A 3D printer company and a group of researchers built a prosthetic to replace a diseased portion of a rare bird’s bill, the company said Monday, demonstrating the use of the technology for treating individuals with difficult medical ailments.
Formlabs and a University of South Florida medical team built the replacement for Crescent, a great Indian hornbill whose beak had grown cancerous. Crescent is a resident of ZooTampa in Tampa, Florida, and had a cancer that’s usually fatal for the species.
Formlabs used a “biocompatible” resin called BioMed White that lets its 3D printers build products for use in human bodies. The developmental material was used to form part of Crescent’s casque, the distinctive ridges that protrude above a hornbill’s beak. The cancer, located near the bird’s skull, couldn’t be removed because it housed part of her sinuses.
“Clinical literature has shown improved outcomes when patient-specific prosthetics, medical devices and surgical guides have been used with human patients,” Gaurav Manchanda, director of medical market development for Formlabs, said in a statement. “We’re thrilled that our technology was also able to bring these same benefits to Crescent.”