Although the 3-D printing industry did not see much growth in the first twenty years of its existence, the recently rapid development of the technology has led to breakthroughs within the field of medicine. Old fashioned and impersonal prosthetics are slowly being replaced by custom, innovative replacements. The 3-D printer is an incredibly efficient tool that doctors have begun using to create personalized solutions for problems that the medical field previously had no solutions for. Johnson (2014) is among many who feel that 3-D printing is a disruptive technology that will revolutionize industries such as transplants and prosthetics in the coming decade.
The invention of the 3-D printer came in 1984 (Salomon, 2012). Chuck Hull wanted to …show more content…
Unlike standard inkjet printers, a 3-D printer does not need a base to print onto. This eliminates the need to substitute the traditional paper foundation for a different type of material. As for ink stand-ins, there are an abundance of materials that different 3-D printers are designed to use. According to Salomon (2012), “A 3-D printer can use materials ranging from plastic to steel and titanium. They are housed in its cartridges as powders, liquids, or threadlike filaments.” After the printer is prepared to make an object, the print head sprays a layer of material from the cartridges. This is very similar to the way an inkjet printer sprays ink onto paper. Once the first layer is sprayed, the 3-D printer merely squirts whatever material it is using into more and more layers until the object is …show more content…
Prosthetics today, despite huge advancements, still do not often provide even remotely similar mobility to that of the limbs they replace. The loss of a hand severely limits the capabilities of a person. The traditional replacement options one has are between hooks and rigid cosmetic replacements. While there are robotic choices, these are very expensive and inefficient for children, seeing as how they’ll outgrow their prosthetic within a short period of time. Providing amputees with the motion found in the fingers for an affordable price has stayed beyond doctors
The invention of the 3-D printer came in 1984 (Salomon, 2012). Chuck Hull wanted to …show more content…
Unlike standard inkjet printers, a 3-D printer does not need a base to print onto. This eliminates the need to substitute the traditional paper foundation for a different type of material. As for ink stand-ins, there are an abundance of materials that different 3-D printers are designed to use. According to Salomon (2012), “A 3-D printer can use materials ranging from plastic to steel and titanium. They are housed in its cartridges as powders, liquids, or threadlike filaments.” After the printer is prepared to make an object, the print head sprays a layer of material from the cartridges. This is very similar to the way an inkjet printer sprays ink onto paper. Once the first layer is sprayed, the 3-D printer merely squirts whatever material it is using into more and more layers until the object is …show more content…
Prosthetics today, despite huge advancements, still do not often provide even remotely similar mobility to that of the limbs they replace. The loss of a hand severely limits the capabilities of a person. The traditional replacement options one has are between hooks and rigid cosmetic replacements. While there are robotic choices, these are very expensive and inefficient for children, seeing as how they’ll outgrow their prosthetic within a short period of time. Providing amputees with the motion found in the fingers for an affordable price has stayed beyond doctors