This G-Code saved a life - Talk @ Nerdearla Madrid 2025

Valentino was a 7-month-old baby suffering from bronchomalacia, a potentially life-threatening respiratory condition. In the U.S., there was a one-of-a-kind technique to save his life by manufacturing an implant using 3D printing.

To do this, an SLS laser printer costing over $300,000 was required. In 15 days, working against the clock, we developed a technique that not only reduces costs by using a commercial FDM 3D printer (Prusa i3 MK2) costing $1,000—3.33% of the original cost—but also demonstrates the feasibility of sterilizing it in a far less toxic manner, using gamma radiation, at the CNEA (National Atomic Energy Commission).

This technique is presented as a simple, accessible, and low-cost alternative, enabling survival in regions where advanced medical resources are not available. Valentino is one of the few patients in the world who has managed to cope with this condition and the first in the world to have been treated with a device manufactured using FDM.

As a result, a paper detailing the work was published freely, at no cost, and under a Creative Commons license: https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fbioe.2023.1148295/full

This talk will provide a brief overview of the medical case, the technical work involved in modifying the firmware and 3D printer parts to use a material never before used in such a printer, and the story of how, in 15 days, a G-CODE saved a life.

Published @ https://nerdearla.com/nerdflix/g8ce2ap3yGs/