Ankle Implants Created with the Help of 3D Technology

December 17, 2020
ankles

Making a complicated process much easier

A Spanish Football team has partnered with some amazing researchers to test out their new device. It is a 3D printed cell restoring ankle implants. Though the process to make, these amazing devices may seem complicated, with the help of 3D laser scanning and other 3D tech, making these bioprinted implants has never been easier. This project is still in the testing phase and called TRIANKLE. This project has over 12 companies and one professional football team working together to create something miraculous.

This new creation could help many people restore damaged ankles and may lead to other groundbreaking ways to repair broken or hurt body parts. This could help with many different areas in the medical field. This would not only help athletes but many others like soldiers who are physical and acquire injuries.

The process is not yet finalized, and many students from Gonzaga University have adopted 3D laser scanning to adjust the process and remove much trial and error from the prototyping. With 3D laser scanning and printing, the process can be effortless and smooth. However, it may take some time to get there.

How does 3D laser scanning pair with 3D printing

Both of these include 3D technology but do very different things. 3D laser scanning involves taking rapid pictures and measurements of an object. At the same time, the pictures are being taken, there are lasers that are being measured by the distance they travel. This is the step that acquires all of the information and saves it in the cloud. It came before 3D printing was even invented. Everything can be saved as a digital file and kept as a future reference.

3D printing is the step that can come after scanning. It is a giant computer that reads the information. It can read things like the dimensions, shapes, sizes, colors, and then print it exactly how it reads it. Different materials can be fed through the tip that produces an object. Whatever the 3D laser scanning device picks up can be printed into an exact replica.

These two technologies can go hand in hand, but they are not always used together. The combination is a smart match and can be relatively budget-friendly, considering all of the amazing advantages that come with using both of these tools.

How this can help our future

Finding ways to create tissue could help us figure out how to heal our own bodies easily and affordably. This doesn’t have to be for just football players or sports members. This can be for anyone who struggles with tissue problems or needs other help.

Final thoughts

3D laser scanning has changed the way we look at our bodies, study them, and the way we heal them. It provides an accurate and in-depth picture of what is going on and allows doctors and researchers to treat them and find unique solutions to our problems. This technology has entered the medical field and will not deter any time soon. It has created amazing ways to allow us all to heal without raising the price of affordable healthcare.