Medibot

[Bob Eustace]

Interesting headlines overhere last night. Melbourne University has a little CNC that is making human organs using ones own cells. They are also making muscle by using a spinning process. The Handibot could easily do this work I reckon?

[Keyco Wood]

Is that pic upside down to you too? Or a northern hemisphere thing. Hey I can stand on my head

[Bob Eustace]

Sorry Ryan - tried to fix it and got the dreaded timed out for edits. Having another bash here! But I did try sending it upside down to no avail.

[Bob Eustace]

Dont you just love computers??? Heres the other pic making the organ and I'll bet it will be upside down tooooooooooo!

[Brady Watson]

I know a customer who makes pianos and uses CNC...organs should be no problem, right? ;)

Coriolis rears his ugly head yet again, eh? :D

How long before they are printing cheeseburgers?

-B

[Keyco Wood]

I don't see the humor. Sorry for lurking.

[myxpykalix]

if you knew these guys, like we know them...you would see the humor:D

[jerry_stanek]

Remember when you post from OZ you have to turn the pic upside down so us normal people get it right side up

[Bob Eustace]

Heres a report from our main newspaper for anyone interested in this kind of stuff. Cant fathom the picture problem though as I done it dozens of times before without a problem???? Upload speed was down to 0.8 which is a bit nasty.

"AUSTRALIAN scientists are on the cusp of constructing human body parts by using 3D printing to reproduce a patient's own cells.

3D printing uses machines to build body cells layer by layer from digital data.

Researchers from St Vincent's Hospital, in Melbourne, and the ARC Centre of Excellence for Electromaterials Science (ACES), in Wollongong, are behind the medical breakthrough.

ACES Director Professor Gordon Wallace believes that within a few years it will be possible to manufacture living tissues like skin, cartilage, arteries and heart valves using cells and biomaterials.

"Using a patient's own cells to create this tissue avoids issues of immune rejection," he says.

"By 2025, it is feasible that we will be able to fabricate complete functional organs, tailored for an individual patient."

The technology could provide the solution to several medical challenges including the development of bionic devices, the regeneration of nerve, muscle and bone, as well as epilepsy detection and control.

Professor Wallace says the research will be boosted next month with the launch of an additive biofabrication unit at St Vincent's Hospital - the first of its kind in Australia to be located in a hospital.

"This will put our scientists and engineers in direct contact with clinicians on a daily basis. This is expected to fast-track the realisation of practical medical devices and the reproduction of organs," he said.

[dana_swift]

What I find fascinating is they use 3D printers to print living tissues now. By printing sugar where capilaries need to be in the finished organ, they can print a "solid" tissue, then dissolve the sugar leaving paths for the blood vessels.

Its the sort of ingenuity I see on the forum often. How to do something that seems impossible at first though.. turn out to be easy for somebody knowledgeable in the art.

I still want 3D print heads for my bot! Not that I am planning to brew up anything Mary Shelley wrote about.. but then I find myself going in unplanned directions more frequently than I care to admit.

:)

D

[Simops]

3D printing is fascinating technology. It's definitely going to be part of our near future. It's in it's infancy now but the technology is evolving exponentially....not just in industry and medicine but in the home......just check this link out of what is available at home now.....
www.makerbot.com. (One of many companies competing for this market)....biggest limitation at moment is the speed of printing.....once overcome then production level capability will be there.

Cheers

PS: Dana I'm with you.....a 3D printer head add-on for the Bot would be real neat!