3D printers have changed a lot in terms of the production of plastic objects, or other types of materials, and now we are talking about an interesting premiere. In the video clip below you can see the achievement of the University of Minnesota researchers, they managed to use a 3D printer to print components for a bionic eye prototype.
What you see at the end is the housing of a bionic eye prototype, together with the circuits that would at some point allow the transfer of information to the optic nerve, and to the brain. Silver was also used in the printing process, which is the basis of ensuring the transmission of information, all without it leaking beyond the limits of the circuits thought by the researchers.
The first BIonic Eye Prototype was 3D Printed
In sci-fi movies I have seen a variety of cases where bionic eyes were used to improve vision, or to restore sight to those who were blind. The same thing is pursued here, the creation of electronic devices that will restore people's sight, or in some cases improve it, but everything is, for now, very far from being realized.
"We have a long way to go to routinely print active electronics reliably, but our 3D-printed semiconductors are now starting to show that they could potentially rival the efficiency of semiconducting devices manufactured in microfabrication facilities. Plus, we can easily print a semiconducting device on a curved surface, and they can't."
The premiere itself is very important, because it could give others the idea to invest in similar projects, and in the end everything will be beneficial for people all over the world. Of course, the first products of this kind will be very expensive, but at least there is interest in creating something like this, which will be extremely useful for many who desperately need them.
