3D printing applications in healthcare and personalized medicine

3D printing is a process of making solid 3 dimensional objects from a digital file by laying down thin layers of materials and fusing those layers together

3D printing can create objects that range in size, shape, rigidity, and color

3D printers can use materials including plastics, metals, ceramics, and biologic materials

3D printing uses an additive process, which is the opposite of subtractive manufacturing like milling machines that cut out or hollow out material

Prototyping is probably the largest application of 3D printing today

3D printing has been used in industries including aerospace, automotive, architecture, jewelry, art, design, fashion, and medical field

3D printing has been used in humanitarian and development sector to produce medical items, prosthetics, and repairs

Personalized medicine (precision medicine) is a medical model in which physicians use diagnostic tests to determine which medical treatments will work best for each patient

Tools important for improving personalized medicine include genome editing, artificial intelligence, wearables, and 3D printing

Medical devices produced by 3D printing include orthopedic and cranial implants, dental restorations, external prosthetics like hands and legs, and surgical instruments such as forceps, hemostats, scalpel handles, and clamps

Some 3D printed devices are created from a typical design to make multiple identical copies, while others called patient-specific devices are created from a particular patient's imaging data

3D printing can create patient-specific organ replicas that surgeons can use to practice on before performing complicated operations

Using 3D printed organ replicas for surgical practice has been proven to speed up procedures and minimize trauma for patients

Advancement of 3D printing technologies could move pharmaceutical production from mass manufacture to on-demand personalized dosage forms, providing patients with more safe and effective medicine

Scientists are researching the use of 3D printing to manufacture living organs like a heart or liver, but this research is in early stages of development according to the FDA

3D printing is a promising technology for making healthcare more accessible among patients by lowering the costs of implants and other medical devices

3D printing allows for greater understanding of complex cases and provides new tools that can result in better success in surgery