3 D P R I N T I N G BIRD’S LIFE IN BRAZIL: PROSTHETIC TITANIUM 3D PRINTED METAL BEAK A beak for Gigi the macaw has been created with an Mlab cusing R from Concept Laser as 3D printing merges with veterinarian science Sometimes a story from the world of 3D printing sounds so incredible you just don’t believe your ears. For the first time a prosthetic titanium beak has been manufactured using 3D metal printing and implanted on Gigi, a blue macaw (a genus of the parrot family), in Brazil. This unusual prosthetic saved Gigi’s life, as macaws are unable to eat solid foods without a beak. The illegal trade of wild birds is a sad story of greed, and it doesn’t just happen in Brazil. The victims are magnificent creatures whose very beauty can end up being their downfall. During Gigi’s captivity at the hands of illegal bird traders, poor housing conditions caused severe malformation of the bird’s beak. Ultimately, Gigi was freed by the Brazilian police, but the magnificent bright blue and yellow feathered macaw could no longer be fed without a beak. A team of veterinarians, together with 3D printing experts from the Renato Archer Technology and Information Center (CTI) in Campinas, Brazil, developed an implant solution for the bird. The 40 July 2016 Gigi the macaw before and after the operation Gigi’s new beak after the operation
EN-Jul16
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