New Study Highlights 3D Printing Coming To Medicine
3D printing is coming to medicine!
What Is 3D Printing?
3D printing, also known as additive manufacturing, allows for creation of variously shaped objects made of unconventional materials that can have properties that are almost impossible to produce using traditional methods.
Applications To The Medical Field
Doctors point to five areas where this technology will make the greatest impact and they are:
- Bioprinting and Tissue Engineering – production of replacement tissues and organs
- Pharmacology – new delivery methods for drugs promise to improve compliance and make things easier and simpler for patients
- Surgical Rehearsal – preparation for complex surgeries can be enhanced significantly using quickly printed models of relevant anatomy
- Customized Prostheses – highly detailed, accurately produced prosthetic devices that perfectly fit each individual user may end up revolutionizing the industry
- Distributed Production – areas currently poorly served by medical manufacturers and distributors may turn to producing their own devices locally.