How many kidneys do you want?

Sheldonrs · 03-04-2011, 01:01 PM

But what happens when the toner runs low? :-)
A "printer" that can generate a "copy" of human organs!

http://www.popsci.com/science/articl...medium=twitter

Tissue Engineer Prints Replacement Kidney Onstage at TED 2011 Anthony Atala wows the crowd
By Rebecca Boyle

Tissue Printer via TED MED
One of PopSci’s favorite regenerative medicine specialists, Anthony Atala, printed a real kidney on stage at the 2011 TED conference Thursday, in a technique that could be used to create new organs from a patient’s own tissue rather than relying on donated organs.

“It’s like baking a cake,” Atala said.

A few years ago, Atala figured out how to produce human tissue with a desktop inkjet printer, using cells as the printer ink. In a TED talk last year, he described printing heart valves and other tissues. This week at TED, he brought one of his patients on stage. When he was 10, Luke Massella was among the first people to receive a printed kidney — now he’s a healthy college student.

process employs scanners that collect a 3-D image of the organ that needs to be replaced. A small tissue sample, which AFP describes as the size of a postage stamp, seeds the printer, which replicates the tissue layer by layer to build a new organ, all in about six hours. It uses the patient’s own tissue, so it avoids any organ rejection issues.

To illustrate its simplicity, Atala whipped one up onstage and held it in his hand, according to several understandably breathless media reports.

Scanners and printers could conceivably be used to treat wounds. A flatbed scanner could scan a patient’s wound, while a printer adds the right types of tissues to fill it back in. “You can print right on the patient,” Atala said, according to a report on the talk at Fast Company.

Atala said about 90 percent of people on organ transplant lists are waiting for kidneys, but donors are few and far between. Meanwhile, patients must undergo painful and complicated dialysis treatment. And mechanical replacements are still a few years away. Atala said regenerative medicine could solve the organ shortage crisis, replacing failing body parts on demand.  

Clodfobble · 03-04-2011, 01:40 PM

Holy cow--they already put one of these things in a kid 8 years ago? We are a lot closer than I thought we were.

glatt · 03-04-2011, 01:46 PM

This is good news. By the time I'm an old man, they can print a new body for me. Better start saving up.

Sheldonrs · 03-04-2011, 01:50 PM

I'm waiting for a pocket-sized one from Apple.

I can make all the Matt Damons I want! :-)

Nirvana · 03-04-2011, 02:17 PM

Young body, old face = creepy

Nirvana · 03-04-2011, 02:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sheldonrs

I'm waiting for a pocket-sized one from Apple.

I can make all the Matt Damons I want! :-)

Why do you need more than 2?

Perry Winkle · 03-04-2011, 02:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nirvana

Why do you need more than 2?

Because...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eSfoF6MhgLA

Sheldonrs · 03-04-2011, 02:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nirvana

Why do you need more than 2?

Because eventually the 1st one will get tired. Or i might break him.

Undertoad · 03-04-2011, 07:38 PM

This'll never work. The printer makers will only issue enough cell cartridge to print half a kidney. The replacement cartridges will cost $500,000.

footfootfoot · 03-04-2011, 08:37 PM

Want a 8igger p3ni$?

Clodfobble · 03-04-2011, 10:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Undertoad

This'll never work. The printer makers will only issue enough cell cartridge to print half a kidney. The replacement cartridges will cost $500,000.

And you know what else? The color cartridges are always more expensive than the black and white ones. THAT'S RACIST.

Undertoad · 03-04-2011, 10:52 PM

"cartridges of color"

ZenGum · 03-05-2011, 03:37 AM

How long til they start printing boobies?

ZenGum · 03-05-2011, 03:38 AM

And how many boobies should a person have? Two? Three? Four? Six? Where does it end?

Seriously, if we can design the engineering, can we have tentacles and wings and stuff?

Griff · 03-05-2011, 09:15 AM

We can and will. As a three boobie warlock dude, I say three is optimum.

