By Adam Kline
The surgeons gingerly remove their tools, delicately close the incision under the ribs with dark stitches, and gently press a wide bandage into place as the glaring fluorescent lights bath the operating room in harsh, pure light. Their job complete, they strip off their gloves and scrub their hands vigorously with soap. The patient will make a full recovery, leaving the hospital within two weeks to resume everyday activities. The operation has been a resounding success; a middle-aged man dying of hepatitis has been given a new lease on life, thanks to the latest advances in medical technology.
In a dark street of an unknown city, a man walks crisply down the sidewalk, heels clicking on the pavement. He turns to the faint sound of skittering footsteps behind him, but sees nothing but the dim glow of streetlights. He shrugs and turns back around. Seconds later, an explosive crack shatters the silence of the street, and the pedestrian falls lifelessly into the gutter. The killer, along with the dead man’s wallet, is never found, The gun is plastic, downloaded from a file-sharing website and printed at home.
One life has been saved, but another has been taken. In both (hypothetical) situations, the agent is the same: 3D printing. This revolutionary technology is gaining prominence in the US as an effective method of building detailed objects from a vast array of materials, capable of help and harm alike. Doctors and researchers see 3D printing as an exciting new frontier for prosthetics and artificial organs, while gun-rights advocates consider it a powerful tool for fabricating firearms. While lawmakers ponder regulations on the printing technology, its great potential in healthcare cannot be discounted. What once seemed like science fiction may soon become science fact.
3D printing may bring to mind The Jetsons and Star Trek, but it dates back to the “late 1980s and early 1990s,” according to Stephanie Crawford, a technical writer for HowStuffWorks.com. During that time, she writes, the printing system was relegated to “rapid prototyping” for manufactured products. The technology was originally invented by the 3D Systems company, which pioneered stereolithography. This method uses a laser and light-sensitive liquid plastic -- when the plastic is selectively exposed to the laser, it hardens into the desired shape. Other methods, such as SLS (selective laser sintering; it uses a laser to melt plastic) or direct printing (which functions much like a conventional printer, using plastics instead of ink) have come into play as the interest in the concept broadened.
3D printing’s greatest potential lies in the efficient creation of artificial organs and prosthetics. Indeed, recent studies and research show promising signs. Vladimir Mironov of the Medical University of South Carolina writes that “Organ printing… is currently feasible, fast-evolving and predicted to be a major technology…” As T. Rowe Price elaborates, a major breakthrough came in 2002, when a “miniature functional kidney” was 3D printed. In 2008, the first “3D-printed prosthetic leg” -- from knee to toe -- was successfully implanted. Progress continued in 2009 and 2012, when 3D printers created a human blood vessel and an artificial jaw, respectively. The building material used in creating artificial organs is typically taken “from biopsies or stem cells,” according to CNN. The tissue is then cultured and grown, and can be used in 3D printers, just like a standard ink or plastic. Organovo, a San Diego-based medical research company, uses “proprietary three-dimensional bioprinting technology” to develop realistic tests for drugs, as well as artificial tissue for use in surgery.
Despite the impressive capabilities of 3D printing in the field of medicine, many others are both thrilled and fearful of the possibility of readily-available, 3D-printed weapons. The Undetectable Firearms Act of 1988 made it illegal to own or produce guns that contained less than 3.7 ounces of steel, or which could evade detection by metal detectors and airport x-ray machines. The ban was renewed in 2013, although the amendment introduced by Senator Charles Schumer (D-NY) that called for regulations of 3D-printed guns did not pass. Representative Steve Israel (D-NY) has argued that even though current law requires metal in guns, a loophole could allow for metal pieces to be easily removed. Some government agencies, notably the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, have warned of the possible threat to public safety that such guns pose.
Meanwhile, gun enthusiasts continue to experiment with 3D printing. A corporation known as Defense Distributed has developed a working, 3D-printed gun called the Liberator, and aims to publish the blueprint files online for public use through its “Wiki Weapon” project. Despite the removal of the project by its host website, Defense Distributed was able to raise $20,000, which enabled it to kickstart its research. They hail the work as a triumph of libertarian ideals.
Overall, 3D printing presents a fascinating prospect for medicine, and a quandary for regulation. It shows great promise in medical applications, and could stand to better the lives of countless worldwide who suffer from myriad illnesses. While the concern for security is legitimate, this new and intriguing technology is certainly here to stay.
