Bio pen: a hand held 3D printing pen for surgery.

BioPen is a handheld 3D printer which allows surgeons to precisely design and deliver customized bone and other implant materials (live stem cells and growth factors) at the time of surgery to regenerate bone, cartilage, muscle, or nerve tissue. The University of Wollongong (UOW) in Australia developed a handheld device is designed to let surgeons “draw” live cells and growth factors directly onto the site of an injury to help accelerate the regeneration of functional bone and cartilage. The BioPen extrudes cell material inside a biopolymer Instead of plastic filament,such as alginate, which is in turn encased in an outer layer of gel material. Both the outer and inner layers are combined in the pen head as it is extruded and the surgeon “draws” to fill in a section of damaged bone. When the surgeon draws with the BioPen, the two layers of gel are combined in the pen head as they are are extruded onto the bone surface to fill in the damaged bone section. Then, an ultraviolet light source solidifies the materials, providing protection for the embedded cells as they are built up layer-by-layer to construct a 3D scaffold in the wound site. Once the cells are drawn onto the surgery site, they will multiply, become differentiated into nerve cells, muscle cells, or bone cells, and eventually develop from individual cells into a thriving community of cells in the form of functioning tissue. Contributed by coolweirdo.com

Giant fish that eats crocodiles and humans.

During a fishing expedition on the River Congo in Africa, British angler Jeremy Wade, 52, caught Goliath tigerfish. Goliath is considered one of the largest freshwater fish in the world. It is much larger and more deadly than the small piranha. The giant fish has 32 teeth that are similar in size to those of a great white shark, and it has been proven that it attacks humans and crocodiles. When people name something or someone Goliath, you better expect to see something humongous! Well that is clearly the case of the Goliath tigerfish. The biggest monster fish from this species caught up until now was 5 feet long and weighed 154 pounds, but there are indications that even much bigger specimens roam the Lualaba River, Lake Upemba and Lake Tanganyika in Africa Each of this monster’s razor-sharp teeth can be up to one inch long, and when these “knives” gulp on the unsuspecting prey, expect a clean cut. The Goliath tigerfish species takes extremely long to breed, because, they like to hunt, and eat a lot, hence, they invest their energy into killing, rather than breeding. Your first instinct when you catch such a fish would be to take it home and frame it, please do not, cause we have to preserve the species, or else, we’ll only see it in documentaries. Many thanks coolweirdo.com

A beautiful aquarium fence in Turkey.

Mehmet Ali Gökçeoğlu decided to build the coolest aquarium for his pet fish in his luxurious villa in Turkey. He went overboard and built the famous aquarium out in the open, in the form of a 50 meter long fence, surrounding his home. The wacky idea cost the millioniare plenty of thousands of dollars, but pretty soon, he saw his dream come true. The fence was a “fully furnished” aquarium, home to more than 1,000 fish, but also a few octopuses. The 50-meter-long aquarium has become a regular tourist attraction, and thousands of visitors come every day to admire the wondrous fish-fence. The hardest part of making the aqua-ence was connecting it to the Aegean sea with the aid of a 400-meter-long underground pipeline. This humongous conduct continuously changes the water, that is why it looks crystal clear and the fishes are extremely happy. The total amount spent on this cool aquarium fence was $21,000, but still has several costs with security and maintenance. The stunning aqua-fence is kept safe with the aid of more than 17 facial recognition security cameras. Visitors which line-up to see this cool, man-made structure are allowed to take pictures, or even film the aqua-fence, but if they come too close, they risk setting off an alarm. Contributed by Coolweirdo.com.

GENETICALLY MODIFIED BULLS TO BOOST FOOD SECURITY.

 The coolweirdo.com shows how genetic selection and experiments with the Belgian Blue has produced a humongous species of bulls packed with muscles and meat.

The reason these animals are getting so big is due to a very big genetic defect of a faulty myostatin gene, which is responsible for the gigantic size and double muscling.

  This amazing super species of cattle is known to have more than 40% additional muscle mass. They gain weight very fast, and produce high protein milk for their calf. Exploiting the rapid growth rate may provide an inroad to food security.

X-RAY GLASSES ALLOWS DOCTORS TO SEE BELOW THE SKIN.

Awesome X-Ray Glasses Let Doctors See Through the Skin. A new medical invention could allow doctors and medical staff to view what lays behind your skin.Eyes-On Glasses System is a new super-smart device developed by Evena Medical, an imaging technology firm. We all know that when it comes to taking blood, the hardest part is finding a vein. Well, that burden is why the awesome X-Ray vision glasses were invented. The glasses consist of a head-mounted device with a display which is equipped with vascular imaging technology. The company has managed to integrate technology into glasses, and a hands-free system projects overlays of digital content onto the user’s field of vision. As it X-ray vision alone weren’t enough, the super glasses are also able to store the information in order to make the documentation of vein condition throughout the patient’s hospital stay more accessible. If that doesn’t make whomever is using these glasses feel like they have superpowers, then maybe the fact that the glasses an also interact with any electronic medical records. Studies indicate that in nearly 40% of the cases, the first attempt to start an IV line fails, leading to the discomfort of the patient. That being said, the new device promises wonders! The amazing technology is actually the result of a combination between Evena’s multi-spectral 3D imaging technology with Epson’s Moverio smart glasses. Eyes-On system is designed to automatically log all of the collected data from each procedure and stores it with the rest of the patient’s medical records. With the aid of Moverio’s Wi-Fi connectivity, everything that the nurse sees can easily be shared with doctors anywhere worldwide. Contributed by Coolweirdo.com

VETERINARIANS AND DESIGN TEAM GIVE LIZARD 3D PRINTED PROSTHETIC LEG.

