Скачать или смотреть 3D Printing Finding Medical Applications in Middle Tennessee

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Time runs a little slower when you're 18.

That's why Emily Neblett's computer is critical.

"It gives me something to get out of bed and look forward to," said Neblett.

For most of her life Neblett hasn't had that luxury.

She suffers from cystic fibrosis and about every 5 months or so Neblett has to spend two weeks confined to a hospital room.

"There's nothing to do," said Neblett.

That all changed during her last stay when Gokul Krishnan brought in something he calls a makers space.

It's a cart with a 3D printer on it Neblett can access 24 hours a day.

"It's fascinating what it's doing to the kids. They're more active, they're leaving their bed, they're collaborating with people," said Krishnan.

Neblett is one of 12 kids in the Vanderbilt Children's Hospital who are using the technology.

The 3D printers use liquid plastic to create objects.

Neblett uses them to create rings and cell phone covers for her nurses.

Vanderbilt Dr. Joseph Conrad has a more serious use for them.

"Our hope is that we'll be able to translate tech and science into something that does good for other people," said Dr. Conrad.

Conrad is part of a Vanderbilt undertaking in Zambia that's designing completely new technology to detect Malaria in the field without a lab.

The plastic devices work similar to a pregnancy test using a magnet to detect malaria.

Medical crews in Zambia will soon be printing out the devices and giving feedback much faster than they ever could with traditional shipping.

"We can incorporate small changes and immediately see what they do to the overall design," said Dr. Conrad.

Experiments like these are just the beginning.

There are now 3D printers that worked with bio-matter or metal.

Vanderbilt Engineering Professor Ken Frampton believes the students working in labs like his will eventually change how we build all kinds of things.

"There are whole new ways of building things that we haven't thought of yet that are going to come to fruition because of this technology," said Frampton.

Back in Neblett's room the technology has already done something that was once unthinkable.

She actually says this about the two weeks in the hospital she just spent working on the 3D printer.

"Yeah I might miss it a little bit," said Neblett.

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