Nov 16, 2016 | By Tess
Along with the potential to create human organs through 3D printing, comes the potential to rethink and redesign those organs, or at least that is what designer Agi Haines has shown us. Haines, who has dedicated much of her work to the design (or redesign) of the human body, has become known as somewhat of a Dr. Frankenstein for her outlandish but still amazingly impressive Circumventive Organs project.
Haines, who is currently completing a PhD at Transtechnology Research at Plymouth University, has created a number of “new” human organs using 3D bioprinting that were inspired by animal cells. As she explains on her website, “With the introduction of bioprinting the possibility of new organs is becoming a reality. The ability to replicate and print cells in complex structures could mean different cells with various functions could be put together in new ways to create new organs we would take millions of years to evolve naturally.”
The name of her project, Circumventive Organs, seems fitting then, as it suggests the creation of organs that can effectively circumvent and overcome issues currently related to the human body, such as heart attacks, blood clots, and more. Considering our current technologies and their continuing trajectories, why not conceive of something as grand and fascinating as what Haines is exploring?
So far, Haines has conceived of three Circumventive Organs: a defibrillating organ which incorporates cells from an electric eel which are capable of releasing electric currents into the heart, ideal for recognizing heart attacks; an organ that incorporates rattlesnake muscles which could release mucus from the respiratory system through the stomach (a potential solution for those suffering from cystic fibrosis); and an organ that contains cells from a leech’s saliva gland, which could—if you haven’t guessed—release an anticoagulant into the blood when it recognizes a potential clot forming.
Of course, while Haines has an undeniable grasp on human anatomy, she is first and foremost a visual artist and not a medical expert. In fact, some of her provocative works are currently on display at the Stedelijk Museum of Contemporary Art in Amsterdam. A self-described “speculative designer” Haines is not seeking to actually create 3D printed functional organs, but instead to explore the potentials, ramifications, and affect associated with such technologies as bioprinting.
Among the designer’s other projects are a concept for a prosthetic brain extension (inspired by octopi), a drone that can learn using an Artificial neural network, and a series of “Transfigurations” which show body enhancement concepts. To hear more about Haines’ work, from the artist herself, check out her TEDx talk below:
Posted in 3D Printing Application
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Go miss Haines! You can change the world .
dB wrote at 11/16/2016 6:03:54 PM:
Neato! Thanks!
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