A firm has successfully transplanted a printed ear made from a patient’s stem cells with the help of biological 3D printing.

Their trial included a woman born with congenital microtia, a disease that left her with a misshapen ear. Her stem cells were nestled in a “bio-ink” of collagen, printed into an ear and inserted under the skin. A precise 3-dimensional scan of her other ear was used as the model in a computer to ensure the two were identical.

“As a physician who has treated thousands of children with microtia, I am inspired by what this technology may mean for patients and their families,” said Dr. Arturo Bonilla, the leading pediatric ear reconstructive surgeon at 3DBio Therapeutics.

Not only will the technology allow people the freedom from the self-consciousness of having a deformed ear, but 3DBio Therapeutics’ ear is 100% living, and in most cases, it restores hearing to the patient.