VETERINARIANS AND DESIGN TEAM GIVE LIZARD 3D PRINTED PROSTHETIC LEG.

Whenever someone asks exactly what it is 3D printing is doing that’s so important, I’m torn between which examples to share first. With impacts occurring in so many sectors, from the space industry to automotive and construction, and far more, there are countless stories offering evidence as to exactly why this technology is important. The medical realm, however, is where you find the most compelling cases, and if you are one of those individuals today who have had their lives improved or that of a baby or family member saved, then what 3D printing means to you is something most of us can’t even imagine. People around the world are reaping the benefits, as well as discovering an endless outlet for creativity. But while the human element and quality of life is a strong focus, certainly don’t discount our priority on making sure that pets and wildlife get in on this goodness too. 3D printed prosthetics in the human realm are becoming much more accessible and affordable thanks to volunteer groups like e-NABLE, providing replacement limbs for children in need all over the world from Uganda to Ghana and far beyond. And should you think that the goats, sheep, chickens, kitties, cockatoos, and dogs are being forgotten, well check earlier posts. Now, that long list has a new favorite in the form of a semi-aquatic caiman lizard who, sadly, lost a rear leg to cancer last year. lizard Hiss Majesty is 16 years old and has a devoted family at the Shedd Aquarium in Chicago. In trying to re-create a new leg and foot for this amazingly adorable creature—who patiently sits while they cover his foot in molding materials—the team, consisting of 3D designers, animal care specialists, and veterinarians, is certainly exhibiting a true labor of love, because it would seem that getting the perfect fit for those stubby little legs is not an easy task. They’ve tried ten designs so far for the right rear foot, with trial and error going strong, but with improvements in each iteration. Translating the good rear left leg into a shape for the missing one, the team has used molding techniques and experimented until they have a nice collection. The use of flexible plastics that they have created so Hiss Majesty might have better mobility seemed like a likely choice for a prosthetic, along with the use of very lightweight silicone. The most recent top pick for Hiss Majesty is a 3D printed model with perfect chunky little toes and a prosthetic insert that’s like a sock for a nice tight fit. He’s a quiet guy, Hiss, and the team isn’t sure how much the prosthetic, or the one they pick for him, will improve his life, but they are certainly going the extra mile at the 3D printer with the goal of fabricating a prosthetic that has as much joint-like movement as possible. With eventual plans to change his name to ‘Bionic Hiss Majesty,’ they continue to forge ahead and it would seem they are copiously honing their design and printing skills for the reptilian world. “The goal for this is to see if we can get something that will actually work and use that as a tool in the future to improve animal care,” said designer Kristen Neria, who helped develop the prototypes. This last prototype is much more flexible and lifelike—and promising—but they are continuing to explore the use of molds and 3D printing technology for further, even more advanced designs. Neria says their priority is definitely on emphasizing the movement of joints, and they may even start experimenting with titanium. Hiss Majesty certainly has a twinkle in his eye and while everyone is hard at work trying to give him the prosthetic of the future, it would seem he’s pretty happy with the amount of attention he’s getting in the process, whether his foot is encased in plastic, silicone, or nothing at all. [Source: Chicago Tribune]

Indian doctors grow new nose on boy's forehead.

Doctors in India have replaced a 12-year-old boy's damaged nose with a new one which was grown on his forehead. Arun Patel's nose was badly damaged and disfigured when he suffered from pneumonia as a baby. The infection damaged the cartilage of his nose, making it difficult for doctors to fix it. A similar operation was carried out in China in 2013 where a man who had damaged his nose in a traffic accident was given a new one. Arun's parents took him to a doctor in their village in the central state of Madhya Pradesh when he suffered from pneumonia soon after his birth. But the treatment made his condition worse and he lost his nose due to extensive tissue damage. More than a decade later, a team of doctors in Indore city decided to conduct a rare four-phased plastic surgery to give Arun a new nose. Dr Ashwini Dash, who led the surgical team, told BBC Hindi's S Niazi that he was "confident that the new nose would work properly like his other organs". He added that the entire operation took about a year to finish. In the first phase, a silicon "tissue expander" was put on his forehead to make space to grow a new nose. Then a special chemical was injected to make the tissues expand. The second phase involved taking cartilage from his chest to create a new nose, which grew on his forehead over three months. The doctors removed the artificial nose in the third phase and implanted it on his face. The final phase involved repairing his forehead. Contributed by BBC NEWS.

AGRIC-BUSINESS; SELLING EGGS FOR PROFIT.

Agriculture is no new field and the impact on economy cannot be overemphasized. The field of agriculture is wide and all aspects are packed with profit potentials.

 While the field of agriculture is not new,there are new technologies that propel the industry making it more lucrative. The animal production angle is very lucrative with various species bringing multiple advantages to the table.

