3D-printed device restores normal life to cancer patient

3D-printed device restores normal life to cancer patient

2026-03-20

For years, the 68-year-old Ms. Liao relied on a nasogastric tube to eat, unable to share meals with her family and reluctant to go out. But with the help of 3D printing technology, a medical team created a custom barrier plate to separate her oral and nasal cavities. Now she can eat normally without food leaking from her nostrils, finally freeing her from life with a feeding tube.

This video instructs medical personnel on how to insert a nasogastric tube to help patients eat. But it’s not very comfortable, and some people unconsciously pull it out. It also affects social interactions.

Ms. Liao
Patient
Other people would always stare at me, so I got shy and scared. I wear a mask and don’t like to go out. It made me less outgoing, and I closed myself off more.

After an oral infection related to lymphoma left her with a hole connecting her mouth and nasal cavity, 68-year-old Ms. Liao relied on a nasogastric tube to eat for eight years. With her cancer now under control, doctors fitted her with a barrier plate that allowed the tube to be removed, freeing her from needing it ever again.

The new device, known as a digital obturator, fits inside her mouth so Ms. Liao can eat and drink normally. Unlike traditional obturators, which rely on manual impressions, are complex and time-consuming to produce, and have a higher risk of error, the digital version can effectively meet patients’ needs.

Huang Yi-fang
Dentistry department director
The process used to take two to four weeks, but now the digital obturator can be made in just two to four hours. In the outpatient clinic we confirm that water doesn’t flow out the patient’s nostrils when they drink through their mouth, then we ask them to remove the nasogastric tube.

Chen Chien-tsung
Hospital committee vice chair
This technology won a national innovation award last year. Using medical 3D printing and more, the medical team combines the latest technologies.

Restoring patients’ quality of life like this requires the joint efforts of ENT doctors, plastic surgeons, and rehabilitation specialists. Thanks to the latest technologies, medical teams are helping patients like Ms. Liao live a normal life.

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#medicine #technology #ChangGungMemorialHospital #health #patient #qualityoflife #hospital

長庚3D列印製作"數位閉孔器" 助患者擺脫鼻胃管人生

2026-03-20

68歲廖女士長年靠鼻胃管進食，無法和家人用餐，也不敢外出，醫療團隊運用3D列印技術製作阻隔板，有效隔開口腔鼻腔，讓廖女士吃東西不會再從鼻孔流出，成功擺脫鼻胃管人生。

影片中的醫護人員示範，如何插鼻胃管幫助患者進食，只是這過程光看就不舒服，就有人會不自覺自行拔掉，另外也影響社交。

[[病患廖女士]]
“（別人）就會一直看我，我就害羞了，我就害怕了，我就戴著口罩，不喜歡出門，然後個性上也變得不開朗，就會比較封閉自己。”

68歲廖女士因為淋巴癌口腔感染，術後口鼻穿通缺損，8年仰賴鼻胃管灌食，終於在癌症病情控制下，做了隔板，把鼻胃管摘下來，終身不用再戴。

這款新的隔板叫做數位閉孔器，裝在口腔內，讓廖女吃東西喝東西，不會再流出來，不同傳統閉孔器，必須仰賴人工印模，還有製程繁複耗時，誤差風險高等等缺點，數位閉孔器能順利解決患者需求。

[[林口長庚醫院一般牙科系系主任黃意方]]
“2到4周的時間，縮短到現在，用數位的方式，2到4個小時就可以在當天完成，我們在門診就會確定患者從嘴巴喝水的時候，不會從鼻孔流出，我們就會請患者拔除鼻胃管。”

[[長庚決策委員會副主委陳建宗]]
“這樣的技術，事實上，在去年得到國家新創獎。數位醫療3D列印等等，（醫療團隊）都能夠把現在，新的技術結合在一起。”

這項最短時間內恢復功能與生活品質的工程，可不容易，必須結合耳鼻喉科、整形外科和復健科醫師的力量，才能製作完成。數位醫療造福病患，讓更多廖女士一樣的案例，擺脫鼻胃管人生。

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What began as an ordinary morning bus ride in Keelung quickly turned into a frightening scene, with three elderly women lying injured on the floor. The incident happened after passengers calmly boarded a bus at a busy stop. Older passengers were slowly making their way down the aisle, searching for a seat, when a sudden violent jolt sent them flying. The driver had slammed on the brakes to avoid crashing into a minibus, and in an instant, chaos erupted inside the bus. Two women were sent to the hospital, and one remains there under observation.

Passengers hop on and off the bus at the stop. The bus begins to drive off and several elderly women slowly head to their seats when…

A sudden brake causes a commotion and three women are flung to the ground like bowling pins. One of them, wearing pink, can’t even get up. Noticing something was wrong, the driver went to check up on the passengers. From the swinging handles, you can see it was a powerful lurch.

Passenger
Witnessed scene
There were two old ladies on the floor. They fell when the bus braked. They were taken away by ambulance. Drivers shouldn’t drive too fast near the bus stops. Older people aren’t too steady, and if they aren’t holding on, they could fall.

So what actually happened? This bus servicing route 104 was departing from Erxin Xunhuan Station on Thursday morning when it suddenly had to brake to avoid crashing into a minibus. The abrupt stop caused three women to fall to the ground. Two of them were sent to the hospital with injuries. One of them has been discharged but the other remains under observation.

Chang Ching-wen
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There are safety precautions in place. Passengers are advised to firmly hold onto the handrails while riding the bus.

