This article was originally published at networkworld.com.
For the first three months of his life, Kaiba Gionfriddo’s airway collapsed repeatedly, occasionally causing his heart to stop and leaving many doctors at a loss for how to help him. Then, in the first procedure of its kind, doctors in Michigan used a 3D printing method to create an artificial splint to help Kaiba breathe without the assistance of a breathing machine for the first time, according to the Associated Press.
Since the operation, which was performed in February 2012, the now 19-month-old Ohio boy has been able to breathe on his own without a single breathing crisis. Doctors will soon remove his breathing tube, the AP reports.
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Due to the rare nature of the procedure, the University of Michigan doctors behind the transplant had to consult with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the New England Journal of Medicine reports. But the success of the project could help pave the way for 3D printing as a more commonly used tool in healthcare.
“This case shows that high-resolution imaging, computer-aided design, and biomaterial three-dimensional printing together can facilitate the creation of implantable devices for conditions that are anatomically specific for a given patient,” the NEMJ summarized.
“I can think of a handful of children I have seen in the last two decades who suffered greatly … that likely would have benefited from this technology,” Dr.John Bent said.
Healthcare is now the third industry to see high-profile 3D printing news this month alone. At the beginning of the month, Defense Distributed founder Cody Wilson made waves in the weapons manufacturing and gun control discussion by firing the world’s first 3D-printed gun. And earlier this week, NASA issued a grant to help develop 3D-printed food, which could help advance space travel and potentially stem world hunger issues.