3D Printing Applications in Medicine and Surgery

3D printing technologies have been transforming the healthcare industry since the 1990s. But the demand for and adoption of 3D printing technology by healthcare companies has been increasing steadily in recent years. Most healthcare companies these days use 3D printers to produce three-dimensional models that facilitate the personalization of treatment and minimization of operative risks.

According to a report published by Data Bridge Market Research, “Global healthcare 3D printing market is registering a healthy CAGR of 19.22% in the forecast period of 2019-2026. This rise in the market can be attributed to the increased demand for specific 3D printing, increasing applications for medical treatment and government investments in 3D printing project.”

The forecast depicts the increase in 3D printing applications in medicine and surgery. Many medical professionals use 3D-printed devices and instruments. Likewise, many surgeons use 3D printing technologies to preplan and perform surgical procedures accurately. We can assess the significance of 3D printing for the healthcare industry based on some of the innovative use cases on medical 3D printing technologies.

8 Innovative 3D Printing Applications in Medicine and Surgery

1) Bioprinting Organs and Tissue Structures

According to Science.org.au, “Bioprinting can produce living tissue, bone, blood vessels and, potentially, whole organs for use in medical procedures, training and testing.” Bioprinting is often described as an extension of 3D printers. The surgeons use advanced 3D printers to generate patient-specific tissue-like structures using bioinks as the primary material. The 3D-printed tissue-like structures are personalized for a patient with optimal accuracy and precision. Many healthcare companies have been investing in research to create fully functional organs for patients with grave organ failure by leveraging advanced 3D printing technologies.

2) Producing New Surgical Instruments

Like other enterprises, healthcare companies use 3D printing services to facilitate rapid prototyping. 3D printing makes it easier for medical device manufacturers to create and test prototypes of new devices without incurring huge expenses. At the same time, 3D printing technologies help surgeons and physicians to communicate design ideas clearly and unambiguously. Researchers have been using combining different 3D printing technologies and materials to produce new medical devices and surgical instruments regularly. Also, many companies these days use 3D printers to produce instruments and devices in a short amount of time.

3) Creating Medical Phantoms

According to Radiopaedia.org, "A phantom or imaging phantom is a highly specialized object utilized in medical imaging for quality control, equipment calibration, dosimetry and education." Researchers and physicians these days use phantoms for training, testing, and research purposes to eliminate the need to use a living subject.

Advanced 3D printing technologies make it easier for researchers to create medial phantoms that replicate patient-specific organs accurately in various medical settings. Doctors have already used 3D printing to create phantoms of kidneys and artillery before operations. The 3D-printed phantoms are expected to transform organ transplant procedures in the future.

4) Patient-Specific Drug Delivery

Often patients have to consume multiple pills according to the drug dosage prescribed by doctors. They have to purchase additional pills to adhere to drug dosage. 3D printing technologies create opportunities for pharmaceutical companies to transform and personalize drug delivery completely.

A pharmaceutical company can leverage 3D printers to produce and deliver dosage for patients individually. Also, they can deliver drugs on demand according to the changes in a patient’s dosage profile. Many healthcare companies have invested in R&D to produce 3D-printer devices that deliver drugs according to the treatment plan for every patient.

5) Personalized Surgical Models

3D printers produce three-dimensional objects and models from digital files. The surgeons use 3D printing technologies to produce anatomical models based on the scanned patient data. They create a digital file based on the CT and MRI scans and produce 3D-printed anatomical models using the digital file. At present, 3D-printed anatomical models are used widely by healthcare professionals across the world while planning routine and complex surgeries. They help surgeons to prepare better for complex surgeries. Also, hospitals leverage 3D-printed anatomical models to curtail both time and cost.

6) Accurate Surgical Preplanning

While planning surgical procedures, surgeons cannot evaluate and assess a patient’s anatomy accurately on a computer screen. Many surgeons these days 3D-print anatomical models to gather additional and accurate information during preoperative planning. The 3D-printed anatomical models help surgeons to study and understand the impaired organs elaborately before the operation.

The surgeons can leverage the 3D model to explore various approaches and decide the most appropriate approach during the planning process. Hence, it becomes easier for the surgeon to reduce the operation time while improving the operational outcome. 3D printing technologies will become an integral part of surgical planning in the future.

7) Patient-Specific Prosthetics

As a branch of surgery, prosthetics deal with replacing missing body parts with artificial structures or artificial devices. Prosthetics make it easier for disabled people to live a normal life. But the prosthetists have to put extra time and effort to design prosthetics according to the dimensions measured by them.

3D printing technologies enable prosthetists to produce anatomic prosthetics precisely and accurately using high-quality imaging technologies. A prosthetist can further use a 3D printer to produce patient-specific prosthetics on demand. Many market analysts believe that 3D printing technologies will make prosthetics affordable for millions of disabled people in the future.

8) Driving Medical Research and Development

3D printing technology is transforming medicine and surgery by facilitating medical research and development (R&D). Many doctors and researchers these days use 3D printers to develop new treatments for various diseases by producing automated cell structures. The automated cell structures make it easier for physicians and surgeons to determine if a new drug is toxic to humans and animals during preclinical trials. Also, 3D printing technologies enable researchers to develop new clinical solutions, create innovative devices, and personalize various treatments without investing in extra time and effort.

3D printing is one of the disruptive technologies that are transforming the healthcare industry. In addition to leveraging 3D printing technologies, most healthcare industries these days invest in R&D. The combination of demand and research will create many new 3D printing applications in medicine and surgery in the near future.

