14 DAY TRIAL // We've heard a lot about 3D printing technology being used in medicine, but this time we have something that isn't another example of 3D bioprinting or what have you.
Instead, what just came to light is that 3D printing technology can bring down the costs of lab equipment greatly.
How? By using this particular technology instead of ordering the tools from normal suppliers.
3D printing technology has been offering affordable alternatives to many things, like prosthetics that work better than standard ones, and for a tenth of the price to boot.
Something similar is possible for syringe pumps, lab tools essential to the delivery of accurate drug doses.
Researchers from Michigan Technological University have released a whole set of open source syringe pump designs. No longer will your research be murdered in the cradle because you can't afford the proper equipment.
To put things into perspective, syringe pumps can cost thousands of dollars/euro, but 3D printing means you only have to cover the cost of the material and own a 3D printer (which itself costs less than the pumps themselves).
That means you can get a pump for a hundred bucks instead of five grand. That's 2% of the normal cost, and you get the option to customize the pump too.
