The 3D Printers that are Revolutionizing Our Lives Abigail Klein Leichman - Israel21c
go to original February 28, 2013

Two-year-old Emma wanted to play with blocks, but a condition called arthrogryposis meant she couldn't move her arms. So researchers at a Delaware hospital 3D printed a durable custom exoskeleton with the tiny, lightweight parts she needed. (stratasysfdm)

In the same way that your computer’s printer deposits ink onto paper to form words and pictures, three-dimensional printers put plastics and resins on all sorts of materials to make anything from clothing to advanced medical devices.

“It does seem like magic,” says Joe Hiemenz, spokesman for 3D printer manufacturer Stratasys, which has dual headquarters in Minneapolis and Rehovot, Israel.

Indeed it was magical when preschooler Emma Lavelle was able to use her arms for the first time with the help of a custom-designed robotic exoskeleton made with a Stratasys Dimension 3D printer – so magical that the device has been nicknamed “Magic Arms.”

The little girl has a congenital disorder that compromises her joint mobility and muscles. Researchers at the Nemours/Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children in Philadelphia knew of a metal exoskeleton for adults suffering similar conditions, but it was too big and heavy for a child.

The Stratasys printer enabled them to fashion a lightweight alternative that has been nominated for the Designs of the Year 2013 awards by London’s Design Museum.

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