Scientists produce body parts through 3D printers

According to a statement released by Chronicle Online of Cornell University, a group of bioengineers and doctors at the institution is producing body parts through laboratory 3D printers. According to the publication, the researchers used animal tails and ears as "ink" - or raw material - and the end result is virtually identical to a human ear.

The first step in the process involves printing a mold in the shape of a human ear - which takes about a full day to complete - which is then filled with a kind of gel developed from mouse tail collagen and cartilage from the ear of cows.

Printed ear

After filling the mold with the gel - a process that takes about 30 minutes - it takes about 15 minutes to remove the ear from the mold. Then the ear is trimmed and placed in a cell culture for a few days before it can be implanted.

Researchers hope the technology could be used in the future to treat microtia - a congenital ear disease - or to help patients who have lost or damaged their ears due to an illness or accident. And if the experiments continue to work as well as so far, the first transplant could take place within three years.