October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month in New Zealand.
When thinking about how STEM can help breast cancer patients and survivors we tend to think about medicine. Treatments and prevention - that's it, right? Not quite.
After having a mastectomy, some breast cancer survivors choose to wear prothetic breasts rather than having reconstruction surgery. These prosthetics can be ill-fitting, painful and generally not nice to wear.
That's where MindKits got an idea.
3D printing prosthetic breasts can not only solve the problems of what is currently available, but can also be customised to fit any body type, shape or size. Soft, flexible printing materials ensure the prosthetics are comfortable to wear.
Watch the video interview that Tim and Fay did with Seven Sharp which explains how they came up with the idea, as well as the design and printing process.