3D Printed Kidney Being Funded on Indiegogo

[Larry]

Ok, I will start this post with the caveat that I have no idea how driven this guy is or if he has the required experience to do such a thing....

His name is Fabio Carvalho, a Physician, and Independent Researcher, from Aracaju Brazil. His wife suffers from chronic kidney disease, thus he is seeking funding to create the world's first 3D printed Human Kidney.


He is looking to raise $500,000 to build the 3D printers, acquire the cells needed, and do the research needed, which will hopefully lead to him printing out the kidney. The Indiegogo project is a little difficult to read because of the English is not the best, but he basically states that such technology is needed because millions of people suffer from kidney disorders, who need help. Transplants are not cutting it as there are long wait lists as well as the chance of rejection. With kidneys printed from a person's own stem cell rejections will no longer be a major issue.

Here is the project, what do you think? it just launched last night:
http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/pr...ney-3d-printed

[3dkarma]

Not sure how you'd get the cells to bond, but then I'm not a doctor. Also, I don't think kidneys are homogenous, so you'd need multiple heads to "print" the different types of cells at appropriate locations.

Not saying these issues aren't insurmountable, but these are the first two hurdles that immediately come to mind.

[awerby]

I was just reading about a team of students who came up with the outer shell of a kidney, with all the plumbing connections. Apparently the 3D printing technology they were using didn't have the resolution to do the filtration needed to make it function, but it's a start: http://www.engineering.com/3DPrintin...Prototype.aspx

Andrew Werby
www.computersculpture.com