14 DAY TRIAL // Medicine always has been touted as one of the most likely beneficiaries of 3D printing technology, and 3D printed implants are definitely confirming that expectation.
A team of researchers has invented a method for 3D printing implants compatible with human anatomy, implants that can be used to alleviate injuries or make up for deficiencies or mutations.
The creation method is called Laser Engineered Net Shaping, or LENS for short.
The implants can be made of various materials, like stainless steel and titanium, both of which are tolerated well by the human body.
Implants will still be much stiffer than bone (since the latter actually has some elasticity and millions of micro-pores) but at least they won't break.
Ceramics can also be used, and various material combinations too, thanks to the very rapid heating and cooling. Tantalum is especially non-irritating.
It's really amazing that there are 3D printers capable of manipulating all these substances, but I suppose that if a cheap 3D printer capable of working with steel finally exists, things like this implant procedure will naturally follow. Mimicking natural bone, maybe allowing bone to grow over and into an implant, is possible as well.