3D Printed Bionic Ear Merges Cartilage And Antenna

It seems that the world of 3D printing is getting more and more advanced, and having said that, to see 3D printing used in medical circles is also a boon, such as the story that we talked about earlier this week concerning the ability to print one’s own kidneys sometime down the road, as early experiments in mice proved to be successful. Well, a group of researchers led by Michael McAlpine, an assistant engineering professor at Princeton, have managed to cobble together a prototype artificial ear using an antenna and 3D printed cells.

McAlpine has labored for years when it comes to churning out electronic parts which can be be integrated with the human body. For instance, a couple of years back, he and his team built a graphene tattoo which could be stuck on a tooth in order to detect bacteria. This time around, he managed to deliver a 3D printed bionic ear that would merge cartilage alongside an antenna, and early tests showed that this ear is capable of picking up radio waves, where throwing in a “complementary” left and right pair combination might enable one to listen in stereo, now how about that?

Edwin Kee
Categories: Medical
Tags: 3D Printing