Crack Rule

We are heading into an era of huge technological advances and achievements, especially in the field of medicine.  Problems and conditions that may have literally been the death of you a hundred years ago may now be cured, simply by taking advantage of the latest medical technological breakthroughs.  And 3D printing may have a huge part in that.



James has already introduced us to the concept of 3D printing (check out his other 3D printing articles here, here and here), but one area which he did not touch on was bioprinting
.  This is the concept of using 3D printing to make human tissue and organs.  In other words, printing the human body and constructing what a person needs.  With today’s technology, it would take 10 days to make a liver, but with the speed that technology improves, who knows?  We could eventually end up creating one instantly at the flick of a button, like the holodeck in Star Trek.
Today’s infographic shows the printing process for creating human cells.  It also gives you a timeline for the development of bioprinting, as well as showing the benefits for the pharmaceutical industry.

Let us know what you think of the infographic.  Do you think it’s entirely feasible that one day we will have the ability to print human organs to order?  Can you think of any downsides to the plan?  And if you were needing a new organ, would you accept one made by a 3D printer?  Let us know in the comments.

Click on the infographic to see a much larger version


Infographic Source: Printerinks
Image Source: WanderingWhiteHorse