Page 17

Features
I
N a society which places
such importance on our
outward appearance, mil-
lions of people look in the
mirror every day.
Some give it nothing more
than a cursory glance, oth-
ers linger. But everyone looks.
Make-up, moisturiser, and soap can
provide a quick fx for the majority
of those who see imperfections in
their face.
But for more than 500,000 people
living with a facial disfgurement in
the UK, what they see in the mirror,
as well as the effect it has on their
self-confdence, can be permanent.
One of the things that is very im-
portant to people is their physical
appearance because that is your
outward looking aspect on society,
says Ric Van Noort, Professor of
Dental Materials Science at the Uni-
versity of Sheffeld.
And you can imagine if you have
part of your face missing, how dif-
fcult that is to live with.
Facial prosthetics are often sought
after by those who have a disfgure-
ment, but for years they have been
entirely, laboriously handmade.
First, an impression is made of the
affected area of trauma for a plas-
ter cast to be made.
Then a wax mould is carved from
the plaster cast, and used to cast
the prosthetic in silicone.
The whole process takes weeks and
can cost anything between 1500
and 3000.
But 3D printing technology devel-
oped by Fripp Designs in Brunel
Way, Catcliffe, has made the pro-
cess cheaper, quicker, and more ac-
curate.
To begin with, a patients face is 3D
scanned, avoiding the need for an
invasive or potentially painful im-
pression.
Then, a nose, ear, or jaw can be at-
tached to the patients face digitally
using advanced CAD (computer-
aided design) software.
The specifc contours are moulded
to the shape of the patients face,
with help from a maxillofacial tech-
nician, to ensure a perfect ft.
The body parts can be chosen from
the companys database, replicated
from the patients existing features,
or even copied from a friend.
We have hundreds of noses and
ears, says Tom Fripp, founder of
Fripp Designs.
It is a surreal sight, with a countless
number of body parts practically
lining the walls of Fripps laboratory.
Their size and shape varies wildly,
as does their colour. Some are pink,
others brown, and a particularly pe-
culiar one comes in green.
There really are an infnite num-
ber of options for the patient, Fripp
says.
Sheffeld based company Fripp
Designs has developed 3D software capable of
creating the parts needed for facial
reconstruction for as little as 150. The technology
will help more than 500,000 people in the UK who
live with a facial disfgurement.
fgurement this year.
Were not looking to replace the
existing maxillofacial technologies
but were looking to replace the de-
tailed, time consuming and expen-
sive manufacturing side of the work
that they do, says Van Noort.
We do the manufacturing but then
others do the ftting with the pa-
tients to make sure that the patient
is satisfed with what is being pro-
duced.
They will sometimes need to make
some changes to the prostheses to
meet the patients very personal,
specifc needs.
But the fact we can make the
whole process much easier is very
exciting to me.
The 3D technology also helps Fripp
Designs manufacture prosthetic
eyes much more quickly and eff-
ciently.
Originally, the eyes would be mould-
ed in acrylic and hand painted to
match the patients eye colour.
This would take be-
tween four to eight
hours, depending on
the person painting
the eye.
The patient would
then have to wait
around ten weeks be-
fore getting the fnal
product as only one
eye could be pro-
duced at a time.
With the 3D printing
technology 150 eyes
can be created in an
hour.
The eye is printed
from powder, with
specifc coloured de-
tails such as the iris
and blood vessels al-
ready included, and
then encased in resin.
As they are all pro-
duced from the same
system, the quality
remains the same,
meaning the cost of
each eye falls from
3000 to 100.
Fripp says: We
havent quite perfected colour
matching yet, but because we
print so many so quickly theres a
very good chance you would get a
match.
India, where a number of people
lose their eyes as a result of less
advanced surgical procedures, has
expressed a strong interest in the
technology.
Indeed, Fripp hopes the technol-
ogy will help communities around
the world who might not have been
able to afford it otherwise, as well
as those at home.
He said: It is a game changer for
the developing world because at the
moment, at that kind of cost, peo-
ple just go without.
Fripp is working in partnership with
Manchester Metropolitan University
to produce a supply of readymade
prostheses that can be bought for
under 30.
The technology will make the pros-
theses a lot more affordable for a
lot more people, Fripp says. Im
very glad we can give people that
opportunity.
T
HE customised parts can
then be printed in any
skin tone with starch
powder, forming a light-
weight model that is then
vacuum-infltrated with medical
grade silicone, binding it together.
The result is an ultra durable and
fexible prosthesis.
From start to fnish, the part is
printed in just 48 hours.
Although the original prosthesis
costs about the same as a conven-
tional one, the digital model is kept
on a database and can be printed
off an infnite number of times for
150.
Some prostheses do get damaged
if they come into prolonged contact
with water or the sun, says Fripp,
who collaborated with the Univer-
sity of Sheffeld and the Wellcome
Trust for several years to produce
the technology.
People will be glad to have that re-
assurance that they can get it print-
ed again at a minimal cost.
The technology will provide a viable
and affordable option to those who
live with a facial disfgurement.
Research in 2007 by disfgurement
charity Changing Faces found that
542,000 people (or one in 111) in
the UK have a signifcant disfgure-
ment to the face.
415,500 people will get a facial dis-
by Ben Topliss
T
HE opportunity is one
in which Fripp draws a
great deal of pride.
He says: When you ac-
tually look at what weve
managed to create, they are quite
an amazing thing.
The detail, the clarity and the
quality of the end product is quite
amazing, especially when you con-
sider that its been produced in an
entirely digital manner.
The company predicts that they will
have an entire range of prosthetics
available late 2014.
The manufacturing is already infu-
encing how we treat patients, and
the technology is moving on so fast
that the potential for solving prob-
lems in the future is enormous,
says Van Noort.
Up until now this would have just
be a pipe dream for many people,
now we can offer something real.
Dont rub it
in my face:
The frm that
could print you
a new ear,
nose, or jaw
Tom Fripp hopes the 3D software will make facial prostheses more affordable in the developing world
HILLSBOROUGH HERALD 2 JANUARY 2014