FAQ

Will your artificial ear function like normal ears do?

Our own design's main function will be to keep up the appearance of a real ear; however, it will not actually function as a real ear. This means our design will just be the outer ear and not include any of the inner ear such as the ear drum. Our design will have a hole in it, however, so that as long as the patient's inner ear is not damaged, they will still be able to hear even with the artificial ear. 

What materials are used to print artificial ears?
For our design, we will be using ABS plastic because this is the material that is supplied to us to use for the 3D printer. However, engineers around the world have been able to create artificial ears using cartilage cells from different animals such as cows, harvested rib from a human, and styrofoam-like material.


What computer software is used to create the design of the ear?
There are various computer softwares that can be used to create the initial design for the artificial ear. These softwares include Creo Parametric, Autocad, and Maya. For our specific project, we will be using Maya.


How long does it take a 3D printer to print an artificial ear?
The timing of the printing depends on how in demand the 3D printer is. If a lot of groups or people are trying to use the 3D printer at one time, then it will take longer to print our design. The week that we are planning to print is a time when the printer is in high demand, so it will take about a week for our ear to be printed. However, in the real research world, artificial ears can be printed much faster. So the actual printing of the ear design can take anywhere from half a day to a whole week.


Is sound able to travel through the artificial ear?
Sound travel depends on the actual design of the artificial ear. Our design is one that will allow for sound travel through the creation of an ear canal in the initial design. Once the ear is printed, the ear canal will allow for sound to travel into the middle and inner ear. Unless a patients inner ear or ear drum has been damaged, the patient will still be able to hear despite having an artificial ear.


Will the artificial ear look like a real human ear?
The artificial ear design will closely resemble a human ear. Through the use of the Maya software, we are able to create a design that has the same general outline as a real ear. However, the material we are given to use to print our ear is a type of plastic that will not look very humanlike. Other researchers and engineers have been able to use cartilage cells that make the artificial ear look very realistic. They have also added color to their ear design in order to match the skin color of the ear transplant patient.