Police took statements from people involved and officers are investigating whether the issue is to be blamed on the bus driver or the minibus that cut them off. The bus operator says they will cover all medical expenses.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
Mon to Fri at 9:30 pm on Channel 152
Tue to Sat at 1 am on Channel 53

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Down Syndrome Foundation brings Mazu to Taipei Main for 9 days

The Mazu from Beigang Chaotian Temple is on a surprise visit to Taipei, where she will stay for nine days at Taipei Main Station. She made the journey at the invitation of the Down Syndrome Foundation. With World Down Syndrome Day this Saturday, and Mazu’s birthday pilgrimage in coming weeks, the foundation hopes to raise awareness about the condition while giving people with disabilities the chance to worship the Beigang Mazu without having to travel all the way to Yunlin.

Amid roaring drums and gongs, Qianliyan and Shunfeng’er lead the procession, followed by Mazu from Beigang Chaotian Temple. Priests chant prayers and perform the Five Offerings ritual to install Mazu. It’s as lively as it gets.

Wu Jui-lin
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The Mazu from Beigang Chaotian Temple made a surprise visit to Taipei, where she will stay at Taipei Main Station for nine days in a row. Besides letting everyone walk under her palanquin, she’s here for another reason.

The main figurine of Mazu at Beigang Chaotian Temple has made the trip north to stay at Taipei Main Station to bless and support an exhibition held by the Down Syndrome Foundation. The exhibit features artworks and cute versions of guardian deities including Mazu, Wenchang Dijun and Nezha made by people with Down syndrome. Organizers hope the big crows that pass through the station will take a look at the exhibition and better understand their condition.

One highlight of the exhibition is that you can actually pass under Mazu’s palanquin right on site. It will be held at a height of 1.5m, so that people with different needs can pass through. There are seven sessions per day from March 21 to March 29, and you need to get a numbered ticket to take part.

Lin Cheng-hsia
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We wanted to give people with disabilities an opportunity to worship Mazu without having to travel to Beigang. We hope to promote inclusivity, and make a big impact here at Taipei Main Station.

Mazu’s birthday occurs on the third lunar month of the traditional lunisolar calendar. Ahead of Mazu’s pilgrimage in coming weeks, the foundation hopes that bringing Mazu north can help raise awareness about Down syndrome.

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Mon to Fri at 9:30 pm on Channel 152
Tue to Sat at 1 am on Channel 53

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Huge flight of swallows makes racket, terrorizes pedestrians near Yuanli hospital

Miaoli’s Yuanli Township has a street known for what locals call “golden rain.” But don’t be fooled—it’s not a nice as it sounds. It’s actually the natural result of having thousands of swallows flying above, scaring pedestrians away from walking underneath. Although Taipower moved the power line to the nearby hospital underground, the birds just moved to another one around 200 meters away, vexing everyone nearby with their endless chirping.

The air is dense with swooping birds, serving as a warning to pedestrians to stay away from the danger zone underneath.

Every evening, a huge flight of swallows gathers in the skies above Heping and Datong roads in Miaoli’s Yuanli Township, bringing their “golden rain” with them. Everyone passing by adopts the same posture: hand over head, walking briskly past.

Member of public
Living with swallows
They used to come from May to October, but they’re earlier this year. They arrived in February.

The residents are fed up. It’s not like they haven’t tried to do something about it. They even got Taipower to bury the power lines at the original danger zone in front of the hospital.

Hung Huang-chi
Yuanli Representative Council chair
Taipower agreed right away and there were no issues with the land. Construction is almost done now.

Although their perch was taken away, the swallows weren’t deterred—they just found another spot. If you zoom in on the scaffolding at the front of the hospital, you can see rows of birds standing like sentinels along a city wall. The only power line left at a nearby street corner has no spots left. The fruit vendors below have been driven mad by the droppings.

Fruit vendor
Annoyed by birds
They poop on your head. Look, we’re all wearing hats. I use bottle rockets to scare them away, but they always come back after a while.

Not even bottle rockets can drive away these thousands of swallows. So what’s so special about these 500 meters along Yuanli’s Heping Road?

Chang Wei
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Some of them come because there’s a large drainage ditch nearby as a food source, so they’ll eat the small insects over there.

Local agriculture officials said the lights here attract insects, which are food for the swallows. Wherever there’s food, they’ll gather. The city has installed boards beneath their nests, but the problem of “golden rain” continues to frustrate the authorities and residents alike.

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Mon to Fri at 9:30 pm on Channel 152
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A Taiwan-born woman who was adopted by an Australian family has been rejected from restoring her Taiwanese nationality. Vanessa Miles was adopted as a baby 46 years ago as part of what she suspects was a transnational baby trafficking ring. She recently came to Taiwan to look for her biological mother, only to find that her Taiwanese identity had been revoked. Despite holding a Taiwanese passport and birth certificate, she has been unable to obtain official recognition from the Ministry of the Interior. Let’s hear from her.

Vanessa Miles
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But I am a daughter of Taiwan. I was born in Taiwan. I came to Taiwan and submitted my DNA for comparison. After returning to Australia empty-handed, I applied at the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Sydney to renew my passport. After several months of waiting, I was advised that the Minister of the Interior and the Minister of Foreign Affairs were unable to agree on processing and approving my application. Whether the information in my papers in real or not does not change the fact that I was born in Taiwan and exited Taiwan as a baby. I am a victim, sold to another country as a small baby, without any say in the matter and now the government has effectively erased my existence.

Liu Shyh-fang
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The relevant civil affairs and public health and welfare units are verifying whether the birth certificate and nationality documents provided by Vanessa are authentic. There is the concern of forgery, so if the documents can’t be confirmed conclusively, we may recommend DNA testing. That is to say, to match her up with her biological mother or father in Taiwan and establish her identity that way. If that verification is successful, restoring her ROC Taiwan nationality should not be a big problem.

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For more Taiwan news, tune in:
Mon to Fri at 9:30 pm on Channel 152
Tue to Sat at 1 am on Channel 53

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