How 3D printing in Toowoomba is advancing health research

Toowoomba researchers are working to develop new ways of dealing with broken bones.

SCIENCE: USQ 3D printing expert Steph Piper is excited about the future of tech. Picture: Contributed

TOOWOOMBA researchers are working to develop new ways of dealing with broken bones.

University of Southern Queensland community engagement coordinator and 3D printing expert Steph Piper said she had been working with the Toowoomba Hospital to develop a 3D-printed cast.

"I've made a prototype cast made in conjunction with the Toowoomba Hospital, a futuristic way of healing a broken bone," Ms Piper said.

The cast is a more plastic mesh-type model than current plaster casts.

"It means you could go for a shower, have a lot more breathability during the healing process... instead of when you have a big heavy plaster cast on," Ms Piper said.

"The hospital has been using it as part of some of their innovation conventions, to show the rest of the world what we've been building. But in a hospital setting, plaster casts are still a more efficient way of doing things at the moment.

"The technology will have to catch up first before they use them."

Ms Piper said the advancement in 3D printing technology in recent years, to be able to print casts, and things like feet for roosters that lost their feet due to frostbite, made it a really "exciting time" for those interested in 3D printing.

"We've got the tech here, it's about learning how to use it and figuring out great ways to use it for project like this," Ms Piper said.

Originally published as How 3D printing in Toowoomba is advancing health research