Alex O'Brien
Hearing

Researchers print 3D ear tissue

3D printing is a process used to make a three-dimensional object, using successive layers of material that form under computer control to create an object.

Researchers at The Wake Forest Baptist Medical Centre have used this startling new technology to print customised ear moulds and earbuds in the past, and have now shown that even living tissue structures have the potential to be 3D printed. This includes ears, bone and muscle, which may actually be used to replace lost or damaged tissue on human patients.

Dr. Anthony Atala, director of the Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine and senior author on the study, said, “With further development, this technology could potentially be used to print living tissue and organ structures for surgical implantation.”

In the study, they created a baby-sized ear structure of 1.5 inches that was implanted on a mouse and showed signs of vascularization one and two months after implantation and even maintained its shape.

Related links:

Scientists are close to curing partial deafness

Airborne ultrasound could be harmful

Revolutionary apps for people with hearing loss

Tags:
hearing, 3D Printing, ear