Artificial ear that looks real!

With the help of 3-D printing and injectable moulds, bio-engineers and physicians have synthesised an artificial ear offering new hope to thousands of children born with microtia, a congenital deformity that leaves the external ear under developed. Many children born with microtia do have an intact inner ear, but experience hearing loss due to the missing external structure.

Weill Cornell Medical College biomedical engineers and physicians described how 3-D printing and injectable gels made of living cells, grew cartilage to replace the collagen that was used to mould them, over a three month period, the journal Public Library of Science One reports. ‘This is such a win-win for both medicine and basic science, demonstrating what we can achieve when we work together,’ said Lawrence Bonassar, associate professor of biomedical engineering, who co-led the study, according to a Weill Cornell statement.