Print your lost body part by 2035

Over the last few years or so, 3D printers have literally taken off. Though they are currently somewhat expensive for a common man to own, yet with increase in demand leading to falling prices, that day is not far off when buying a 3D printer would be a thing as normal as buying an inkjet printer now. These types of printers can print virtually everything from micrometer car models to giant size sandstone buildings. Even printing human tissues is now a reality, thanks to the collaborative efforts of Organovo and Invetech. The companies have come up with the world’s first bio-printer that can do just that. Having printed body tissues, what’s next for 3D printers? How about printing fully functional body parts for instance?

If Dr. Hod Lipson and his group of researchers in the Computational Synthesis Laboratory at Cornell University succeed in what they are working on, printing fully functional body parts may soon be a reality. The researchers at the CCSL have already engineered an ear made of silicone using a 3D printer, which as per their hopes will one day replace lost body parts. What this means is that, unlike us, losing a body part won’t be a traumatic experience for our future generations as it is for us in the present world.

Here’s what Dr Lipson who is the robotcist at the Cornell University, envisions to develop. There would be a scanner that would copy all your body parts and store them in a database. So if, due to any unfortunate event, say a road accident, you lose your leg, the doctors will look up for relevant info from the database and simply print you a brand-spanking-new fully functional hand with a 3D printer that would be really affordable to own and maintain. So, come 2035 and doctors may just advise you to get your body scanned through a scanner, just like they advise you certain vaccinations for your kids nowadays.

In this day and age, with technology conquering new frontiers, it is fair to say that the day is not far when no matter what you want your printer may just print it for you and that too at a really affordable price. May be one day, printers might just solve the global hunger issues as well.