3D printing is also known as Additive Manufacturing (AM) and refers to printing processes used to create three-dimensional objects in which layers of material are formed under computer control. This is the latest craze in creative duplication / replication and so many creative geniuses here in Toronto are pushing the envelope everyday.
Among the innovators is Michael Gossack at My 3D Agency
My 3D Agency uses mobile scanning technology to do full body scans of our subjects in their desired pose. We take multiple scans to get the best possible data for the 3D prints.
Michael Gossack's 3D printing company is grass roots and entrepreneurial.
My 3D Agency specializes in duplicating props, people and equipment prototypes. Micheal made his name and grew his company from scratch on Toronto sidewalks by offering eight inch tall 3D selfies at very low prices. Today Michael spends most of his time putting fans' heads on their favourite superhero or sporting hero bodies and making custom wedding cake toppers. A graduate level print engineer, Michael at My 3D Agency team loves new challenges. Visit online or at his new location at 5 Dickens Street - Gerrard and Logan.
Michael's company scans, models and 3D prints the best 3D-figurines that you’ve ever laid your eyes on – and they’re photo realistic.
The organization uses more than just raw data to make their prints. At My 3D Agency, a graphic designer combines, edit and texturize all the data collected for a print-ready 3D model. Below is Raymi the Minx who had herself printed wearing the black spandex boots and skin tight dress seen below which Michael told her at the time was not entirely optimal for printing.
Once the file is ready, its uploaded into a final print software for last- minute fixes and positioning. In a few hours, the full- colour model comes to life. The nozzles add layer upon layer as the eight inch statue grows steadily taller and more defined.
When the model is finished printing, it goes through a few steps of post-processing and finishing – and is then ready to be shipped out.
You can see Raymi's statue and read about her printing experience at Raymi the Minx.
Super Man is not the only superhero with enhanced vision. Green Arrow has telescopic vision, and Daken may have Chemo Vision? That's the ability to see pheromone output. And Hulk was dosed by gamma radiation so would he not then have 'Gamma Vision', the ability to see gamma radiation? Emotion Vision is the ability to read auras, and Ucario (Pokemon series) has this ability, and so too does every mother and grandmother on the planet, but only for their own kids.
As a recovering fiction writer, Fuel Ghoul is fascinated by cybernetic attachments that allow mortals to acquire superpowers simply by purchasing advanced electronics. The potential for stories is an big as Marvel Comics, bigger, because its real.
Among all of our society's professionals, there are few vocations more technologically demanding than dentistry. I've written here before on how dentists are unique because they must buy the latest gadgets in order to remain competitive in a saturated market.
Today many modern dentists have cameras that let them see cancer. Inspired by superheroes, this dentist in Barrie, Big Bay Point Dentistry has purchased some very advanced scientific gadgets that give her special abilities. This topic was decribed on Ancestry Guru: The Barrie Dentist with Xray Eyes, which is actually a play on a 1963 movie title, The Man With X-ray Eyes.
In the photo above, our superhero goes looking for oral cancer using the VELscope® System, a revolutionary hand-held device that provides dentists with an easy-to-use adjunctive mucosal examination system for the early detection of abnormal tissue. The rig uses blue incandescent light to enhance the visualization of abnormalities that might otherwise go unnoticed.
Looking through the back of the barrel, through a series of special filters, the dentist can see any abnormalities highlighted in the blue-violetwash, or rather the problem areas are not light but dark; the areas of concern that could contain maladies such as oral cancer or pre-malignant dysplasia show up as black marks or as dark spotches on tissue. VELscope can than also be used by oral surgeons to help identify diseased tissue around an obvious lesion, and thus help figuring out where to cut, and how much tissue to away with that cruel knife. Read more here in two excellent eMedicineHealth's patient education articles Cancer of the Mouth and Throat and Oral Herpes.
Dentist uses Velscope to look for cancer.
The VELscope® Vx Enhanced Oral Assessment System centers on a handheld scope that is used by dentists to help detect oral tissue abnormalities, including cancer and pre-cancer.
VELscope® Vx was developed by LED Dental and is marketed today an oral cancer-screening device. Important note, the Veloscope does not diagnose cancer, but rather it is to be used as an adjunct to the oral examination. When viewed through the barrel of the active device, suspicious tissue has a different fluorescence signature.
