Physicians at the University of Michigan (UM), Ann Arbor, utilized 3D printing to treat an infant suffering from tracheobronchomalacia, a condition that manifests with dynamic airway collapse and respiratory insufficiency. Using CT images of the airway, Glenn Green, MD, and his UM colleagues created a 3D printed model of the child’s airway, pictured here.
A custom resorbable splint was then fabricated out of a biopolymer. “Our bellowed topology design, similar to the hose of a vacuum cleaner, provides resistance against collapse while simultaneously allowing flexion, extension, and expansion with growth,” described Green and colleagues May 23 in the New England Journal of Medicine. Within one week, physicians started to wean the baby from mechanical ventilation, and after one year, no unforeseen problems had developed. The splint is expected to be fully resorbed within three years.
