First 3D-printed bionic ear

In May 2013, nanotechnology scientists at Princeton University, New Jersey, USA, in collaboration with the Johns Hopkins University, created the first ever 3D-printed bionic ear that can hear radio frequencies. The ear was printed from a hydrogel, a material used as a framework for tissue engineering, using a commercially available 3D printer. To achieve a true cybernetic prosthetic, the hydrogel was infused with cells from a calf and intertwined with a polymer containing silver particles, which was used to 3D-print a coil antenna that receives a range of electromagnetic frequencies. The calf cells were cultured into cartilage around the coil antenna such that when tested, the bionic ear was found to receive signals across a frequency range up to 5 GHz. The team of scientists also created a complementary left ear and used a piece of music by Beethoven, transmitted by a radio transmitter, to successfully test the pair's ability to "hear" in stereo. At present the ear can only receive radio waves, but scientists believe it would be possible to expand its hearing with other materials, such as pressure-sensitive sensors that register acoustic sounds.

This is an example of how 3D printing might enable scientists to create new technologies in the form of cybernetic body parts.