Access to this technology has come a long way in the potential of the medical field. Rady Children’s Hospital has set up its own 3D Innovation Laboratory to print 3D models, including models that mimic human tissue, such as the respiratory tract, hearts and bones. In 2019, the hospital admitted a 7-year-old boy born with a single functional heart ventricle .
Today, various techniques and printing materials are available to better reproduce the patient’s anatomy. Most of the available printing materials are rigid and therefore not optimal for flexibility and elasticity, unlike organic tissue . Therefore, there are materials today that can bridge the gap between real and reproduced anatomy, especially given soft tissue . This analysis presents an overview of the application of 3D printing in the medical field, highlighting its usefulness and limitations and how it can be useful for surgeons. The three-dimensional printed model based on data from computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging has contributed to a more complete valuation of the intracardiac anatomy, leading to a successful surgical repair for three out of five patients. Finally, CT and MRI data were used to build digital and anatomical 3D models to plan a surgical heart transplant procedure for two 2- and 14-year-old patients relatively affected by left-hand hypoplastic syndrome and pulmonary atresia.
The 3D printing process used to create this exceptional proof of concept is the stereolithographic device for tissue engineering. By using light for a digital projector, this bioprint process creates hydrogels layer by layer. One of the many types of 3D printing used in the field of medical devices is bioprinting.
Of the various production processes currently used by industry, 3D printing is an additive technique. It is a process in which a three-dimensional solid object is practically generated in any way from a digital model. Today, 3D printing technology offers a great opportunity to help pharmaceutical and medical companies create more specific drugs, enabling rapid production of medical implants and changing the way doctors and surgeons plan procedures . This technology has multiple applications and the fastest growing innovation in the medical field is represented by the advent of 3D printing itself . This file represents the guide to later printing, “paste” that digital design model in cross sections.
Thanks to additive production, these guides can be produced quickly and with exact specifications. New technological advances have enabled healthcare advances in 3D printing with an estimated $ 6.08 billion in 2027 in terms of software, hardware, services and materials. Technology has promoted personalized medicine, which allows the patient’s symptoms and treatment to be more accurately understood and the operating room to become more freight measure efficient . The advent of 3D printing technology leaves its mark on specialties such as orthopedics, pediatrics, radiology and oncology, as well as cardiothoracic and vascular surgery. The flexibility of 3D printing allows manufacturers to easily customize designs that specifically match a patient’s anatomy. In the case of prostheses, 3D printing quickly produces perfectly custom devices, while remaining functional and cost effective.
Endocon GmbH, a German medical device manufacturer, has used 3D metal printing to create an alternative surgical tool for hip cup removal. Traditionally, this is a 30-minute procedure performed with a chisel, but chisel can sometimes damage tissue and bones, resulting in an uneven surface, making it difficult to insert a new hip implant. With the amazing things that happen with 3D printing in the medical industry, including detailed 3D models, custom tools, prostheses, bone reconstruction and synthetic organs, there is no doubt that this is the future of healthcare. Several sectors within the medical industry benefit from 3D printing, including orthopedics and dentistry.
Many health researchers now use 3D printing to explore new medical applications and technologies. Biomedical engineers can now use surgical devices such as calipers, hemostats, scalpel clamps, etc. These tools are also much cheaper than other medical instruments produced using traditional production methods. 3D printing has been used in the health industry to produce simple and complex prostheses, as well as surgical implants. In addition, 3D printing can be used to produce custom prosthetic limbs suitable for a specific patient. 3D-printed medical devices and devices are used as models for medical marketing and education.
Technology offers exciting new ways to provide personal care and create better performing medical devices. With regard to bio-impression, few applications are currently involved in tissue production in regenerative medicine. Many different tissues are successfully bio-impressive, as reported in many magazine articles, including bones, cartilage, skin and even heart valves.
Instead of printing with plastic or metal, bioprinters use a computer-controlled pipette to place living cells called bio-ink on top of each other to create artificial living tissue in a laboratory. The technique has been applied to many different industries, including medical technology. Medical imaging techniques such as X-rays, CT scans, magnetic resonance scans and ultrasound are often used to produce the original digital model, which is then introduced in the 3D printer Producing these pieces in 3D for expectant parents is more difficult than making hand or hip models. Doctors use imaging ultrasound for pregnant women because it does not harm the unborn baby.