THE FUTURE OF 3D
PRINTING IN MEDICAL SECTOR

Mr Jay Parekh
Shlok Solutions, Ahmedabad |
For recent past years,
scientists and professionals have predicted that 3-D
printing—which has been used it to make toys, homes,
scientific tools could one day be harnessed to print
live, human body parts to mitigate a shortage of
donor organs. So far, researchers also used 3-D
printing in medicine and dentistry to create dental
implants, prosthetics, and models for surgeons to
practice on before they make cuts on a patient. But
many researchers have moved beyond printing with
plastics and metals—printing with cells that then
form living human tissues and body implants.
No one has printed
fully functional, transplantable human organs just
yet, but scientists are getting closer, making
pieces of tissue that can be used to test drugs and
designing methods to overcome the challenges of
recreating the body’s complex biology. |
How much healthcare will contribute to
this growth remains to be seen. In 2020, healthcare
represented only 10% of online printing demand. In
contrast, the industrial and electrical sectors
represented approximately 50%.
But changing trends may see a necessity
for more 3D printing in hospitals and places of care. As
a new Research on 3D printing in healthcare finds, the
growing old-age population has driven the demand for
donor organs, while regenerative medicine using
bioprinted, patient-derived stem cells allows for
personalized treatment of certain diseases.
Application of 3D Printing in Healthcare
1. Medical Devises On-Demand
One of the frequent uses of 3D printing
in healthcare is the production of cost-effective and
accurate medical devices on demand. Every type of
customized medical equipment can be manufactured with 3D
printing.
The equipment is incredibly versatile
and cost-effective and can be used as a quick
replacement for vital supplies. For example, in the
middle of the COVID-19 pandemic, we see the true
potential of 3D printing. When hospitals all around the
world are struggling with the lack of respirators, 3D
printing technology is used to create vital parts of the
respirator.
2. Prosthetics
Another usage of 3D printing in the
healthcare industry is in creating prosthetics.
One of the main features of 3D printed
prosthetics are these can be custom fitted to the
patient. With traditional manufacturing, a custom-fitted
prosthetic would take weeks if not months to
manufacture. But with the help of additive
manufacturing, it can be produced in days.

3D printed prosthetics are not simple
like traditional prosthetics. 3D printed prosthetics can
be made with intricate designs, even bionic structure.
It gives the user high functionality with a full range
of motion like natural limbs. Further developed with IoT
technologies will create smart prosthetics, helping
those in need throughout the world.
3. 3D Printing Organs
3D printing in the medical field has
started to show incredible improvement in organ
printing. Recently the world’s first 3D printed lungs
were developed by the bioengineers of Rice’s Brown
School of Engineering. The structure is created with a
3D printing process called stereolithography process for
tissue engineering. These 3D printed organs are surely
in the initial stages, but with the advancement of
technology, these organs will be improved in the coming
years and will be good alternatives for a patient in
need. |
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