03-04-2011, 01:01 PM	#1
Sheldonrs Master Dwellar Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Los Angeles, CA Posts: 4,412	How many kidneys do you want? But what happens when the toner runs low? :-) A "printer" that can generate a "copy" of human organs! http://www.popsci.com/science/articl...medium=twitter Tissue Engineer Prints Replacement Kidney Onstage at TED 2011 Anthony Atala wows the crowd By Rebecca Boyle Tissue Printer via TED MED One of PopSci’s favorite regenerative medicine specialists, Anthony Atala, printed a real kidney on stage at the 2011 TED conference Thursday, in a technique that could be used to create new organs from a patient’s own tissue rather than relying on donated organs. “It’s like baking a cake,” Atala said. A few years ago, Atala figured out how to produce human tissue with a desktop inkjet printer, using cells as the printer ink. In a TED talk last year, he described printing heart valves and other tissues. This week at TED, he brought one of his patients on stage. When he was 10, Luke Massella was among the first people to receive a printed kidney — now he’s a healthy college student. process employs scanners that collect a 3-D image of the organ that needs to be replaced. A small tissue sample, which AFP describes as the size of a postage stamp, seeds the printer, which replicates the tissue layer by layer to build a new organ, all in about six hours. It uses the patient’s own tissue, so it avoids any organ rejection issues. To illustrate its simplicity, Atala whipped one up onstage and held it in his hand, according to several understandably breathless media reports. Scanners and printers could conceivably be used to treat wounds. A flatbed scanner could scan a patient’s wound, while a printer adds the right types of tissues to fill it back in. “You can print right on the patient,” Atala said, according to a report on the talk at Fast Company. Atala said about 90 percent of people on organ transplant lists are waiting for kidneys, but donors are few and far between. Meanwhile, patients must undergo painful and complicated dialysis treatment. And mechanical replacements are still a few years away. Atala said regenerative medicine could solve the organ shortage crisis, replacing failing body parts on demand.   __________________ Laugh and the world laughs with you; cry and the world laughs AT you.

03-04-2011, 01:40 PM	#2
Clodfobble UNDER CONDITIONAL MITIGATION Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Austin, TX Posts: 20,012	Holy cow--they already put one of these things in a kid 8 years ago? We are a lot closer than I thought we were. __________________ My book My other book My spirit animal

03-04-2011, 01:50 PM	#4
Sheldonrs Master Dwellar Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Los Angeles, CA Posts: 4,412	I'm waiting for a pocket-sized one from Apple. I can make all the Matt Damons I want! :-) __________________ Laugh and the world laughs with you; cry and the world laughs AT you.

03-04-2011, 02:17 PM	#5
Nirvana Back in 10 Join Date: Aug 2008 Posts: 3,684	Young body, old face = creepy __________________ Speaking simply... do not confuse this with having a simple mind.

03-04-2011, 08:37 PM	#10
footfootfoot To shreds, you say? Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: in the house and on the street-how many, many feet we meet! Posts: 18,449	Want a 8igger p3ni$? __________________ The internet is a hateful stew of vomit you can never take completely seriously. - Her Fobs

03-04-2011, 01:46 PM	#3
glatt ™ Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Arlington, VA Posts: 27,717	This is good news. By the time I'm an old man, they can print a new body for me. Better start saving up.

03-04-2011, 07:38 PM	#9
Undertoad Radical Centrist Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Cottage of Prussia Posts: 31,423	This'll never work. The printer makers will only issue enough cell cartridge to print half a kidney. The replacement cartridges will cost $500,000.

03-04-2011, 10:52 PM	#12
Undertoad Radical Centrist Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Cottage of Prussia Posts: 31,423	"cartridges of color"

03-05-2011, 03:37 AM	#13
ZenGum Doctor Wtf Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Badelaide, Baustralia Posts: 12,861	How long til they start printing boobies? __________________ Shut up and hug. MoreThanPretty, Nov 5, 2008. Just because I'm nominally polite, does not make me a pussy. Sundae Girl.

03-05-2011, 03:38 AM	#14
ZenGum Doctor Wtf Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Badelaide, Baustralia Posts: 12,861	And how many boobies should a person have? Two? Three? Four? Six? Where does it end? Seriously, if we can design the engineering, can we have tentacles and wings and stuff? __________________ Shut up and hug. MoreThanPretty, Nov 5, 2008. Just because I'm nominally polite, does not make me a pussy. Sundae Girl.

03-05-2011, 09:15 AM	#15
Griff still says videotape Join Date: Feb 2001 Posts: 26,813	We can and will. As a three boobie warlock dude, I say three is optimum. __________________ If you would only recognize that life is hard, things would be so much easier for you. - Louis D. Brandeis

Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)