Tag Archives: 3D printing

I See

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Well, not literally. But you can’t tell from looking.

We’ve talked several times before about 3D printing, but never quite like this. These 3D printed prosthetic eyes are not only extraordinarily detailed, but also matched as close as possible to the other eye. While we tend to simplify eye color, there are actually hundreds of possible shades of brown, green, blue, etc. These prosthesis examples are about as similar to a real eye someone can get, without having a real eye.

Previously, patients would have to settle for other, less perfect stand-ins, such as glass and acrylics. These other materials were good, but not particularly well matched or fitted. A precision 3D-printed model, created from scans of the patients actual eye, is as close to perfection as we’ve come thus far.

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What Sparks Our Fire:  The expansion of new technology into medically useful applications, improving the lives of people who are otherwise disabled.

Could you tell the first picture was of a fake eye?

Air Artistry

If you want to draw on the air, first of all, you still have that child-like sense of wonder and imagination and we’re jealous. Second, you can do it now, so you win.

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Think of it as a handheld 3D printer. The 3Doodler uses the same ABS plastic you’d find in a normal professional 3D printer, and puts it into a handheld device. It takes very little skill to use and all you need to do is plug it in and go. As you draw with it, the implement extrudes heated plastic, which almost immediately cools, creating a hardened structure. Not only can you draw freehand in midair, you can also use stencils to trace out patterns and peel them off to create flat pieces, which can either be standalone or used together to create 3D sculptures.

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One of the most popular gadgets of the year, the Kickstarter campaign has raised $2,344,134 of their original $30,000 goal, so they’re doing pretty well. For a pledge of $75, you can receive a doodler in February of 2014, along with supplies. Based on the reaction this above GIF got in the office, we at Canopy loved it and will be buying, like, six of them.

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What Sparks Our Fire: Creativity is no longer two-dimensional!

Would you buy this midair doodler?

3D exoskeleton

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Designer Jake Evill has developed a 3D-printed cast for people with fractured and broken bones that is longer lasting than traditional plaster casts. The design, dubbed the Cortex Exoskeleton, provides more structured support as well as a higher resistance to wear and tear than traditional casts. In addition to a lighter and stronger body, the cast is  waterproof. The process of creating the cast has also been simplified. An X-ray of the break is now combined with a 3D scan of the limb, then a custom sleeve is printed.

What sparks our fire: We remember the tried and true cast waterproofing technique. Showering with a garbage bag.

What medical advancements will 3D printing contribute to next?

Enjoy!

-Canopy Team