Vietnam war veteran, Shirley Anderson recieved a new 3D printed jaw after he had lost his real one during his battle with tongue cancer.
Shirley Anderson, a 65-year-old Vietnam war veteran, just got a chance at an improved quality of life in the form of a new 3D printed jaw.
Daily Mail reports that Anderson was diagnosed with tongue cancer in 1998. The retired mechanic lost half his face during the several stages of treatment. In order to kill the cancer doctors had inserted a radium implant into his jaw. While the implant was successful in killing cancer, it also destroyed his facial tissues. The second mishap occurred when the doctors tried to re-grow the facial tissue by using tissues from his chest and failed, resulting in the loss of his jaw and Adam's apple.
After years of hiding his face with a surgical mask, Anderson finally got help from Dr. Bellicchi and his team at Indiana University. Dr. Bellicchi, an expert in maxillofacial prosthetics had heard of Anderson's case before and had previously tried to develop an artificial jaw with previously known methods. However, he soon discovered that it was too heavy and would prevent Anderson from consuming anything solid. So, in an attempt to come up with a more viable solution, he turned to the university's media and sciences wing and to Cade Jacobs, a student who specialises in 3D printing and design.
Jacobs was immediately on board with the case and using a Formlabs stereolithographic 3D printer and a program called Zbrush, he created a virtual impression of Anderson's face. He worked on details like pores and wrinkles to make it realistic and tapered the edges so that it would fit comfortably on the veteran's face. He then printed the mould using a Form 2 SLA 3D printer and cast it in a lightweight, breathable silicone.
Anderson was finally able to stop using the surgical mask because of the efforts of the team. "It started off as a unique challenge and something very different that would be interesting to be a part of," said Jacobs on being part of the team.
Shirley and his wife, Della are very happy that the procedure worked because as Della put it, "It's kind of been one bad thing after another and it all stemmed from radiation." Della spoke on Anderson's behalf as he prompted her and said, "What Shirley wants is to help other people. Ten years down the road who knows how fast they're going to be able to make something like that."
The team has since helped produce prostheses for 6 other patients, including one who lost his ear in an industrial accident.
Watch | The Shirley Technique: A cancer survivor receives a new jaw
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
 "Shirley technique")
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}