D printed microscope / The Company of Biologistsfor diagnosing malaria in Tanzania.
3D technologies make science more accessible to amateurs as well. For example, Australian researchersdevelopedWant to do some science? Here’s a smartphone microscope you can 3D print / Digital Trendsmicroscope attachment for a smartphone and posted files in the public domain: anyone who has a printer can create such a device.
7. Home
There are buildings with printed walls around the world, includingin RussiaIn Russia, a whole village will be printed on a 3D printer / RBC. 3D printersallow3D Printed Houses: A Closer Look at Completed Projects from Around the World / 3Dnativesbuild houses in a few days, while reducing costs and do not require the participation of an entire construction team. Large special equipment is also not needed – you can work even in hard-to-reach places. The construction printer itself weighs a couple of tons, so transporting it to the point is quite realistic.
3D printing expands the creative possibilities: the machine can print curved walls, helical supports and other complex shapes. And the variability of building materials in this technology is large: concrete, sand, volcanic ash or eco-materials likerice husksThe Firts 3D Printed House «Gaia» Built With Soil, Rice Husks, and Straws / Surfaces Reporter.
With the help of 3D printers, not only buildings are erected, but also other structures, such as pedestrian bridges. You can go through these, for example, inAmsterdamJoris Laarman’s 3D‑printed stainless steel bridge finally opens in Amsterdam / Dezeenor Spanish cityAlcobendasWorld’s First 3D Printed Bridge Opens in Spain / ArchDaily.
