Using an experimental technique never before tried on a human, they created a splint made out of biological material that effectively carved a path through Kaiba's blocked airway.
The Youngstown, Ohio, baby turned blue again and again as his little airways collapsed and kept air from reaching his lungs. But doctors at U-M used a 3-D bioprinter to custom-make a splint that is holding his airway open and helping him breathe.
Researchers at the University of Michigan used a 3-D printer to build a tiny splint-like implant that saved a baby boy with life-threatening breathing problems. With the implant's success, custom-designing medical devices on a 3-D printer may become common.
Researches from U-M are combining their resources, talent and experience to find a solution to a problem they have yet to figure out. The group has been given a 300,000 dollar Global Challenges grant from the University's Third Century Initiative to do just that.
An Ohio baby is likely alive today because of the collaborative ingenuity of two University of Michigan doctors and their teams. These doctors created a 3D printed tracheal splint to save his life.