So, I have no idea how to sculpt, nor do I have any artistic skills, nor do I have any clue on how to create a prosthetic hand on sketchup. So, without further ado, here is my “hand sculpture” !!!

I created it similar to the Lego men’s arms and hands, seeing as how prosthetic arms and legs are similar in that aspect. Obviously with biotech, the aspiration is to create a fully functioning hand/arm that’s not just a cylinder with a hexagonal prism. But, due to constraints and lack of talent, let’s use our imagination and view this as a finely sculpted arm.

As mentioned in my last blog post, I was not able to interview someone in the specified field of biotech/bioprinting, however i have interviewed friends about this subject. A fellow student of mine has listed some pros and cons of bioprinting:

Pros

1. Faster and more precise than traditional methods of building organs by hand.

2. Less prone to human error.

3. Less laborious for scientists.

4. Organs unlikely to be rejected after transplantation.

5. Reduced organ trafficking.

6. Decreased waiting times for organ donors.

7. Decreased animal testing.

8. Finished products are independent of biomaterial or scaffolding absent in native tissues.

9. Effects of disease states or drugs may be more accurately observed without the need for human subjects.

10. Reproducibility of tissue is ensured through tight control of both composition and geometry; reduced variability.

11. Well-organized, diverse cell types allow enhancement of tissue-specific functions.

Cons

1. Questions of liability if a printed object fails.
2. Disputed ownership of the codes and implants produced.¹⁵
3. Various ethical concerns.
4. Pricing; availability to only the wealthy.
5. Consumption of large amounts of energy.
6. Emission of unhealthy particles into the air.
7. Difficulty in maintaining cell environment, resulting in the death of many cells.

I feel like the pros outweigh the cons. No matter what we do, there will always be an ethical backlash to our actions. Fossil fuels is probably the most prominent example of this. Killing the earth for our ease of life -> recreating “spare parts” to replace our old selves with. Is it really worth it? I certainly think so, however the sacredness of the human life will definitely diminish.

The current stage of bioprinting, according to 3dprint.com, is very advanced, but nothing that can substantially shake society as we know it. So far, bioprinting has successfully printed heart valves, various tissues, and cells. The aspirations is to one day reach that pinnacle of advanced regeneration by “reprinting” our cells. There is nothing much more to say, as i could not get in touch with a scientist nor anyone else with substantial knowledge in order to interview for more information.

So in terms of research and “scholarly articles”, I’ve found it pretty difficult seeing as biotech is still a very new subject. I’ve also included some scholarly articles in my Second Post. For the Step 2 of my final blog post, I have not found any commercial case of bioprinting for amputees. All I’ve found was the Pros and Cons, the effects it has had in markets, and the promises it brings.

1. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/special/science/how-bioprinting-works/ explains bioprinting

2. http://www.livescience.com/49939-3d-printed-organs-and-prosthetics-reconstruct-healthcare.html various implementations of bioprinting

3. http://www.livescience.com/49913-3d-printing-revolutionizing-health-care.html
3d printing’s affect in healthcare

4. http://www.livescience.com/52571-3d-printers-could-build-organs.html 3d printing on organ donor.

5.http://www.organovo.com/ a bioprinting company example.

My question is, “Can humans reach the point where they can regrow their limbs with 3d printing?” To rephrase this: “Can we recreate missing limbs/organs using 3d printing?” The reason why I ask this is because with the advancement in 3d printing where it is possible to 3d print cells for testing, I feel like naturally the next step should be a culmination of cells to form a body part. After that, should be recreation of intelligent life. All of this is in curiosity of whether humans can reach the realm of ‘gods’ by virtually creating life from ‘nothing’

My deliverable would be to make a sculpture that represents a missing limb, so that would mean a bust that is missing a arm/major organ like a heart, or maybe just a leg on a stand. This is to represent the opportunities amputees/physically disabled patients can receive with the benefits of 3d printing.

the 5 steps I will take to find the answer to this question is to 100% look up medical articles in the progression of biotechnology through 3d printing. Obviously I do not expect to meet an expert on biotechnology, and although I highly doubt that there will be scholarly articles pertaining to major progress, but I will be optimistic and search for what has been done already.

week 1: look up scholarly articles on biotech progress.

week 2: look for any signs of bioprinting for amputees.

week 3: check for progress on bioprinting (at what stage is it at? how long would it usually take? what costs would need to be paid to receive such treatment, if any?)

week 4: interview friends/professors on thoughts on bioprinting and its future possibilities. (ethical reasons, is it right?/wrong?/why? is it worth it? are we officially becoming part machine if we become dependent on machines to heal us?)

week 5: consolidate all research data and form a conclusion of the accumulated knowledge over week 1-4.

PRESENT!

Throughout this course I was taught various things. First was the concept of 3d printing. Second was the efficiency of group work. Lastly was the ability to think outside of the box, and how to apply them towards creating a 3d design. One of my favorite experiences was the hands-on Maker workshop that we had downstairs. Not only was it a fresh new environment, we got to use our hands to fiddle around with things and create whatever came to our minds. Although that may sound childish, but I feel like to brainstorm creative ideas one has to reach into their inner child, because that’s where all the dreams and imagination came from.

