3D Printers Prepare Meals

3D printing was invented in the 1980s and has become increasingly popular today. At first, 3D printers could only be used to print small parts of only a few cubic inches large. These printers evolved over the years, yielding amazing prototypes and products. 3D printers usually work by building objects in layers - with each layer usually .1 mm thick. Most 3D printers use thermoplastics - plastics that soften when hot and harden when cooled - but many are moving away from this material to create bones and even food.

Novameat is a company that is currently working on 3D printing steak, an effort to fight food waste and produce quick food. The printer uses pea protein, rice protein, rapeseed fat and algae fibers. It uses these materials and prints its layer in a certain fashion to mimic the fibers in steak. It takes 20 minutes to print one steak and costs $30 per kilogram, which is about the same price as real animal-based steaks. CEO of Novameat Giuseppe Scionti calls his product his “steak Nespresso.” However, Sciontie is not just stopping at steaks; he hopes to produce every type of meat alternative. Scionti is currently researching and developing the fibers and flavors that mimic chicken and fish. Scionti believes that, with livestock producing about 15 percent of human-made greenhouse emissions each year, we need to find new options to feed our growing population. Maybe someday we will walk into a restaurant and order a 3D printed meal.

3D printing is not only being integrated into the food industry, but also the healthcare industry. Recently, 3D printed parts have been used to mimic real body parts. Many times, doctors use the 3D printed parts to practice on before doing surgery on a real human. Through the evolutions of the 3D printer, 3D printed parts are becoming extremely accurate and custom. Using CAT scans, doctors can generate real 3D printed models that mimic patients’ parts down to the millimeter. The materials used for the printing vary depending on the purpose of the 3D model. If the 3D model is being used for surgical practice, then the 3D models are made using synthesized materials that mimic the feel of the real part. Furthermore, if the body part is being used to model a joint replacement, then it will be produced with cheaper synthesized materials.

Recently, a company has been able to 3D print jaw joints for patients suffering from injuries to the temporomandibular joint (TMJ); an injury to this joint can prevent patients from opening their mouths, not allowing them to chew or breathe through their mouths. On top of that, being a highly complex, small joint, TMJ replacements are extremely expensive. Furthermore, every jaw bone is slightly different, which further complicates the procedure of implanting the TMJ. Using Artificial Intelligence and CAT scans, 3D implantable models can be autonomously generated - of course after being checked by medical professionals first. AIIMS, the Indian company who developed the TMJ replacement surgery, hopes to extend the expensive surgery to everyone. Since their company cannot do all of the surgeries, they trained dental surgeons, maxillofacial surgeons and plastic surgeons on how to use their software and how to implant the models on cadavers.

While some companies are working on 3D printing joints, others are focusing on printing actual bones for implantation. Particle3D, a Danish startup company, has begun producing bones for low impact areas of the body. Their process starts with scans of a patient's bones, or the area where the implant will be placed. Next, the data is synthesized in their software into rough models that can be treated as computer-aided designs so surgeons could improve and modify the model. The new customized implant is then printed by Particle3D’s special printers and sent to the hospital for implantation; Particle3D’s 3D printing method is what sets them apart from other companies. Particle 3D created a special formula for a material called “bio-ink,” which is synthesized from tricalcium phosphates (TCP) powder and fatty acids. TCP has been used in reconstructive surgeries in the past, however, the material came in solid blocks that surgeons had to sculpt into their desired shape and size. 3D printing TCP allows for more porous implants. These porous structures allow the implants to function as scaffolds for blood vessels and natural bone to grow. On top of this, due to its porous design, Particle 3D’s implants can store medicine longer than traditional implants. Antibiotics are typically coated on the implant, but in Particle3D’s 3D printed model, antibiotics can be stored on both the outside and inside, ensuring safer implants. The implants were also designed to degrade over time, as they are replaced by natural bone, to allow a more natural, safer regeneration. This gradual shift from implant to bone could save patients from additional surgeries and permanent health issues. Particle3D’s initial trials on pigs and mice have proven extremely successful, showing that new bone marrow and blood vessels can begin developing in the implants after as little as eight weeks.

As 3D printers grow in popularity, there will inevitably be more applications and innovations involving 3D printers. From food to healthcare, there is no saying what industry 3D printing will be needed for next.