Open3DP team at Washington University have been some pretty impressive results: it successfully printed the artificial bone with the help of 3D-printer. The hardest challenge in this case was the choice of material for bone.

The experiments for 5 weeks with various mixtures of bone meal with other substances, the research team stopped at one of them, which allows you to create a strong “details”. After that, we need only to fill the mixture into the printer and print the desired bone.

Not reported, are there plans to use similar technology in medicine, but the prospects of the method could be very interesting for the creation of artificial prostheses, for example, in dentistry.

A team of engineers and the art from the University of Washington has developed a way to create objects made of glass using a conventional 3D-printer. Technique allows the application of new materials with similar devices. The technology is called “vitraglyphic process”.

Three-dimensional printers are used as a cheap and easy way for prototyping. In conventional 3D-printing system, which works with the powder, a thin layer of material distributed on the platform and the software controls the inkjet printer that causes binder in the appropriate places. It interacts with the powder and binds the particles together, resulting in a three-dimensional object. However, the glass powder is bad absorb liquid, therefore used in the case of ceramic technique should be reconsidered.

“The familiar process of printing led to the output of gelatinous parts when we turned to glass powder — says Grant Marchelli. — It was necessary to modify how both the powder and binder mixture are treated. By adjusting the ratio between the two components, scientists have made a solid form with a powder from Spectrum Glass. Structure held together and melted at the required temperature.

Glass can be transparent or opaque, but stands out for its inorganic form (no carbon contained), solidifying from the molten state without the formation of molecules ordered crystalline structures. Therefore, technically the glass is rather a chilled liquid than a solid material. Printed three-dimensional glass has a striking similarity with the technique of creating glass products pate de verre (“glass paste”). There, the glass powder is mixed with binding material such as egg whites or enamel, and is placed in a form for firing. The technique originated from the times of ancient Egypt, and, thanks to new technology, is getting a new life.

As is the case with ceramics, researchers see great opportunities for three-dimensional printing of glass. “Publication of descriptions without commercial conditions, we hope, will inspire further experimentation and innovation community of arts and engineers” – describes the well intentions professor of mechanical engineering at Washington University Duane Storti.

A postgraduate of Center for Digital Arts and Experimental Media at the University Meghan Trainor pioneered the new method. “With the establishment of glass objects from digital models of my ideas are immediately translated into tangible form, which is a key factor in the knowledge of digital art – Trainor said. – Moving from idea to print in such a short period of time creates an attractive process, where glass objects are part tactile feedback.”

Associate Professor of Architecture at UCLA (University of California), Berkeley, Ronald Rael collaborated with colleagues to develop his own printer. He is engaged in a new kind of ceramic blocks, which can be used to remove moisture from the cooling systems. “3D-printing of glass has great potential in the use of glass in architecture – explains the researcher. – Until now, there was no acceptable method of rapid sample preparation of this material, which led to expensive and time-consuming process for testing models.” According to him, three-dimensional printing allows for testing different types of glass, including a recycled glass wastes.

American scientists have developed a revolutionary nanotechnology called Beam Lithography Pen.

The new method enables fast and inexpensive production of electric circuits prototypes, medical diagnosis and a number of other activities that will surely find application in in electronics, photonics and other natural sciences.

Chad Mirkin, Director of the International Institute for Nanotechnology at Northwestern University, believes that the world is driven by fast transfer of large volumes of information. But the conventional micro-and nanoinstruments for manufacturing nanostructures are very expensive. “That is what we tried to change,” he says.

The main proof of the effectiveness of the method is 15 thousand silhouettes of the Chicago skyline, created in half an hour on a square centimeter.

Each “image” consists of 182 points of about 500 nanometers in diameter (like the tip of the fountain pen). Point illumination time is 20 seconds. The current method allows researchers to create “pens” of 150 nm in size, but in the near future, the resolution is likely to be reduced to 100 nm. An array of a few square centimeters including 11 million “pens” has already been built.

This is the third technology developed by Chad Mirkin. In 1999, he invented the dip-pen nanolithography, DPN, and in 2008 – polymer-pen lithography, PPL. These technologies have already taken up in 23 countries. The major difference of the new technology from the PPL is that it is uses light instead of “ink” molecules.

Each “pen” represents a pyramid, completely coated with a layer of gold except for the top. Light is shed the foundation of the pen to its top and on to a light-sensitive material. The simplicity of this approach is that nanoscale is only the top of the pyramid. This allows you to easily manage nanoprocesses without leaving the boundaries of the microworld.

In the future, technology may lead to the creation of desktop nanoprinters, who will turn nanoindustry upside-down just like ordinary printer has done with our everyday life.

Here it is, the cornucopia.

American scientists have developed the concept of food printer called «Cornucopia», which operates by cooling ingredients, mixing them and making layers of  them. Using these kayers, a dish is printer on a tray. The concept was presented by two students from the Massachusetts University of Technology (MIT).

The process of food printing begins with the selection of needed refrigerated food containers, which are then mixed in a blender. After that, a dish is prepared from different layers. These layers are placed on the tray and are heated or cooled immediately after the mixing in the printhead.

Researchers say that food printing brings cooking to a new level in the digital age we live in. The concept enables creating aromas previously unknown and flavors unavailable in conventional cooking. Developers claim users will be able to control the nutritional value, quality and taste for every meal, using a touch screen and downloading new dishes from the Internet. The printer also allows you to order the ingredient, if needed one has ended, or else offers a replacement ingredient.

The researchers hope that their concept would provide a new look at the new aesthetic and cultural opportunities that can be brought to a new, digital standard.

Interesting stuff, but you won’t get by without buying food anyway.