Whenever someone asks exactly what it is 3D printing is doing that’s so important, I’m torn between which examples to share first. With impacts occurring in so many sectors, from the space industry to automotive and construction, and far more, there are countless stories offering evidence as to exactly why this technology is important. The medical realm, however, is where you find the most compelling cases, and if you are one of those individuals today who have had their lives improved or that of a baby or family member saved, then what 3D printing means to you is something most of us can’t even imagine. People around the world are reaping the benefits, as well as discovering an endless outlet for creativity. But while the human element and quality of life is a strong focus, certainly don’t discount our priority on making sure that pets and wildlife get in on this goodness too. 3D printed prosthetics in the human realm are becoming much more accessible and affordable thanks to volunteer groups like e-NABLE, providing replacement limbs for children in need all over the world from Uganda to Ghana and far beyond. And should you think that the goats, sheep, chickens, kitties, cockatoos, and dogs are being forgotten, well check earlier posts. Now, that long list has a new favorite in the form of a semi-aquatic caiman lizard who, sadly, lost a rear leg to cancer last year. lizard Hiss Majesty is 16 years old and has a devoted family at the Shedd Aquarium in Chicago. In trying to re-create a new leg and foot for this amazingly adorable creature—who patiently sits while they cover his foot in molding materials—the team, consisting of 3D designers, animal care specialists, and veterinarians, is certainly exhibiting a true labor of love, because it would seem that getting the perfect fit for those stubby little legs is not an easy task. They’ve tried ten designs so far for the right rear foot, with trial and error going strong, but with improvements in each iteration. Translating the good rear left leg into a shape for the missing one, the team has used molding techniques and experimented until they have a nice collection. The use of flexible plastics that they have created so Hiss Majesty might have better mobility seemed like a likely choice for a prosthetic, along with the use of very lightweight silicone. The most recent top pick for Hiss Majesty is a 3D printed model with perfect chunky little toes and a prosthetic insert that’s like a sock for a nice tight fit. He’s a quiet guy, Hiss, and the team isn’t sure how much the prosthetic, or the one they pick for him, will improve his life, but they are certainly going the extra mile at the 3D printer with the goal of fabricating a prosthetic that has as much joint-like movement as possible. With eventual plans to change his name to ‘Bionic Hiss Majesty,’ they continue to forge ahead and it would seem they are copiously honing their design and printing skills for the reptilian world. “The goal for this is to see if we can get something that will actually work and use that as a tool in the future to improve animal care,” said designer Kristen Neria, who helped develop the prototypes. This last prototype is much more flexible and lifelike—and promising—but they are continuing to explore the use of molds and 3D printing technology for further, even more advanced designs. Neria says their priority is definitely on emphasizing the movement of joints, and they may even start experimenting with titanium. Hiss Majesty certainly has a twinkle in his eye and while everyone is hard at work trying to give him the prosthetic of the future, it would seem he’s pretty happy with the amount of attention he’s getting in the process, whether his foot is encased in plastic, silicone, or nothing at all. [Source: Chicago Tribune]

Indian doctors grow new nose on boy's forehead.

Doctors in India have replaced a 12-year-old boy's damaged nose with a new one which was grown on his forehead. Arun Patel's nose was badly damaged and disfigured when he suffered from pneumonia as a baby. The infection damaged the cartilage of his nose, making it difficult for doctors to fix it. A similar operation was carried out in China in 2013 where a man who had damaged his nose in a traffic accident was given a new one. Arun's parents took him to a doctor in their village in the central state of Madhya Pradesh when he suffered from pneumonia soon after his birth. But the treatment made his condition worse and he lost his nose due to extensive tissue damage. More than a decade later, a team of doctors in Indore city decided to conduct a rare four-phased plastic surgery to give Arun a new nose. Dr Ashwini Dash, who led the surgical team, told BBC Hindi's S Niazi that he was "confident that the new nose would work properly like his other organs". He added that the entire operation took about a year to finish. In the first phase, a silicon "tissue expander" was put on his forehead to make space to grow a new nose. Then a special chemical was injected to make the tissues expand. The second phase involved taking cartilage from his chest to create a new nose, which grew on his forehead over three months. The doctors removed the artificial nose in the third phase and implanted it on his face. The final phase involved repairing his forehead. Contributed by BBC NEWS.