Bioresorbable tracheal splint allows the kid to finally breathe on his own

May 23, 2013 19:41 GMT  ·  By

A team of specialists writing in a recent issue of the New England Journal of Medicine detail how an infant's life was saved by a 3-D printed device developed by researchers working with the University of Michigan.

Kaiba, who is now 20 months old, was born with a rare medical condition referred to by the scientific community as tracheobronchomalacia.

This condition basically came down to his windpipe's collapsing on a fairly regular basis.

As the researchers who oversaw this case explain, once Kaiba's windpipe collapsed, the airflow to his lungs was blocked.

Because of this, the infant had to be hospitalized and several doctors feared that he had little chances of making it out the hospital doors alive.

In order to treat Kaiba's rare defect, specialists at the University of Michigan used high-resolution imaging, computer-aided design and 3-D printing technologies to piece together a bioresorbable tracheal splint.

Once placed inside the child's body and fitted to his airway, this innovative device made it possible for its bronchus to expand and start growing properly.

The surgery during which Kaiba was fitted with this device took place on February 9, 2012, the official website for the University of Michigan informs us.

“It was amazing. As soon as the splint was put in, the lungs started going up and down for the first time and we knew he was going to be OK,” Glenn Green, M.D. recollects.

It appears that it will take about three years before Kaiba's body resorbs the splint. By then, the infant's trachea is expected to remodel and become fully functional.

The 3-D printed device that saved this kid's life was made from a biopolymer called polycaprolactone.

“The material we used is a nice choice for this. It takes about two to three years for the trachea to remodel and grow into a healthy state, and that’s about how long this material will take to dissolve into the body,” Scott Hollister, Ph.D. stated.

In order to manufacture it and place it inside Kaiba's body, the specialists first had to get approval from the Food and Drug Administration in the United States.

Check out the video below to learn more about Kaiba's story.