Additive manufacturing is making strides in a surprising area – animal healthcare. A collaboration between Clarkson College’s 3D Printing and Training Center in Nebraska and Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium is introducing 3D printed products into the zoo to assist with animal health.
Specifically, this partnership began to replace the zoo’s blood-pressure sleeves used on gorillas. The old fiberglass sleeves were discontinued, enabling zoo leadership to turn to additive manufacturing to create new custom 3D-printed sleeves.
These sleeves are necessary to monitor the cardiac health of the zoo’s gorillas; tracking blood pressure helps detect early signs of cardiac disease, such as hypertension. The 3D-printed medical-grade sleeves help ensure the gorillas remain healthy.
The zoo and college are now expanding their partnership, with projects already underway to develop other 3D-printed treatments and healthcare tools for the animals.