https://www.lifehack.org/530325/6-ways-which-printing-technology-can-save-lives
3D printing in the medical field: four major applications revolutionising the industry
https://www.materialise.com/en/blog/3D-printing-us-hospitals
https://all3dp.com/2/3d-printed-cast-the-most-promising-projects/
3D printing has started out as manufacturing different materials in industrial means. First being able to print plastic, steel, aluminum and other materials at low cost with efficiency. Now 3D printing is being applied into different fields to help more people like medicine. In the medicine field 3D printing has created opportunities as in printing prosthetic limbs, organs, biotissue and printing casts.
In 3D prosthetic limbs helped others in medicinal needs as well financial. The prosthetics that were printed out strong durable material that are customized to the patients needs as well as the size. In traditional routes being approved and receiving customized limbs would take up to couple of weeks or months. Now the process is speeded up indefinity and a bonus they can choose design with colors to the individuals request. The price being lowered to 3D print materials makes things affordable for everyone.
When it comes to 3D Print casts and article states “Doctors can take X-rays or MRI scans, then build a needed structure that is an exact match for the patient using a 3D printer. This can be helpful for thousands of patients. A cortex exoskeletal cast is one such example. These casts are far better than the traditional casts used for broken bones” There many kinds of 3d print casts the cortex for example “The Cortex Cast was one of the earliest developments in 3D printed casts. In 2013, Jake and Ollie Evill designed the Cortex Cast to move past the traditional plaster cast system. The Cortex cast features a localized support system that is light, ventilated and shower friendly.The cast is designed using X-rays and 3D scans of a patient’s fracture. The resulting 3D printable cast has optimal support for the most vulnerable areas while providing a perfect fit for structural support. The cast can easily be worn by snap fitting two halves together, which prevents disassembly”. Other models after that are Osteoid Medical Cast, novacast, and activarmor.
On a molecular level 3d printing is being operated on patients. This is 3d printing moving on to the next level. Being able 3D print organs and tissue to help patients. In an article it states “The technique has been applied to (and utilised by) many different industries, including medical technology. Often medical imaging techniques, such as X-rays, computed tomography (CT) scans, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans and ultrasounds are used to produce the original digital model, which is subsequently fed into the 3D printer”. The practice has been growing in many US hospitals to advance medical practice.
