Scientists from Edinburgh University have created a replica human tongue using 3D-printing, in collaboration with Leeds University.

According to Leeds University, the team of scientists gathered 15 volunteers and obtained silicone impressions of each of the individuals’ tongue surfaces. 

After mapping intricacies of the tongue by using 3D-scanning, 3D-printing using digital light technology was then performed to create the surface with the data provided from the scans. In result, this created a device that replicated a human tongue with impressions and characteristics such as its wetness and its softness.

“Accurately mapping and replicating the tongues surface and combining that with a material that approximates the elasticity of human tongue was no small task. said Professor Anwesha Sarkar of Leeds University, who is the principal investigator of this study.

“Ultimately, our hope is that the surface we have designed can be important in understanding how the biomechanics of the tongue underpin the fundamentals of human feeding and speech”.

In the future, the team hope that this device can be a use into both therapeutic technologies and as a use into treatments for oral conditions.