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Awesome story, 3D printing is awesome! Wouldn't it last longer if it was made out of metal? or would it just rust?

• deleted 13y ago
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• HCIdivision17 13y ago
  You're right, a metal one would last longer, and made of something like titanium it wouldn't even rust. But for a small child developing, the goal is to brace it long enough for the child's body to grow out of it, and then it's reabsorbed. That way the body can use it as supportive scaffolding, but eventually heals away. Which isn't as snazzy as a cyborg kid, but pretty cool that after a few years the child is running on their own support!
• Cogito 13y ago
  They don't want it to last longer, that is one of the reasons they chose this specific biopolymer. The splint provides a structure for the airways to grow in/around/within, making sure they don't collapse in the meantime. Once the airways are properly developed the splint is no longer required. From the article: "The material we used is a nice choice for this. It takes about two to three years for the trachea to remodel and grow into a healthy state, and that's about how long this material will take to dissolve into the body," says Hollister.
• deleted 13y ago
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