The Jan 2014 PubMed article, Fluorescence spectroscopic characterization of salivary metabolites of oral cancer patients reveals that a pilot study has been carried out using human saliva in differentiating the normal subjects from that of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) patients, using the autofluorescence spectroscopy at 405nm excitation. A difference in the spectral signatures between the saliva of normal subjects and that of oral cancer patients has been noticed. The possible reasons for the altered spectral signature may be due to the presence of endogenous porphyrin, NAD(P)H and FAD in the exfoliated cells from saliva.
What Does Oral Cancer Look Like?
In Canada, oral cancer is the 13th most common type of cancer (of the 23 different types of reported cancers). In 2009, the number of new cases and death due to oral cancer is predicted to be almost three times higher than that of cervical cancer and almost double the rates of liver cancer.
The five year survival rate for oral cancer is 63 percent compared to the survival rates of cervical cancer (75 percent), melanoma cancers (89 percent), and prostate cancer (95 percent).
In 2009, it's estimated there'll be 3400 new cases of oral cancer, and that over 1100 Canadians will die from the condition. For more info, visit the Canadian Cancer Society website.
Oral cancer can affect any of the working parts of your mouth or oral cavity, which includes:
your lips
the tissue that lines your lips and cheeks
your teeth
two-thirds of your tongue (the back third of your tongue, or base, is considered part of your oropharynx, or throat)
your gums
the area of your mouth underneath the tongue, called the floor
the roof of your mouth
When should you worry about a bump, sore, or swelling in your mouth? Here are some common signs and symptoms of Oral Cancer,
Sores in the mouth that do not heal within two weeks
Dark red or white patches in the mouth
Lumps located on the lips, tongue or neck
Bleeding in the mouth
Sore throat and difficulty with swallowing
Is a mouth ulcer a precancerous condition?
A mouth ulcer is the loss of some of the delicate tissue that lines the inside of the mouth which is otherwise known as the mucous membrane. Some causes can include certain prescription drugs, and infectious diseases such as herpes or thrush. In most cases, mouth ulcers are harmless and resolve by themselves in a few days without the need for medical treatment. Aphthous ulcers are recurring ulcers with no known cause that affect around 20 per cent of the population.
One person in North American dies every hour of every day from oral cancer related illness, and many of those who survive the disease are forced to deal with lengthy, painful treatment and permanent disfigurement. The main problem is that oral cancer is typically discovered in late stages, when the five-year survival rate is only around 30%.
More treatment options, potentially less invasive or radical treatments and better patient outcomes. Read about this Barrie dentist on Yelp and search for other dental clinics in Barrie that have this or other super devices.
Always interested in how new technology improves people's lives, Fuel Ghoul was quick to accept an invitation from Markham dentist at Armadale Dentistry to watch Dr Gabriala Vidmar demonstrate a diode laser during real life dental surgery. This is a first hand account of how modern dentists now use lasers to do soft tissue surgery, and real laser teeth whitening. The future has arrived at this dental office in Markham.
Gabriala Vidmar has been practicing dentistry in Markham for many years at Armadale Dentistry which is located in building 4A in the shopping plaza complex at 7720 Markham rd. at the heart of the big box store complex that has grown up south of Hwy7, and the old Town of Markham.
Gabriala is a veteran dentist who graduated with a bachelor's degree in general dentistry in 1997. Since her graduation, she has continued to pursue extensive training and education in the field of cosmetic dentistry, root canal therapy, oral surgery and Invisalign®. Gabriala also likes new technology and hopes that someday the dental laser might replace the dentist's drill to offer quieter more comfortable treatments everywhere inside and even outside the mouth.
Ezlase products came to the attention of office administrators at Armadale Dentistry last year, because the 940 model delivers up to seven watts of laser power which most dentists believe makes the impliment more of a surgeon's tool, and not just a teeth whitening pen or gimmicky toy. Also notable is that this handheld surgical device comes with a powerful battery right inside the pen itself.. so most procedures can be done without the power supply cord attached. The battery holds a good charge, so she can work with the cordless tool all day long, and doesnt have to constantly worry about anything dangling in the patient's face. That also means she has more freedom to maneuver the ezlase dental laser during complicated operations which all adds up to faster, safer, and more efficient surgery.
The device came in a small cardboard box in which there was also included a laminate brochure which reads 'The ezlase offers the most precise control of tissue cutting for different procedures and tissue biotypes. Dentists and clinicians can choose from the widest selection of tip lengths and diameters", and under the heading 'Soft Tissue Surgery', the description continues, "The ezlase uses better bendable tips for better access to all areas, and offers single-use disposable tips for quick, convenient treatment, and improved cleanliness."
