Printable bionic ear sends hearing to the dogs   (Credit: Frank
Wojciechowski)     To create the ear, the team used bioprinting
in hydrogel, first using a computer program to break down the
structure of the ear into thin slices. These slices were then
printed with a 3D printer using cells from a calf, which later
formed the cartilage, plastics, and silver nanoparticles to
create a precise model of a human ear with the antenna already
embedded. Part of the challenge was merging a soft material
(tissue) with a hard one (electronics), which the cartilage
helped alleviate.  The ear itself consists of the cartilage
structure, with a coiled antenna embedded within. Two wires can
connect to a helical cochlea, which in turn can connect to
electrodes -- or possibly, a patient's aural nerve endings, much
like a hearing aid, restoring or enhancing hearing. However, the
technology would have to undergo extensive testing before it
could be applied to a human patient.  "The design and
implementation of bionic organs and de