**2.1. Design and manufacturing**

An ear prosthesis was created according to anthropometric parameters. It was designed using a 3D computer-aided design (CAD) software. After that, the prosthesis was manufactured with a 3D printer from bits from bytes, model 3D touch with a Z-axis resolution of 0.125 mm (0.005″/ 125 microns), nozzle has a diameter of 0.3 mm, using the fused deposition modeling (FDM) process and printed in PVDF (C2H2F2) which is a smart material that exhibits piezoelectric and pyroelectric properties. PVDF used was pure and bought in rods with 3 mm of diameter, from Goodfellow Limited Cambridge (FV307910), and this PVDF is subjected to strict quality control to assure repeatability in its ferroelectric properties, that is, piezoelectric and pyroelectric properties of the printed ear are not affected.

Types of 3D printers:

