By Julia Durfee
Years ago people who were in an accident or born without a limb had to buy an expensive prosthetic or live life without one. The 3D printer could help make it easier and cheaper to make prosthetic body parts. Many people all around the world need prosthetic body parts because of accidents or birth defects. 3D printing has been used for medical reasons like skin for burns, airway splints for babies, facial reconstruction for cancer patients, and fake joints for prisoners. 3D printed prosthetic body parts are going to change the lives of people living with medical disabilities. In order to find out more about this topic, you must first learn about the inventor, the process, and why this invention is helpful.
Ivan Owen is an American artist who likes to make unusual gadgets. He got the attention of a five-year-old named Liam who was born without fingers on his right hand. Owen was hired to make a prosthetic hand for him. Owen realized that Liam would grow fast, and the prosthetic wouldn’t keep up. The solution to this problem was a 3D printed hand. With this process they could keep printing a new hand every time he grew out of one. This became the first prosthetic hand that was ever made.
A 3D printer is very easy to use. The first thing that you need to do to make a 3D printed object is to make a virtual design of the object you want to create. Then, the computer would cut the image that you made into hundreds of layers. After that, the filament in the nozzle is melted and pressed out onto the base of the printer. One layer at a time, the object it created. A 3D printer is very easy to use, and printing prosthetics from it can change many people’s lives in the future.
A 3D prosthetic body part could be very helpful. Prosthetics body parts take precious time and effort and 3D printing could make the process faster. 3D printing could also solve the problem of having a child growing faster than the prosthetic being made. 3D Prosthetics are very cheap to make so they could be free for people in other countries who don’t have that much money. In the USA, a 3D printed prosthetic arm of any color would be fifty dollars. These prosthetic arms and legs are more appealing and more affordable than modern day prosthetic limbs.
This product is changing people’s lives one at a time. It will help a ton of people who either can’t afford a prosthetic limb or are in a far away country where they can’t make prosthetics. Prosthetic body parts are going to help a lot in the future. Future projects include making ears for people who were born without them or for people who were injured. To make an ear you have to use a biological “ink” that blood vessels can grow into so the ear can attach to its normal position. This invention is pushing the limits of the technology of 3D printing and bringing it to a whole new level. This invention has so many possibilities and has so much potential that it will change the world.
Sources:
The Tenacre Tiger Paw 
This article is very organized. I also learned that 3d printed body parts are cheaper than prosthetics.
LikeLike
After reading this I noticed that 3D printers will have the ability to change people’s lives.
LikeLike
This article was very well written. I never knew that the prosthetics would be more expensive. I thought this was really interesting to learn about.
LikeLike
Wow Julia, this was amazing! I am so inspired by these people and what they do to help other people’s lives. I had no idea they were better than regular prosthetic limbs! Great job.
LikeLike
It’s really cool that they can make a 3D printed hand that grows with the kid. Good job!
LikeLike
I thought this article was really interesting, because I never knew that a 3D could help so many people in life changing ways. I also thought that you did a really good job, because you used information to back up your ideas. All in all really good job, I loved it.
LikeLike
I really loved your article, Julia! I never knew that 3D printing machines could be so valuable to so many people and a 3D printed arm would be only 50 dollars. 3D printing is awesome and I hope people discover more ways to use it in the future. Great job!
LikeLike
Julia, this was a great article! It’s so amazing that 3D body parts are cheaper than prosthetics. It’s great that more people will be able to afford the 3D body parts.
LikeLike
It’s so cool have they make a 3D printed arm or other body parts, and how they can grow with the person! Good job!
LikeLike
Wow! I didn’t think that they would ever be able to make a working prosthetic ear! I also didn’t know that the 3D printed prosthetics would be so inexpensive and easy to replace if you grow out of it.
LikeLike
This was a great article Julia! 3D printers are commonplace nowadays so making an arm or leg from them is quite speedy. Great job Julia!
LikeLike
Great article. I didn’t know that 3D printed prosthetics are so much better than normal ones. I can’t believe people are trying to make a 3D printed prosthetics ear.
LikeLike