3-D printing creates life-like artificial ears

In a glimmer of hope to thousands of people born with hearing deformity, scientists have created an artificial ear, using 3-D printing and injectable molds, that looks and acts like a natural ear. Cornell biomedical engineers and Weill Cornell Medical College physicians have described how 3-D printing and injectable gels made of living cells can fashion ears that are practically identical to a human ear. Over a three-month period, these flexible ears grew cartilage to replace the collagen that was used to mold them. “This is such a win-win for both medicine and basic science, demonstrating what we can achieve when we work together,” co-lead author Lawrence Bonassar said. In the study, this novel ear claims to be the solution reconstructive surgeons have waited for to help children with congenital deformity called microtia. “A bio-engineered ear replacement like this would also help individuals who have lost part or all of their external ear in an accident or of cancer,” co-lead author Jason Spector said. Replacement ears are usually constructed with materials that have a Styrofoam-like consistency, or sometimes, surgeons build ears from a patient’s harvested rib. This option is challenging and painful for children, and the ears rarely look completely natural or perform well, Spector said. To make the ears, Bonassar and colleagues started with a digitised 3-D image of a human subject’s ear, and converted the image into a digitised “solid” ear using a 3-D printer to assemble a mold.

*** Customs detains palestinian director in LA Los Angeles: Oscar-nominated Palestinian director Emad Burnat complained on Wednesday that US customs briefly held him as he arrived for the awards, but said his people endure similar problems every day. Burnat, whose Five Broken Cameras is shortlisted for best documentary at the 85th Academy Awards, said being detained for an hour at Los Angeles’ LAX airport with his wife and eight-year-old son was “unpleasant.” “Last night, on my way from Turkey to Los Angeles ... My family and I were held at US immigration for about an hour and questioned about the purpose of my visit to the US,” he said. — AFP