3D Printed Medical Innovations at University of Michigan

For those who believe that 3D printing education is used solely in classes for engineering and architecture, take note.  The University of Michigan is actually using 3D printing videos and models to save lives.  In March of 2014, the University’s Children’s Hospital used this advanced technology to create a special device that would save the life of a then 18-month old infant named Garrett Peterson. 

Garret had a very rare medical condition that caused his breathing to sporadically stop without notice four to five times per day.  Try as they might, doctors could not seem to get the affliction under control using traditional medical technology and respiratory ventilation systems.  The baby was so fragile that his parents were even afraid to hold him, fearing that they would compromise his airways. 

The medical condition is called “Tetralogy of Fallot”, which means that little Garret was born without a certain pulmonary heart valve.  So the doctors from the University of Michigan simply used their 3D printing education to design and print him a miraculous solution.  The medical innovators first created a 3D model of the infant’s airway, and then they custom designed a tiny splint that would fit perfectly inside Garret’s bronchi.  Thanks to the doctors at UM’s Children’s Hospital, little Garret is now living a full and happy life.    

3D Printing in education - Why is it necessary?

It is obvious that 3D printing has a permanent place in the education system, and will continue to do so in the future years. But, the question here is, what type of printer will fit a classroom?

Of course, ease of use and setup is a very important factor, because the printer will mostly be handled by teachers with little to no technical experience. But other than that, one must also think about reliability.

Why do you need 3D Printers in Education?

Better learning:

Children learn better with materials printed with 3D printers. This is a known and proven fact. Thy have a better mind-set for learning, and it increases their imagination and confidence. Children understand that it is okay to learn from their mistakes. This is an invaluable lesson that will help them a lot in their future, where they'll face a real life situation.

Solving real life problems:

One of the main aspects of 3D printing is how it can solve real life problems. This is a good base for young children. Knowing that they can actually make things that can change the world around them will give them more confidence and interest in their studies.

The only people who'd believed so far that they can change the wold with their computers were software engineers so far. Common computer users have never believed themselves capable of doing that. With 3D printing being used in classrooms, even children will believe the same, because anyone can tackle real life problems with it. This tool is a computer evolution.

Let your children change the world:

3D printers are affordable and very easy to use. Hence, they are being used by a lot of educational institutions already.

Children are born with the wonderful skill of imagination. That skill, combined with the 3D printing technology, will let them change the whole world. With this tool, your school can be made into a very powerful learning environment. Children learn the use of innovative technology, and will push them to think out of the box.

Every grade

3D printers are useful in pretty much every grade and every level of education, from elementary school to university. They can be used in almost every department of education known to man: computer science, engineering, architecture, chemistry etc.

Children become inspired when they use the 3D printers for education. With this, you'll be creating the future Einsteins of the world.Education is not a chore anymore. With 3D printing education, students can be inspired to do better things in their future.

3D Printing Education becomes sweet with printed ice cream

3d printing education can be a sweet thing indeed, as three MIT students recently proved by building a machine that creates 3D printed ice cream. Kyle Hounsell, Kristine Bunker and David Donghyun Kim built the device as part of their graduate project at MIT’s Department of Additive Manufacturing.

The way the 3d ice cream printer worked is that a standard ice cream machine was connected to a modified 3D printer. The printer used liquid nitrogen to keep the ice cream chilled so that it would hold its shape as it was created layer by layer, The whole contraption was placed in an upright freezer so that the ice cream would not melt as it was being printed. By balancing accuracy with speed, the students were able to produce ice cream in any shape desired in about 15 minutes.

Besides getting a good grade on their project, the MIT students foresee a market for 3d printed ice cream as a novelty item for the kids. Who would not want a bowl of chocolate swirl ice cream in the shape of an animal, a rocket ship, a star, a crescent moon or one’s big sister’s head? The idea is that one would order ahead, before arrival at the local Basken Robbins or else as dessert at a sit down restaurant.

The process needs to have a little refinement before it becomes commercially available. But pretty soon, the sweet, soft, cold confection will be available in an ice cream truck coming through your neighborhood.