𝐀𝐩𝐩𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝟑𝐃 𝐏𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐧 𝐁𝐢𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐄𝐧𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠

 𝐓𝐨𝐩𝐢𝐜 - 𝐀𝐩𝐩𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝟑𝐃 𝐏𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐧 𝐁𝐢𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐄𝐧𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠

𝐀𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐥𝐞 𝐖𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐧 𝐁𝐲 - 𝐏𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐠𝐢𝐨𝐭𝐚 𝐏𝐚𝐧𝐚

𝐂𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐲 - 𝐆𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐜𝐞 

One of the most impressive cases where engineering technologies are applied in healthcare is 3D printing. 3D printing, also known as additive manufacturing, has several functions in numerous industries and can be utilized in a variety of ways for medical purposes. It was first described in 1986 by Charles W. Hull, who named his method “sterolithography”. It pictured the creation of a 3D solid structure where thin layers of material were cured with UV light and were printed in layers. As science evolved, this was improved and led to the formation of resin molds that are used to make 3D scaffolds from biological materials. Some of the main ways in which additive manufacturing is used will be presented in this article.

1. Bioprinting tissues and organoids

3D bioprinting is being applied to regenerative medicine to serve the need for tissues and organs suitable for transplantation. There are four main types of tissues that can be 3D bioprinted, and each of them demands a different timeframe to be created. 2D tissues such as skin take a shorter timeframe, hollow tubes like blood vessels need more time to be printed, hollow organs like the bladder need even more time and solid organs such as the kidneys need the most time compared to the rest. 3D bioprinting has already been used for the generation and transplantation of several tissues, including multilayered skin, bone, vascular grafts, tracheal splints, heart tissue and cartilaginous structures.

2. 3D printed surgical instruments

Sterile surgical instruments such as hemostats, needle drivers, scalpel handles, retractors and forceps can be produced using 3D printers. These devices need to pass some very specific tests to be brought in use. They may need to be small enough for internal human use. Next, they have to be perfectly functional, to allow the surgeon precision in their moves. Finally, they have to be made of materials that are safe for use in all sorts of human applications. It is thus clear that 3D printing has not only made these devices much easier to produce but has also delivered functional improvements. The main advantage of printing these instruments, according to Rankin et al estimates (2014), is the fact that they lower the cost per unit of a 3D-printed retractor to be roughly 1/10th the cost of a stainless-steel instrument.

3. Custom-made prosthetics using 3D printing

One of the 3D printing’s applications is also the creation of custom-made prosthetic parts such as limbs, ophthalmological body parts, hands, arms, feet, and legs. However, there are not many prosthetic legs because the majority of 3D printing plastics that are commercially available aren’t strong enough to support body weight. The greatest advantage of 3D printed prosthetics is the fact that they are a rather affordable solution compared to alternatives.

4. Surgery preparation assisted by the use of 3D printed models

Another application of 3D printing is the creation of patient-specific organ-replicas, on which surgeons can practice prior to difficult operations. This has proven to minimize the trauma on patients and save valuable procedures’ time. A 2016 study has shown that more than 250,000 people die each year in the United States as a consequence of medical errors. More than 4,000 of those are classified as “never events”— events that should never have happened. Undoubtedly, it is impossible to eliminate the human factor that leads to such errors, however surgical planning and rehearsal can drastically reduce their occurrence. Replica-organs are thus invaluable tools in preparing a safer surgery, as they provide surgeons with feedback for the upcoming operation and they allow them to plan the procedure in advance.