Fripp Design Offers 3D Printed Facial Prosthetics

Additive manufacturing (AM) has been widely embraced by the medical community, and one of the technology’s most frequent medical uses is prosthetics design. All manner of prosthetics have been designed with the aid of AM, including high tech models, low cost models, and even animal prosthetics. AM’s flexibility and material options make it uniquely suited to building prosthetics more quickly and less expensively than through traditional manufacturing methods.

UK based Fripp Design is looking to add to the potential of 3D printed prosthetics with its development of AM-built facial prosthetics. Through careful material selection and model design, the company is planning to offer nose, ear and eye prosthetics. Not only will these prosthetics be less expensive than the custom, hand-crafted models currently used, they will also be available in a fraction of the time. A prosthetic could be ready in days, rather than the months currently required.

In order to build realistic nose and ear prosthetics that match the skin tone and original features of a patient, Fripp Design is working with the University of Sheffield to develop mapping procedures. Previous scans of the area are used, if available, to design the new prosthetic, and if no previous scans are available, the company relies on stock images.

With design in hand, Fripp Design first ensures the skin color match before beginning the print process using bio-compatible starch and silicone to build the soft-tissue prosthesis. The actual printing work is done on a Z-Corp Spectrum Z510. While the end result isn’t quite as realistic as a hand-crafted prosthetic, the reduced price tag could be appealing to those without the means to commission a more detailed piece.

Prosthetic eyes are another area to which Fripp Design intends to introduce AM creations. The company has entered into an arrangement with the Manchester Metropolitan University (MMU) to assist with this particular design challenge, resulting in a batch production process that could allow Fripp Design to print up to 150 prosthetic eyes per hour.

Eyes are color printed, including details such as veins and iris color, and then encased in resin. Currently, a prosthetic eye might cost as much as $4,800. 3D printed eyes could be produced for a little as $163, and Fripp Design is working with MMU to produce a stock of ready-made prosthetics that could be purchased for under $50. The company is predicting its entire prosthetics line will be ready to go no later than fall 2014.

Below you’ll find a short video about Fripp Design.

Sources: Cnet, zeen