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"SAN FRANCISCO - 3-D printing, used to construct everything from art to toys to spare parts for the space station, may one day produce human organs at a hospital near you. click image to enlarge A 3-D printed prosthetic nose and ear are displayed at an industry show in London in November. The technology may eventually help reduce organ shortages. Bloomberg News photo by Chris Ratcliffe Select images available for purchase in the Maine Today Photo Store The 20-year-old technology uses liquid materials that become hard as they print out three-dimensional objects in layers, based on a digital model. Current medical uses are in dentistry, for hard-material crowns, caps and bridges, as well as prosthetics. Last year, a 3-D printer was used to create a structure from moldable polymer that replaced more than 75 percent of a patient's skull. Now, Organovo Holdings Inc. is using 3-D printers to create living tissue that may one day look and act like a human liver, able to cleanse the body of toxins. Drugmakers and cosmetic companies already plan to use 3-D printed human tissue to test new products. Eventually, the technology may help reduce organ shortages and cut transplant rejections as patients receive new organs constructed from their own cells. "3-D printing is like a new tool set," said Organovo Chief Executive Officer Keith Murphy. "You can make a living tissue you can grow outside the body. That's the core of our technology. How can you be smart about doing that?" Organovo already is preparing to sell strips of liver tissue to drugmakers this year to be used to test toxicity of potential treatments, Murphy said in a telephone interview. The San Diego-based company's five- and 10-year goals are first to use a patient's own cells to print tissue strips that can be used to patch failing organs, and finally to be able to create entire new organs. The first 3-D printer was produced in 1992. Since then, a variety of materials have been used as the t

"Dying patients could someday receive a 3D-printed organ made from their own cells rather than wait on long lists for the short supply of organ transplants. Such a futuristic dream remains far from reality, but university labs and private companies have already taken the first careful steps by using 3D-printing technology to build tiny chunks of organs. Regenerative medicine has already implanted lab-grown skin, tracheas and bladders into patients - body parts grown slowly through a combination of artificial scaffolds and living human cells. By comparison, 3D-printing technology offers both greater speed and computer-guided precision in printing living cells layer by layer to make replacement skin, body parts and perhaps eventually organs such as hearts, livers and kidneys."

"A computed tomography (CT) scan uses X-rays to make detailed pictures of structures inside of the body. During the test, you will lie on a table that is attached to the CT scanner, which is a large doughnut-shaped machine. The CT scanner sends X-rays through the body area being studied. Each rotation of the scanner provides a picture of a thin slice of the organ or area. All of the pictures are saved as a group on a computer. They also can be printed. In some cases, a dye called contrast material may be used. It may be put in a vein (IV) in your arm, or it may be placed into other parts of your body (such as the rectum or a joint) to see those areas better. For some types of CT scans you drink the dye. The dye makes structures and organs easier to see on the CT pictures. A CT scan can be used to study all parts of your body, such as the chest, belly, pelvis, or an arm or leg. It can take pictures of body organs, such as the liver, pancreas, intestines, kidneys, bladder, adrenal glands, lungs, and heart. It also can study blood vessels, bones, and the spinal cord. Fluoroscopy CT is a special test that is not widely available. It uses a steady beam of X-rays to look at movement within the body. It allows the doctor to see your organs move or to guide a biopsy needle or other instrument into the right place inside your body." This talks about the CAT (CT) scan. It tells how it is preformed.

"3D Printing Aims to Deliver Organs on Demand" 3D Organ Printing

Ears, bones and other body parts have been spit out of 3D printers in the lab. Here's a look at what organs can be created with 3D printing and are ready for prime time.

"Such a futuristic dream remains far from reality, but university labs and private companies have already taken the first careful steps by using 3D-printing technology to build tiny chunks of organs." This website provides information on how far we currently are in the process of construction new organs from 3D printers. It talks about what bodily materials have already been made by the printers and how they were made. For example the pieces of skin that have already been successfully used on patients. Then it tells you about who came up with this discovery and when. We can use this source as a reference on how far we have come with 3D printing. It is reliable because it is on an official science website and all of the information is cited throughout the article.

Michio Kaku says in his book that all technological revolutions are leading to the creation of a planetary civilization. "The planetary phase of civilization is a concept defined by the Global Scenario Group (GSG), an environmental organization that specializes in scenario analysis and forecasting. Proponents of the planetary phase of Civilization State that it refers to a current historical transition from a world of capitalist states and consumerist societies to a world of increased global connectivity with new global institutions (like the United Nations and the World Trade Organization), new information technologies, environmental change in the biosphere, economic globalization, and shifts in culture and consciousness. Although the concept is hotly debated in some circles, most reputable scientists give little credence to the theory and assert that current global economic interconnectedness is a function of advanced technology rather than the emergence of anything new in cultural or sociological terms."