 Today,lets look at the potential in the egg industry. The business of eggs is not new, but the profit potential has increased because of the knowledge of importance of eggs and the egg -a-day campaign. Eggs can be sold in crates or powdered depending on your choice.

3D PRINTING AND CRANIOFACIAL SURGERY.

3D Systems, industry leading 3D Printing supplier, shows how a team has demonstrated the medical possibilities with the technology. The team have utilised 3D Printing Technology to repair major deformities to eight-year-old Grace Kabelenga’s face, caused by the encephalocele she was born with. 3D Systems teamed up with World Craniofacial Foundation (WCF) and its founder and chair Dr. Kenneth Salyer. Grace has been challenged with a craniofacial abnormality, only made worse after serious infection, resulting in doctors having to remove an alarming amount of skull. Once the infection was under control, they had to find a way to re-form her forehead. In her initial surgery for this, 3D Systems worked with the medical team by giving them access to Virtual Surgical Planning (VSP). This allows for a complete 3D and virtual reality simulation of an upcoming surgery, made possible by using data from the patient’s CT scans. “The information that was provided by 3D Systems enabled virtual planning over the Internet by participants in various locations around the world,” says Dr. Salyer of WCF. At this point, they also 3D Printed guides, models, and templates that were patient-specific to Grace, allowing for surgeons to navigate through the surgery. All of this was made possible on both the 3D Systems ProX 800 and ProJet 7000 Stereolithography (SLA) 3D Printers, allowing for the surface smoothness and definition they required. The ProJet 7000 HD is meant for dental applications, further enabling them with this particular surgery, performed in Mexico City. Surgeons were able to continue working on the initial encephalocele, where brain was exposed in the back of her mouth, as well as even actually moving her eyes so that they would be closer together. “We were able to move the pieces of the entire anatomical puzzle into precise position only because of the guides created by 3D Systems from the 3D models,” says Dr. Salyer. “Without them, the precision required would be impossible.” Once that surgery was completed, they knew there was much more work to do in regards to her forehead area. 3D Systems guided surgeons in using 3D printing technology to create history with the first 3D printed forehead implant, including a lattice that would slowly allow bone to grow around it with the 3D printed piece safely biodegrading. This successful surgery was performed in Cape Town, South Africa at the Tygerberg Hospital in May 2015. It hinged on all of the choreography coming together, in combination with all of the 3D tools and 3D printed models. The 3DS team were able to help in the fabrication of a new forehead for Grace by using their 3D sculpting software, Geomagic Freeform Plus. According to 3D Systems, this is what allowed them to make the complex, organic curves for the forehead. The accompanying 3D haptic device and software combined meant that the team could make edits to their work digitally, and conveniently. 3D-Systems-crainiofacial When they were all satisfied with the design, KLS Martin 3D printed the final implant, as well as also allowing for the initial design of a patient-specific bone graft to be ultimately created by Bacterin. “Planning the surgery for Grace was particularly demanding,” says Shawn Burke, director of product development for KLS Martin North America. “Unlike many cases, Grace was missing a large volume of bone, making it a challenge to create a reconstruction that is strong enough but goes away and allows for the patient’s own bone to grow. The other challenge was the six teams from three continents that had to be able to see and interact with the 3D simulations in real-time. This was truly a multinational effort and solution coordinated by 3D Systems.” “Using the same SLA technology and resin that we used to produce the models and templates for Dr. Salyer’s reference, we were able to produce these highly precise, case-specific, custom-made parts much more rapidly than could be achieved using traditional techniques such as machining or injection molding.” With perfect choreography indeed, and success as Grace’s body accepted the implant and the bone began growing back, now the opportunity is there for another surgery this year that will allow doctors to reconstruct the soft tissues area such as the nose, nasal passages, upper lip and eye areas. Contributed by Tribe life.

Light-activated glue to replace sutures..

A scientist has developed a glue that could mean the end of sutures. Maria Pereira has created a surgical glue that can mend broken hearts. Sutures are time-consuming, damage tissue and are technically challenging," says Maria Pereira, head of research at Paris-based Gecko Biomedical, whose bio-inspired alternative it says can replace stitches. Its adhesive is viscous, hydrophobic, biodegradable and cured by LED light. Unlike other glues, which can be washed away by water, it can be placed in wet environments such as the heart, where 
it works as both a sealant and a scaffold for tissue to grow over. Pereira, 30, invented the glue in 2010 while a bioengineering PhD student in the MIT Portugal Program. Doctors at Boston Children's Hospital had approached her supervisor, Jeff Karp of the Harvard-MIT Division of Health Sciences and Technology, with a problem: how to close defects in a newborn baby's heart without sutures. A newborn's heart is as large as its fist, so operations are extremely delicate. Pereira looked to nature for inspiration. "Understanding the basic principles 
of how things work is very important in developing new technologies," she says. Her sealant can stay sticky inside a beating pig's heart by mimicking the viscous, hydrophobic secretions of snails and sandcastle worms. This breakthrough as published in the wired states that Karp and a group of prominent scientists and entrepreneurs founded Gecko Biomedical in 2012, hiring Pereira as head of research. The first product made from the adhesive, GB02, acts as an adjunct to sutures in vascular reconstruction surgery and will go into clinical trials this spring, with the aim of securing regulatory approval in the first half of 2017. The goal of the company is to make surgery simpler and to change how it is done, the company is also working on another product GB04, which could end the need for sutures altogether.

