3D Printed Prosthetics

3D Printing has been all over the news lately as a way to rapidly design custom prosthetics for amputees. Some examples:

http://www.reuters.com/video/2012/02/27/3d-printed-prosthetics-offer-amputees-ne?videoId=230878689

http://news.yahoo.com/wounded-eagle-gets-3d-printed-beak-212747462.html

We thought it was about time this same level of medical care was offered to stuffed animals.

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Subject is a 15-year old stuffed pig, whose right arm was lost to a vicious animal in a horrifying accident.

Doctors carefully measured the pig's left arm to create a duplicate that would be virtually identical to the original limb in fit and function.

Because the hospital has a Prusa Reprap 3D Printer on hand, the doctors were able to design and 3D print a prosthetic in no time at all, and now the pig is once again able to perform all the activites it enjoyed before the vicious attack claimed its original arm.

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Guide to Photos:

1 & 2: The patient as initially admitted to the clinic. Note the missing arm has been inexpertly bandaged by a previous doctor.

3: This photograph of the 3D printer creating the prosthetic illustrates how we have filled the interior of the prosthetic with 'plastic stuffing' in order to simulate the pig's original limb.

4+: It's a stunning replica of his original limb; one can hardly notice it is artificial. It retains all the function of the original limb.

Final Photo: Complete success means our patient is able to re-integrate into his previous lifestyle. He can now pass for a normal stuffed pig, without being ostracized for being different.

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Link to the flickr:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/13723140@N04/sets/72157631557873975/with/7996231007/