"The "ink" in the bioprinting process employed by Organovo is composed of spheres packed with tens of thousands of human cells. These spheres are assembled or "printed" on sheets of organic biopaper." This is a very interesting video on how organ printing is accomplished. It describes how the use of bio-ink can enable us to create a functioning structure out of thousands of human cells, and it does this through clear descriptions and footage. It gives you a look inside of a lab where 3D organ printing is being created and introduces you to a scientist who is highly experienced in the field. We know it is reliable because in the description it tells us all about the man who made these predictions, Dr. Gabor Forgacs. This will be highly beneficial during our research by helping us understand how 3D printing works.

Bio-printing human organs and tissue: Get ready for the great 3D printer debate"

News talking about how organ printing can change the medicine for people.

4 videos demonstrating organ printing

A little power-point kinda thing.

Overview of organ printing and what is expected in the future

"Approximately 18 people die every day waiting for an organ transplant. But that may change someday sooner than you think -- thanks to 3D printing." This website explains how a 3D printer would work and what progress is currently being made with them. It is predicted that we will be able to print a functioning liver by next year! This will be a reliable resource because it can help us understand how 3D printing will work and who will be affected by it. Not only does it talk about who would use the organs, but also how the companies that produced them would be affected. We know this is a reliable website because the author is cited, along with the references he used to get his information.

"In the field of medical device development there are a number of factors generally recognised as being important for success. Among these are the biocompatibility, sterility, reliability and adaptability of materials to their surroundings. Without a suitable approach to these issues, the majority of medical devices will not be as successful as they could be. Biocompatibility of materials, in particular, is a critical factor in the development and application of permanent and temporary implants and other devices such as catheters and tubes that are to be used in and around the body. Coating technology is the obvious and ideal solution for separating the bulk properties of a material or device from direct interaction with its surroundings. The independent modification of surface and bulk properties widens the range of features that can be incorporated into products. Bulk properties are responsible for characteristics such as mechanical strength. A suitable coating will enhance the interaction of the device with its surroundings. For example, it will provide drug-elusion (stents), anti-fouling and antibacterial properties, and a hydrophobic self-cleaning surface, referred to as lotus coating.1 The lotus effect in material science is the observed self-cleaning property found with lotus plants. A coating with this effect will make surfaces self-cleaning and will decrease the need for active cleaning of the subsequent surface; it may even enhance the sterility of surfaces. Recently there have been some interesting developments in materials and coatings based on organic and inorganic components, which are responsible for current state-of-the-art devices. Examples include coatings for stents that provide multiple therapeutic effects in thinner layers and coatings with better adhesion to device surfaces. The future holds the promise of even greater functionality for medical coatings."

definition of molecular medicine. Third stage of medicine. "Molecular medicine is a broad field, where physical, chemical, biological and medical techniques are used to describe molecular structures and mechanisms, identify fundamental molecular and genetic errors of disease, and to develop molecular interventions to correct them. The molecular medicine perspective emphasizes cellular and molecular phenomena and interventions rather than the previous conceptual and observational focus on patients and their organs.[1]"

second stage of medicine "Germ theory states that many diseases are caused by the presence and actions of specific micro-organisms within the body. The theory was developed and gained gradual acceptance in Europe and the United States from the middle 1800s. It eventually superseded existing miasma and contagion theories of disease and in so doing radically changed the practice of medicine. It remains a guiding theory that underlies contemporary biomedicine."

"A PET scan uses a small amount of radioactive material (tracer). The  tracer is given through a vein (IV), most often on the inside of your elbow. The tracer travels through your blood and collects in organs and tissues. This helps the radiologist see certain areas of concern more clearly. You will need to wait nearby as the tracer is absorbed by your body. This takes about 1 hour. Then, you will lie on a narrow table that slides into a large tunnel-shaped scanner. The PET picks up detects signals from the tracer. A computer changes the signals into 3-D pictures. The images are displayed on a monitor for your doctor to read. You must lie still during test. Too much movement can blur images and cause errors. How long the test takes depends on what part of the body is being scanned." This talks about how a PET scan is preformed and other stuff about the PET scan.

How organ printing works.

"Because of the increasing number of scientists who study the nervous system, several prominent neuroscience organizations have been formed to provide a forum to all neuroscientists and educators."

In this article you will find key information to begin the great researching stage of this project. While reading this website you learn that one of the main goals of DARPA (Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency) and NASA are to create an Interstellar Spaceship that would be able to travel to stars that are light years away. This project is what they will be focusing a majority of their research on and giving grants to separate organizations to help them carry out this goal. They are hoping to develop this spaceship in the next 100 years and are hoping to use futuristic technologies such as thermonuclear engines, or sending vehicles across the galaxy by bouncing laser beams off their sails to help create these spaceships. They are also offering to accept new ideas such as anti-gravity engines, and plasma shields. This website holds very useful information.