About 1,500 babies are born each year in the U.S. with microtia, which happens when the external ear is small and not formed properly, but 3Dbio Therapeutics Corp., and the Microtia-Congenital Ear Deformity Institute (MCEDI) of San Antonio have brought to patients a solution that avoids biocompatibility issues seen with existing solutions. The Auri Novo device, a 3D-printed reconstruction of the outer ear that leverages the patient’s own ear cartilage, eliminates the need to harvest rib cartilage or use porous polyethylene in lieu of native cartilage, another indication that the era of personalized medicine is finally in view.
BOGOTA, Colombia – A Costa Rican designer developed a system to create tailor-made molds to treat patients diagnosed with microtia, a congenital deformity, in which the external ear is not fully developed. "This is a very basic concept, and it really amazes me that it has not been implemented before," Andrés Quiros, the product designer behind the invention, told BioWorld MedTech.