October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and BAB is empowering women with a new type of breast prosthetics through pioneering research by Dr. Liisa Kuhn at the University of Connecticut. Dr. Kuhn, Professor and Associate Head of Biomedical Engineering at UConn, leads the development of new, more natural looking, and comfortable breast forms. “I came up with the idea for a 3D printed breast prosthetic when a colleague at UConn Health was talking about how she had had cancer and she had received excellent care, but she was struggling and frustrated with the options out there for breast prosthetics” said Dr. Kuhn. This led to Dr. Kuhn finding new materials to create new prosthetics.
WFSB covered the process of creating custom breast prosthetics on a segment of “Great Day Connecticut.”
Dr. Kuhn uses medical imaging of a survivor’s chest to then create computer renderings. She and her team can then digitally model a reconstructed breast. Turning that model into a physical item requires the use of a BioAssemblyBot® 400 (#WeCallHerBAB) at the University of Connecticut. In a matter of hours, Dr. Kuhn can create breast forms that are precise to the survivor’s body. The forms are then inserted into a specially designed bra to give women a natural-looking chest and more importantly a sense of empowerment with improved self-confidence. “They gave me back a little of what I was before. They gave me back that little spark again” said Jan Figueroa, a breast cancer survivor.
Courtesy: UConn Health