Got A Lot On Your Mind? Try 3D Printing Your Brain
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This new technology has got you covered inside and out, from head to toe.
We've seen scientists and designers 3D print a car, prosthetic limbs and even a house, but what else is possible with the technology? How about 3D printing a human brain?
It's a complex task, but a team of researchers from Harvard's Wyss Institute developed a new method of 3D printing that preserves an incredible amount of detail, Engadget reports.
The team took data from MRI and CT scans and applied dithered bitmaps, a type of digital file format which turns greyscale images into a series of black and white dots. This allows the 3D model to retain all the pertinent data contained in the MRI.
This method of scanning and 3D printing isn't just for brains. It can also be applied to other body parts such as the foot, while providing a lot of detail about its interior skeletal and muscular structure.
"Our approach not only allows for high levels of detail to be preserved and printed into medical models, but it also saves a tremendous amount of time and money," said team member James Weaver.
The team hopes to eventually bring the technology to hospitals, where it can serve as a teaching tool for medical students and help doctors determine diagnoses and communicate them to patients.