Most of the press surrounding 3D printing tends to focus on the weird, the wacky or the controversial. But the latest slice of 3D printed awesomesness isn’t just impressive – it could save your life.

The OsteoFab Patient Specific Cranial Device (OPSCD) from the Oxford Performance Materials company is a replica human skull designed to be used in catastrophic situations, and which can replace up to 75% of a human cranium.

The skull is created using a highly specialised process. First, the original skull is scanned to create a digitised replica. This is then fed through a specialised 3D printer, which lays down hyper-accurately detailed layers of polyetherketoneketone (PEKK) to create a skull that’s even tougher than the original bone.

The OsteoFab Patient Specific Cranial Device, namely a 3D Skull

The first surgery to make use of this astonishing technology was carried out on March 4th 2013, and was a complete success.

Though the technology is currently in the experimental phase, it is hoped that soon it will be offered around the world, saving countless lives.

Would you like a 3D printed skull if you were in an accident, or does the idea make you feel queasy? We’d love to hear your thoughts in the comment section below, so let us know what you think!