Shapeways visit (3D printing company)

[NARSES2]

At the more experimental end of these machines is biologic printing, the medium in use - stem cells, the goal products - working kidneys, liver, heart, the so -called "mechanical" organs. Currently at the mice and monkeys stage.

http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-12520951

http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20120621-printing-a-human-kidney

Pie in the sky/ crazy-eyed future possibles- custom bodies. Imagine a modelmakers variant, four arms with ten fingers each, cushion tuccus and overcapacity bladder for long sit-down sessions, eyes set for 80x magnify.  

Read that the other day and initialy I thought April 1st had come early   I think it's the Lensman series of books where doctors come up with a way to grow new limbs/organs ? So maybe E E Doc Smith was right after all.

As for the model makers special - I've got a fairly well cushioned backside and even with 80x mag I'd still probably need my specs  

[Mossie]

It's not that new a concept believe or not.  A company I worked for was researching in this field over a decade ago and the general idea has been around for years.  I'ts called bioscafolding, creating a frame to grow new tissue around.  It's already around in some more primative forms, there's a product where skin is grown in a lab (from human foreskin tissue) for skin grafting and acts as a framework for new tissue to form around.  Collagen products have been around for some years, most well known for cosmetic implants but can be used in surgical applications for rebuilding facial tissue for example.

Remember the earmouse?

3D printing is a new tool in creating the scaffold, but don't expect it to happen soon.  Relatively 'simple' organs such as liver tissue have been printed, but creating a fully functioning one is quite far off yet, and things like growing organs still pretty much remain science fiction.  It's a bit like modelling, we can create models and kits using the process, using it to create a fully functional vehicle is a different kettle fish.