Laser tips are disposable? hmm Fuel Ghoul predicts this will be a big business someday. More research needed to investigate the possiblility of making the largest dental tips inventory warehouse in North America.
Markham Dentist readies Armadale Dentistry clinic's ezlase 940 diode laser for a demonstration.
Specialy trained and now very experienced with lasers, Dr Gabriala Vidmar is also a caring and knowledgeable dentist who devotes herself to patient care. Her vision for the clinic is to offer state-of-the-art comprehensive dental care while achieving her patients’ optimal oral health and esthetics. She wants folks to know that she has the latest high technology devices and can offer a more comfortable experience and get more done in less time
Armadale Dentistry has become a bastion of technology using digital xrays and other advanced machines. Dr Vidmar hopes the laser will someday replace the dentists' drill for all operations. Already the device is quieter and doesnt terrorize patients with loud whinny noise of an electric motor and spinning drill bit.
Its estimated that less than ten percent of Canadian dentists own and are trained to use lasers for soft-tissue surgery. The highly specialized surgery is perhaps the high art of modern dentistry.
Biolase's proprietary laser products incorporate approximately 300 patented and patent-pending technologies. The common goal of the research is to provide superior performance with less pain and faster recovery times. The company's innovative products provide cutting-edge technology at competitive prices.
BIOLASE is acquiring quite a good reputation for offering a diversified array of different dental laser systems that perform a broad range of dental procedures. Their tools are used for both cosmetic and complex surgical applications. In one article I read, the author stated that BIOLASE has sold more than 25,000 laser systems in markets all over the world, and that piece was dated Jan 2014. Other laser products they currently have in development address ophthalmology and other medical and consumer markets.
Benefits of Laser Dentistry
Lasers offer many advantages over the scapel, that cruel knife has been the prinicple cutting tool of surgeons the world. However, procedures that are performed using the new soft tissue dental lasers are less painful, lass damaging, more sterile and they heal faster. In many cases the patient's mouth, skin, gums do not require sutures (stitches) after the operation. Certain laser dentistry procedures do not require anesthesia.
This is mostly because laser dentistry minimizes bleeding and swelling during soft tissue treatments. Bacterial infections are also minimized because the high-energy beam sterilizes the area being worked on. Damage to surrounding tissue is minimized and that means wounds heal faster, and tissues can be regenerated by the body easier
Top Seven Dental Procedures for which the Ezlase 940 Diode Laser is Commonly Applied
Remove Cold Sores - Low intensity dental lasers reduce pain associated with cold sores and minimize healing time.
Treating Gum Disease - Lasers are used to remove diseased, infected, inflamed and necrosed (dead) soft tissue within the periodontal pocket.
Crown Lengthening - Dental lasers can be used to reshape gum tissue to expose healthier tooth structure. Referred to as crown lengthening, such reshaping provides a stronger foundation for the placement of restoration.
Gummy Bear Smile - Dental lasers can reshape gum tissue to expose healthy tooth structure and improve the appearance of a gummy smile.
Muscle Attachment (Frenula) - A laser frenectomy is an ideal treatment option for children who are tongue tied (restricted or tight frenulum) and babies unable to breast feed adequately due to limited tongue movement. A laser frenectomy may also help to eliminate speech impediments.
Soft Tissue Folds (Epulis) - Dental lasers may be used for the painless and suture-free removal of soft tissue folds often caused by ill-fitting dentures.
Removing Benign Tumors - Dental lasers may be used for the painless and suture-free removal of benign tumors from the gums, palate, sides of cheeks and lips.
Biopsy or lesion removal - Lasers can be used to remove a small piece of tissue (called a biopsy) so that it can be examined by specialists for cancer.
The Biolase ezlase 940 Dental Laser
In addition to it's diverse functionality, the administrators at Armadale dentistry were no doubt also influenced by an exclusive ezlase feature called ComfortPulse™ which lets dentists significantly reduce the amount of time the laser is actually cutting flesh, which works to avoid heat that can cause pain at the surgical site. This unique combination of features means that she can perform most ezlase procedures using topical anesthetic only.
The science of using laser for soft tissue dental surgery
Recent research in the field of laser wavelength absorbtion and innovations inspried by this data has positioned BIOLASE Technology as the leader in medical and dental laser systems. They used the research data to develop the ezlase 940, the first dental laser to obtain clearance at the unique 940 nm wavelength.
