Magical Jaw Recontruction and Express Lane Diagnosis

What yup techofiles (I say that in the most non-offensive light possible, though I am sure by admitting that I have sparked the imaginations of many who are crossing lines that should never be crossed). Anyway, let's talk about some tech innovations in the health industry! Double-decker for your viewing sockets today!

Jaw Dropping...

A woman recently received a replacement lower jaw due to her progressive osteomyelitis. Originally, the doctors had very little hope of repairing the spreading damage to her jaw, other than replacing the bottom completely, they just didn't have the parts needed to replace it in time. Enter 3D printing technology...

With the flick of a button (obviously more than that, there was a CAD drawing, lasers, melting titanium layers, jaw construction specialist, local motivational speakers, you know how it goes) a new jaw was produced BY PRINTER! I must confess to being extremely skeptical of this level of technology being where it needed to be in order to produce this type of product. Alas, I stand corrected.

Needless to say, there are some amazing implications on the horizon for 3D printing, including the fall of capitalism...yea, think about that one.

Life In The Fast Lane...

Would you like further proof that Bill Gates may be the reincarnation of (insert childhood hero)? After a prize of $25 million dollars from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation's Grand Challenge, professors Dan Luo and Edwin Kan are combining some amazing technological and scientific advancements into a health care changing innovation.

By taking Luo's research on synthetic and pathogen DNA and Kan's research on computer chip technology, the two have created what they call "a molecular-level Lego builder." The simplest explanation of this process isn't that simple, so let me tell you the end game to all of this: Imagine a scenario in which you would like to see if you actually had a cold, HIV, or any number of foreign pathogens in your body. You would simply pick up this device, enter in some DNA (spit being the easiest way to do this) and in 30 minutes you will know every single pathogen that currently occupies your body.

This isn't just some idea that is still in the beginning research stages either, these boys are working on making the device as we speak! In our very near future, we could be downloading apps to diagnose simple sicknesses...welcome to your future world...

See you next week....

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