The challenges that I have met in this class is most certainly time management. Sure it is fun to be in this class, but life is never that easy. Having to balance household affairs with work and school is always the struggle of every college student in this commuter school. Although I have dropped my work, it is still a struggle, but I am trying my best to work hard for this class. I believe that my strengths in this class is the creative thinking and group work aspect. I love thinking outside the box or “turkey hat” and I am not afraid to share it with my fellow peers, no matter how silly it seems. The longer I am in this class I feel that I am able to think of more ideas, thanks to being inspired by my fellow classmates. Although I have recently changed groups due to someone leaving, I have no problem fitting into their group, and I look forward bringing new and refreshing ideas in order to find that spark that starts everything.

The item that I printed out was arch-like block. Basically its a block that’s had a circle chunked out of it. We were required to customize it and change it to our liking to represent a type of art we preferred.
What I had planned on doing was to create a sort of optical illusion where if you were to look through the arch from the front, it would seem like it was a long road, but instead it was just progressively smaller versions of the arch. The challenge was to think of something creative for this assignment. When one thinks of blocks, they think of building something. I wanted to digress from this thought process and to go out of the box. This way of thinking is what I also recommend people to do as they set out on this project.

After learning about 3d printing; its challenges, limitations, and possibilities, I have decided that the concept of 3d printing live organs/ tissues, or biotech, is what seems to have my most interest in. The reason why is because I believe that if this concept is to be commercialized, then the day where humans can speed heal people is not too far away.

The challenges that 3d printing poses to the general public is that there is a steady learning curve. With the advancement of technology, and the wide generation gap, not everyone can or will pick up the skill of 3d printing. The limitations of 3d printing  is not only the amount of technology that supplies it, but also the mind of each respective users. With a device that literally prints what you think about, one must have an open mind to think outside of the box. The possibilities are linked with the limitations. If one has an open mind, and is able to utilize the resources effectively, then the potential and possibilities are virtually limitless.

3d printing in the field of biotech is a really complicated field. Bioengineering itself is a really complicated subject to talk about, but adding in 3d printing to make it so called ‘bioprinting’ ? Ridiculous. However ridiculous or incredulous it may be, one cannot deny that 3d printing has helped a huge ton in research and development of both cures and rehabilitation. With 3d printing cells, cancer research has progressed substantially (http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/840866). With 3d printing prosthetic limbs, amputee rehabilitation is much easier.(http://enablingthefuture.org/).

Obviously, I do not intend on fully learning bioengineering, nor do I envision myself being active in bioprinting in my future. However thanks to this course I do intend on staying up to date with these events, as they are very interesting. I still feel like the ultimate goal of this form of technology will lead to those lasers in scifi movies where they heal wounds by scanning them. It may be a distant dream, or a creeping innovation that’s on its way, who knows, but I’ll definitely be looking forward to seeing it.

“Can you imagine this situation?” Pete Kakimoto September 2, 2015 at 10:41 pm

This quote is not only a lesson in itself, it is something everyone must ask themselves when they think creatively.

“Rectangular buildings would be relics of the past.”  mc061311 September 5, 2015 at 9:49 pm

This quote shows how innovation and creativity leads to things that we see everyday and are used to seeing WILL become a forgotten memory.

“If they can start to produce the their products via 3D printing, it will be faster.” Xin Lin September 15, 2015 at 9:05 pm

This quote points out the efficiency and strengths of 3d modeling/printing.

“It is all about picking the right resources and market in order to brand your idea. “Jia Jing Lei September 16, 2015 at 4:02 am

This quote shows the correct strategy one should take when showcasing an idea.

“I realized that reducing the physical information into a workable set of digital symbols was a tad bit of a challenge.” Jewel Tolbert September 25, 2015 at 10:12 pm

This quote reveals the challenges of trying something new and learning 3d design.

“If I weren’t exposed to 3D printing, I would have a slightly different viewpoint on this.” Jewel Tolbert October 6, 2015 at 5:32 am

This quote helps the new mindset of what happens after you pick up something new or different. (your mindset changes)

Simply put: Healthy planet, healthy humans.” Brendan Lukas October 13, 2015 at 5:56 pm

Best life lesson: Simplicity is key

“Sure more jobs will arise with this “new” form of technology, but it force many to forget their old ways and learn new ones.” ct 156495 October 14, 2015 at 3:50 pm

This quote lays out the risks taken when taking up something new/different.

“3D printing organs and living tissues has the potential to be a legal nightmare”  mc061311 October 18, 2015 at 2:48 pm

Life lesson: try to avoid legal strife, in any situation.

“There are many times you walk by the street and you see something that attract your eyes. Often these may be things that you want to have and for whatever the reason you can obtain.” ap164591 October 28, 2015 at 3:23 pm

This quote embodies the concept of consumerism and the mindset of how you should market your product/idea.