Keyword: 3D printing applications in medicine

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Applications of FDM 3D Printing

Unlike other 3D printing technologies, fused deposition modeling (FDM) or fused filament fabrication (FFF) prints objects, items, or models by depositing melted filament continuously and selectively. The FDM 3D printers are designed with heated nozzles. The heated nozzle melts the material and deposits the melted material to a build platform layer by layer by following a predefined path.

While using FDM 3D printing technologies, engineers and printers often use thermoplastic filaments. However, they use a wide range of materials according to the nature and requirements of the item or model to be 3D-printed - polylactic Acid (PLA), acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyethylene terephthalate glycol (PETG), and thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU). The flexible and durable nature of thermoplastic contributes towards increasing the popularity of FDM 3D printing technology.

As highlighted by several market studies, FDM or FFM is currently one of the most widely used 3D printing technologies. Many manufactures opt for this 3D printing technology to produce basic proof-of-concept models without increasing time and cost. The option to choose from a wide range of FDM materials further helps engineers to produce models and objects according to precise business requirements. We can identify the popularity of this 3D printing technology based on a slew of FDM 3D printing applications and use cases.

Understanding Common Applications of FDM 3D Printing

Evaluating Design Ideas

FDM 3D printing is used widely by automobile companies. Leading car manufacturers leverage this form of 3D printing to test design ideas quickly and repeatedly. FDM 3D printers help them to evaluate design ideas by producing parts that are both solid and durable. Also, the manufacturers get the opportunity to experiment with various FDM 3D printing materials while evaluating innovative design ideas. Hence, it becomes easier for car manufactures to reduce time to market, curtail build time, and improve workflow. At the same time, this form of 3D printing helps engineers to produce small and detailed parts on demand.

Producing Prototypes that Withstand Testing

Often engineers expose a prototype to heat and chemicals to produce accurate test results. They look for a 3D printing technology that helps them to produce prototypes that can withstand rigorous and repetitive testing successfully. In addition to being flexible and durable, FDM 3D printing materials are effective in enduring heat and chemicals. Also, they can withstand mechanical stress effectively during multiple testing processes. Many manufacturers leverage FDM 3D printing technology to produce prototypes that can be tested under multiple and varied real-world conditions.

Reducing Weight and Altering Features

The aircraft and spacecraft companies frequently explore ways to boost performance by reducing weight and altering the features of various components. Thermoplastics are one of the flexible, strong, and durable 3D printing materials. Also, they are used widely as high-performing and engineering-grade materials. The thermoplastics make FDM 3D printing one of the widely used technologies in the aerospace industry.   At the same time, aerospace companies, like automobile companies, leverage FDM 3D printing to evaluate and revise prototypes frequently.

Facilitating Low Volume Production

Like other 3D printing technologies, FDM helps engineers to facilitate the low-volume production of complex parts. The engineers can use an industrial-grade thermoplastic filament to get complex parts that are both strong and durable. At the same time, they can leverage FDM 3D printers to produce parts with complex geometries. The engineers can scale up the part or model simply by increasing the size of the build platform.

Producing Proof-of-Concept Models

Many engineers leverage FDM 3D printing to evaluate ideas and verify concepts by producing proof-of-concept models. FDM enables engineers to experiment with various forms of thermoplastic to provide the proof-of-concept model with the desired strength and characteristics. At the same time, the engineers can produce multiple versions of the model quickly and repeatedly to make it easier for decision-makers to evaluate concepts and ideas during the product development process.

Producing and Evaluating Consumer Products

The leading manufacturers leverage FDM 3D printing technology to use the same material to produce both prototypes and finished products. They use an FDM 3D printer to create and evaluate detailed parts of varying sizes. Also, thermoplastics make it easier for engineers to 3D-print ready-to-use consumer products like whitewater canoes or Lego bricks. Many consumers and hobbyists these days use FDM 3D printers to create a variety of home decors and accessories without relying on external suppliers.

Creating Specialized Manufacturing Tools

Popular design tools like computer-aided design (CAD), computer-aided manufacturing (CAM), and computer-aided engineering (CAE) enable engineers to design customized and specialized manufacturing tools. The engineers use FDM 3D printers to convert the designs into real-time tools. Many engineers leverage this popular 3D printing technology to create new tools, while others finetune the existing manufacturing tools by experimenting with various types of thermoplastic. FDM 3D printers make it easier for engineers to create a variety of ready-to-use tools.

Leveraging Material Flexibility

FDM 3D printer allows engineers to experiment with many forms of thermoplastic. Each type of thermoplastic has its own pros and cons. But the engineers can customize the strength, durability, and characteristics of the 3D-printed model or product by choosing the right FDM materials. For instance, they can use PLA to produce three-dimensional objects using environment-friendly thermoplastic produced from natural products. Likewise, they can enhance the 3D-printed object’s stiffness and durability by choosing ABS.

Promoting Hands-on Learning

The affordable nature of FDM 3D printers creates opportunities for educational institutions to expose students to various learning experiences. Many schools and colleges invest in FDM 3D printers to promote hands-on training. In addition to explaining various concepts to students, teachers use FD 3D printers to convert the concepts to three-dimensional objects. The FDM 3D printers enable students to explore unlimited learning opportunities. Many students use FDM 3D printers at home to unleash their creativity and imagination.

At present, FDM is one the most widely used 3D printing technologies. Also, the manufacturers and engineers have the option to choose from a wide range of FDM materials. That is why; it becomes easier for them to produce a variety of three-dimensional models, objects, parts, and items using FDM 3D printing technology.

Keyword: FDM 3D printing applications

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