Transplant technology: United Therapeutics 3D-printing of human organs focused on every breath you take – Manchester Ink Link

Further proof that Dean Kamen, who supports United Therapeutics, and Dr. Rothblatt, are kindred spirits, is Rothblatts work on developing a solar-powered helicopter. The idea came to her when she realized the considerable carbon footprint of transporting organs for transplant. The Unisphere, United Therapeutics office in Silver Springs, is net-zero carbon.

United Therapeutics quests to both save and prolong life fall into two categories: genetically modified pig organs and the printing of human organs.

Pig heart valves have been used in surgery for a number of years but United Therapeutics performed the first genetically-modified pig heart transplant to 57-year-old David Bennett in January. The patient, who fully knew this was a last-ditch effort to save his life, lived six weeks.

A compliment to this is the life extension of over 250 people through lung transplants. These lungs were from deceased humans, essentially bio waste as they were in compromised condition, and were sent to the Mayo Clinic to be cleaned and brought back to life before transplant.

The second effort is the printing of human organs.

A June 6 press release from the public benefit company read: In partnership with 3D Systems Corporation, it [United Therapeutics] has produced the worlds most complex 3D printed object-a human lung scaffold-and demonstrated it at the LIFE ITSELF conference in San Diego.

The entire printed lung, which Rothblatt showed during a CNN Health interview at the conference, has 4,000 kilometers of pulmonary capillaries and eight billion cells.

There are 106,000 people on the organ transplant list. Living donors provide 6,000 organs a year, while deceased donors provide 8,000. Every day 17 people die waiting for a transplant, and that is with approximately one-half of all Americans registered as organ donors.

Originally posted here:

Transplant technology: United Therapeutics 3D-printing of human organs focused on every breath you take - Manchester Ink Link