The surgeons gingerly remove their tools, delicately close the incision under the ribs with dark stitches, and gently press a wide bandage into place as the glaring fluorescent lights bath the operating room in harsh, pure light. Their job complete, they strip off their gloves and scrub their hands vigorously with soap. The patient will make a full recovery, leaving the hospital within two weeks to resume everyday activities. The operation has been a resounding success; a middle-aged man dying of hepatitis has been given a new lease on life, thanks to the latest advances in medical technology.
In a dark street of an unknown city, a man walks crisply down the sidewalk, heels clicking on the pavement. He turns to the faint sound of skittering footsteps behind him, but sees nothing but the dim glow of streetlights. He shrugs and turns back around. Seconds later, an explosive crack shatters the silence of the street, and the pedestrian falls lifelessly into the gutter. The killer, along with the dead man’s wallet, is never found, The gun is plastic, downloaded from a file-sharing website and printed at home.
One life has been saved, but another has been taken. In both (hypothetical) situations, the agent is the same: 3D printing. This revolutionary technology is gaining prominence in the US as an effective method of building detailed objects from a vast array of materials, capable of help and harm alike. Doctors and researchers see 3D printing as an exciting new frontier for prosthetics and artificial organs, while gun-rights advocates consider it a powerful tool for fabricating firearms. While lawmakers ponder regulations on the printing technology, its great potential in healthcare cannot be discounted. What once seemed like science fiction may soon become science fact.
3D printing may bring to mind The Jetsons and Star Trek, but it dates back to the “late 1980s and early 1990s,” according to Stephanie Crawford, a technical writer for HowStuffWorks.com. During that time, she writes, the printing system was relegated to “rapid prototyping” for manufactured products. The technology was originally invented by the 3D Systems company, which pioneered stereolithography. This method uses a laser and light-sensitive liquid plastic -- when the plastic is selectively exposed to the laser, it hardens into the desired shape. Other methods, such as SLS (selective laser sintering; it uses a laser to melt plastic) or direct printing (which functions much like a conventional printer, using plastics instead of ink) have come into play as the interest in the concept broadened.
3D printing’s greatest potential lies in the efficient creation of artificial organs and prosthetics. Indeed, recent studies and research show promising signs. Vladimir Mironov of the Medical University of South Carolina writes that “Organ printing… is currently feasible, fast-evolving and predicted to be a major technology…” As T. Rowe Price elaborates, a major breakthrough came in 2002, when a “miniature functional kidney” was 3D printed. In 2008, the first “3D-printed prosthetic leg” -- from knee to toe -- was successfully implanted. Progress continued in 2009 and 2012, when 3D printers created a human blood vessel and an artificial jaw, respectively. The building material used in creating artificial organs is typically taken “from biopsies or stem cells,” according to CNN. The tissue is then cultured and grown, and can be used in 3D printers, just like a standard ink or plastic. Organovo, a San Diego-based medical research company, uses “proprietary three-dimensional bioprinting technology” to develop realistic tests for drugs, as well as artificial tissue for use in surgery.
Despite the impressive capabilities of 3D printing in the field of medicine, many others are both thrilled and fearful of the possibility of readily-available, 3D-printed weapons. The Undetectable Firearms Act of 1988 made it illegal to own or produce guns that contained less than 3.7 ounces of steel, or which could evade detection by metal detectors and airport x-ray machines. The ban was renewed in 2013, although the amendment introduced by Senator Charles Schumer (D-NY) that called for regulations of 3D-printed guns did not pass. Representative Steve Israel (D-NY) has argued that even though current law requires metal in guns, a loophole could allow for metal pieces to be easily removed. Some government agencies, notably the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, have warned of the possible threat to public safety that such guns pose.
Meanwhile, gun enthusiasts continue to experiment with 3D printing. A corporation known as Defense Distributed has developed a working, 3D-printed gun called the Liberator, and aims to publish the blueprint files online for public use through its “Wiki Weapon” project. Despite the removal of the project by its host website, Defense Distributed was able to raise $20,000, which enabled it to kickstart its research. They hail the work as a triumph of libertarian ideals.
Overall, 3D printing presents a fascinating prospect for medicine, and a quandary for regulation. It shows great promise in medical applications, and could stand to better the lives of countless worldwide who suffer from myriad illnesses. While the concern for security is legitimate, this new and intriguing technology is certainly here to stay.