A recent article published by Connect, the NYU IT news source, discussed an innovative partnership between the 3D printing and medical industries, highlighting new real-world applications of the technology and opening the door for further collaborative possibilities. Doctor Eduardo D. Rodriguez, director of the NYU Langone Face Transplant Program and surgeon responsible for the first successful facial transplant in New York, worked with the LaGuardia Studio team (including CALA instructors Taylor Absher and Dhemerae Ford) to develop a process for 3D printing detailed and highly realistic masks of facial transplant donors.
The impetus for the project stemmed in part from a perceived shortcoming in the donation process; the new and improved masks preserve a donor’s likeness and honor their family in a way that previous silicone versions simply could not. But Dr. Rodriguez also hopes that it will alleviate some of the hesitancy around making donations in the future, saying, “It is important to ensure we are meeting the needs of these families; to make their decisions easier while at the same time creating the best opportunity for our face transplant patients who are waiting to find their perfect match.”
Read the full article here: https://wp.nyu.edu/connect/2018/03/01/from-laguardia-to-langone/