Biolase ezlase model 940 dental laser operates at 940 nm wavelength which research proves resonates or rather is better absorbed by hemoglobin and oxyhemoglobin than other wavelengths, so the ezlase cuts more efficiently at lower power and with less heat.
The ezlase is FDA cleared for temporary relief of minor pain. The exclusive beam-dispersing handpiece has several therapeutic applications, including providing temporary relief of minor muscle and joint pain and stiffness.
How do lasers work in dentistry?
All lasers work by delivering energy in the form of light. When used for surgical and dental procedures, the laser is most frequently used as a cutting instrumen, and less frequently as a vaporizer of tissue. When used for "curing" a filling, the laser helps to strengthen the bond between the filling and the tooth. When used in teeth whitening procedures, the laser acts as an activator and enhances the effect of tooth whitening agents.
While all diode lasers cut tissue using heat, many of them can increase tissue temperature excessively, causing patient discomfort. The ezlase keeps patients more comfortable two ways.
Using the ezlase 940 Diode Laser for Teeth Whitening
Diode Dental Laser is designed for a wide variety of procedures, including teeth whitening. Diode Laser Teeth Whitening is achieved with a proprietary photo-activated whitening gel that is activated by the selective absorption characteristics of a specific true-laser wavelength of light.
Even though its quick, it works. The Diode Laser Whitening procedure is completed in just four short sessions, that each last about thirty seconds each, and which are all performed in the course of one short visit, and the results are truly amazing. The new device has proven itself to be one of the most effective teeth whitening instruments available on the market today. The technology has already transformed the appearance of thousands of Canadians teeth, and is remarkably effective even on the worst case scenarios, ie teeth that are yellowed or gray in color, Diode Laser Teeth Whitening offers outstanding results. A full-mouth, in-office whitening can be performed in only 20 minutes, which makes it faster than any other in-office whitening system.
Consumers need to be better educated to know that most dental offices and almost all spas and salons that offer “laser teeth whitening” do not, in fact, use an actual diode laser in the procedure. The term “laser” has been rather loosely applied to every light emitting tool and the lights that most folks use are actually non-laser plasma lights. There is a significant difference in both the effectiveness and safety of these plasma lights, versus true diode laser activation.
The ezlase 940 uses new technology to provide greater patient comfort and superior control of bleeding during dental procedures. Small and ultralight, the ezlase 940 enables this Markham area dental clinic to proudly and confidently offer better dentistry services, which more proceducres done faster and more comfortably than ever before. Can your dentist say the same?
The Fuel Ghoul has a friend named Bill Watson who goes by the nickname ve3bnw, and who runs RC Perspective, a remote controlled helicopter camera / aerial video company in the Hamilton / Niagara region of Ontario.
Bill will take pictures (or videos) of your house or business from the air, and he offers clients a fresh 'remote controlled' aeriel perspective on their property.
Recently Bill Watson drove out to Whitby Ontario and did some work for a solar power company specializing in the Ontario MicroFit program, putting solar panels on environmentally friendly peoples' homes. The property seen below was recently featured in a local green investing TV show. Bill's footage to be used behind a voice track of Calum Ross Toronto mortgage broker detailing exactly how participating in the Ontario MicroFit program and adding solar panels to your investment property can improve resale prices. Homeowners should be aware, this is something they can do to dramatically heighten the value and interest of property buyers without a lot of time and money and mess and inconvienence. Modern solar panels are lightweight and durable and you can add them the roofs of new and old houses - consider this another option in your list of possible ideas for value added improvements. They look great too, and even better when photographed from above!
The house looks spectacular as solar panels are very in suburbia now.
Bill's helicopter is also electric. This sophisticated camera platform is possible today because of the battery powered motor capable of producing 2 HP , flight time of 6 mins. and capable of lifting gross weight of 14 lbs. Bill works the remote controls of the helicopter, while his wife Debbie operates the pan and tilt and zoom and focus on the remote controlled camera mounted on the underside of the vehicle. It also has a video down link so the pair can see exactly what the camera sees.
And the video is majestic - this is how you show a potential investor what he's getting when he buys into the program. Yes there's a certain amount of prestige that comes with being the greenest house on the block, and this video captures that magnificence as it soars over solar install.
Its good to back here on Fuel Ghoul. Please comment of you remember my blog from three years ago and are surprised or delighted to see me back here writing content again.
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