The $4 3D printing cost saved the turtle's life. It has lived a healthy life for 6 years and its weight has grown from 74.5 pounds to 210 pounds.

CTOnews.com, May 28 (Xinhua) according to the latest news released by the Birch Aquarium, sea turtles that accepted 3D printing of "turtle shells" in 2017 have grown healthily in the past six years, with their weight rising from 74.5lbs to 210lbs.

Environmental workers found a red sea turtle near a power plant in New Jersey in 2014 and handed it over to the Birch Aquarium because of poor health.

The Birch Aquarium tested it at the time and found that it weighed only 74.5lb (CTOnews.com Note: about 33.823 kilograms), which was grossly inadequate compared to regular sea turtles. More importantly, there is a hole in the turtle's shell, which affects the development of its spine.

To save the turtle in 2017, aquarium staff first scanned the hole in the shell and used 3D printing to fit the existing shell.

The above images are all from the Birch Aquarium, a scaffold that costs only $4, but its clever design and use of epoxy resin can seamlessly connect the turtle shell and prevent further complications. During the operation, the turtle's weight recovered to 130lb (about 59.020 kg).

The aquarium released the latest developments six years later, and the turtle is now 3 feet long, more than 2.5 feet wide, weighs 210lbs (about 95.340 kilograms), and is in good condition.