Tal Golesworthy, a British engineer, had developed an aortic enlargement as a consequence of having Marfan syndrome. Having a mind of a true tinkerer, Golesworthy devised a device of his own to treat his condition and had the help of University College London in perfecting and implanting it into him and 19 other patients.
A snippet of the fascinating story from The Engineer:
What excited him was the use of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and computer-aided design (CAD). He believed that by combining these technologies with rapid prototyping (RP) techniques he could manufacture a tailor-made support that would act as an internal bandage to keep his aorta in place.
The concept, he hoped, would reduce the risk of harmful clots forming due to the mechanical valve and importantly, eliminate the need to take Warfarin. Time was crucial and if Golesworthy was to save himself, he had to move fast to get the idea off the ground.
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University College London press release: UCL helps engineer design and evaluate device to heal his own heart…