3D Printing
3D (three dimensional) Printing is a fascinating technology, that allows one to create any object or tool they desire. The printer starts by melting the medium being used to print, and then laying the medium on the bed of the printer. The printer then works its way up layer by layer, following a precise design, until the object is fully formed and "printed." 3D printing could be very useful in the medical field, because of its customizable nature.
IMPLANTS AND PROSTHETICS
One of the ways that we are able to take advantage of 3D printing is through implants. 3D printing allows us to create custom implants and prosthetics for patients. 3D printed skull implants have become popular in surgery, as doctors are now able to create custom implants for missing pieces of a person's skull. The 3D printing world for implants is expected to expand, and this technology has the potential to generate replacements for almost any part of the human body.
BIOPRINTING
Bio Printing is another use for this technology in the field. Bio Printing describes a platform for printing living tissue or cells. This is performed in the same way as regular 3D printing, but with live cells. The cells are sprayed through the nozzle of the printer and layered to create tissue or organs. This could be beneficial to the field in various ways. It could eventually print skin for bad burns, organs for ones that fail, living bone for structures, or even limbs. While this technology is currently still very basic, breakthroughs are being made. Tissue and small organs have been printed, and we can expect more in the future.
MODELS
Another function for 3D printing is making models. Patients can be scanned and replica models can be made of parts of the body through 3D printing. This can be useful for practicing surgery or optimizing an implant, as doctors are able to plan and practice a unique and complex surgery on these models. This allows the surgeon to become familiar with the patient's anatomy and create patient-specific treatments and surgeries. This can minimize mistakes and surprises during surgery. These models could also be used to create custom implants from before.
PATIENT-SPECIFIC TOOLS
Lastly, 3D printing could be used to make patient specific tools. Every patient is different, and since 3D printing is so customizable, it's possible to make tools for specific patient needs. One example of this is in spine surgery, where one company is generating 3D printed surgical instruments optimized for a specific patient's surgical needs. 3D printed tools can improve comfort, customize surgical procedures, and increase surgical accuracy.
THE BIGGER PICTURE
3D printing is a very customizable and unique technology, as it allows one to create any 3D object imaginable. For this reason, it is very patient-specific. Also, 3D printing is relatively cheap. This means patients are able to get customized medical products without paying a hefty bill. The customization aspect of 3D printing optimizes the product for the patient, vastly improving procedures. Overall, 3D printing means that patients get a better outcome with a less cost.