What do you get when you mix 3-D printing technology with the big brains from Princeton and John Hopkins? A cyborg ear.
Technology website Ars Technica reported that the “ultimate in human-machine chimera” has been accomplished by interweaving biological tissue with electronics.
The researchers first obtained a 3-D computer-aided design of an ear, modified it to include a radio frequency antenna and cochlea-shaped electrodes, then produced it with a 3-D printer, the website reported.
Future advancements would theoretically allow patients to hear a wide range of electromagnetic signals, ranging from television to airport radar systems.
Video of the 3-D printing process has been uploaded by ACS publications.
• Douglas Ernst can be reached at dernst@washingtontimes.com.
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