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Two South African Cancer Patients Receive 3D Printed Titanium Jaw Implants
jigmypig (3675225) writes "Two patients in South Africa that have had their lives and more specifically their jaws severely affected by cancer, have just received 3D printed jaw implants. The jaws were 3D printed using a laser sintering process that melts powdered titanium, one layer at a time. The process saves a ton of money, and unlike traditional manufacturing of titanium jaws, it doesn't waste any materials. Traditional manufacturing wastes up to 80% of the titanium block used in the process, whereas with 3D printing there is little to no waste at all. This new process also allows for a fully customizable solution. The models are drawn up in CAD software, and then printed out to precisely fit the patient."
They wasted a very valuable opportunity here. The jaws do not have razor sharp jagged teeth nor are either of the recipients over 7 feet tall.
The only thing necessary for evil to triumph is for it to be pitted against a slightly greater evil
While I find the 3d printing damn cool, the editorializing about the waste struck me as an odd comment for subby to make. I'm guessing that a lot of powder gets left over by this new process just as milling from a solid block leaves shavings. But those should be just as easily melted down and recycled in the next job, so not really wasted. (And if they are thrown away, it means that reusing them just isn't economical, so the 'waste' isn't that valuable anyway.)
I think the better argument where 3D wins is the ability to get arbitrary shapes that could be impossible to make with traditional machining or casting.
"You saved 1968." - Ms. Valerie Pringle to the crew of Apollo 8
When they say 3D printed do they mean a metal mill, or can we 3D print with any random material now?
And if so, why not use the far more tried tested, and better alternative milling?
Nope, it's "laser sintering." They take metal powder and fuse it together one layer at a time. You put a layer of metal powder down, the laser fuses it together, then you put another layer of powder over it. Repeat until done.
The nice thing is all the waste powder can be reused without having to melt it down, so there's almost no waste. The other thing is you can print shapes that are really hard to mill. No more ridiculously complex 6 axes milling machines that the US treats like munitions. Just Google ITER sometime to see the craziness.
So lets pretend that we've just completed writing this code, as opposed to having just completed sabotaging it -Altera
If I remember this correctly, sintering is actually one of the favoured manufacturing methods for implants. Something about how you can make the material surfaces porous enough for tissue to hold on to, which traditional machining simply cannot match.
I've no doubt that sintered parts have undergone failure testing and found acceptable. Do you know the level of regulation for a medical implant? It's insane.
You had me at "3D Printed Titanium Jaw Implants". Awesome!
It's cool, but not really news.
I was doing some work in Royal Perth Hospital sometime around 2008, and saw a small, beautifully detailed metal skull on one of the managers' desks. I asked him about it and was told he'd taken an MRI of his own skull and had it printed quarter-sized in sintered titanium. It was the best paperweight I've ever seen.
Cool factor aside, they've been scanning patients' actual bones, optimising them in software and printing titanium replacements (mostly hip joints) there for almost a decade now. There's even a few commercial madical 3d printing companies around AU (Anatomics is one).
It's great that SA is making jaws for people now though.
"I've got more toys than Teruhisa Kitahara."
Do you know the level of regulation for a medical implant? It's insane.
If you have received a sintered jaw in the last 5 years and have experienced headaches, nausea, aches, pains, shortness of breathe, loose stool, fungus, rashes, upset stomach, or death, call 1800-876-9876 to get the money you deserve
I finally updated my sig, but now it's lame.
They lost me at Titanium Jaw Implants. Titanium has a nasty tendency to foster bacterial growth in spite of its good attributes.
Gimme a high density plastic any day.
No I don't care about any sentences beginning with " Research shows..." or " Records prove", as they represent the OPINIONS of those promoting the problem.
Like asking a car salesman, what the best car on the lot is....
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