The new rave; 3D PRINTING.

The world is changing,many platforms for growth and development are evolving and joining the train is only sensible. The world of 3d printing is so enormous and the influence in all sectors of the economy makes it a rallying point for the business-oriented individuals. 3d printing has helped in medicine, telecommunication,food industry,clothing, jewelry,cars e.t.c the list is endless and the impact is so amazing. There are surgical procedures that could not be achieved some years back,but thanks to 3Dprinting,lives are saved. This is an open invite to catch the vibe,join the buzz,3d printing is the game-changer. The latest news from the 3d printing world according to 3Dprint.com is that the University of Sheffield is making 3D Printed Micro-Rockets Fueled for Thrust by Enzymes to Deliver Drugs in Human Body.Researchers from Chemical and Biological Engineering at the University of Sheffield are working on it and the process of delivery is astounding. University of Sheffield are responsible for having created a powerful drug delivery system via 3D inkjet printing, working on previous conventions that due to the tools at hand were just too ‘laborious’ to offer great future potential. The use of reactive inkjet printing (RIJ), the researchers expose two different solutions to each other, thus creating a new one or causing a change in form—and here the main result is autonomous, silk-based rockets with varied catalyst distribution and direction of movement. This new technology, technique, and findings, are explained thoroughly in ‘Reactive Inkjet Printing of Biocompatible Enzyme Powered Silk Micro-Rockets,’ by David A. Gregory, Yu Zhang, Patrick J. Smith, Xiubo Zhao, and Stephen J. Ebbens—just published in small. While this concept is not new and studies regarding this basic idea have been going on for at least a decade, University of Sheffield researchers have found a way to streamline it substantially with 3D inkjet printing. As interest has grown in seeing this technology progress, the focus is on applications such as:1)Environmental monitoring and remediation 2) In vivo drug delivery and repair 3)Lab on a chip diagnostics With RIJ technology, there’s much greater potential as compared to lithographic fabrication processes currently ongoing in labs. Through employing the world of 3D technology and printing, they are able to make micro-rockets, composed of silk scaffolds, and ‘highly biocompatible and non-biofouling.’ At 300 microns in length and 100 microns in diameter (as thick as one human hair), the mini-rockets autonomously propel themselves powerfully but they do require bio-fluids acting as their ‘fuel.’ This could have substantial implications in cancer treatment, as feasibly the 3D printed rockets could seek out and destroy cancer cells without causing any detriment to the human body. Not only that, more progressive benefit is found in using this new technology as it’s more affordable than trying to use devices like polystyrene beads, carbon nanotubes or metal, which require a coating such as platinum, and obviously lead to concerns regarding safety within the body. The inket printer’s ‘material’ consists of dissolved silk combined with an enzyme, presented in single droplet form by the MicroFab ‘Drop on Demand’ printer, relying on Jetlab software, and employing four single nozzle print heads (60 μm diameter) which are each attached to their own individual reservoir. The 3D inkjet printer builds up layers of ink, and they are responsible for making a column of the rocket. Beyond that, the researchers have found that the secret is then is exposing the silk to methanol which converts it into a secondary structure allowing for the capture and retention of the enzymes within. The enzyme is then what reacts and acts as the catalyst, with bubbles simply propelling the rocket. Using the silk scaffolds also eliminates the need for surfactant additives. The process is safe, biodegradable, and affordable, offering the true possibility for realistic use in applications such as drug delivery, tissue engineering, and enzyme immobilization. And as the researchers state in conclusion: “…evidenced by much recent research attention, the future potential to further develop these micro-rockets is significant.”

AGRIBUSINESS: ECHBEE FOODS.

Get wholesome,nutritious and hygienically packed beef,fish,chicken and eggs. These farm fresh products are handy,fit for human consumption and very pocket friendly. Thinking of where to order your next cattle for your celebration? call on us as we have live cows,goats and sheep for sale all at pocket friendly prices. Echbee foods also has an egg depot,where you can buy your eggs in large quantities at affordable prices.Thinking of gifting a loved one during the festive season? our handy pack is a great giveaway. These are some of our products, Order yours today!!!