A Beginner’s Guide to 3D Printing in Healthcare

The topic of 3D printing can seem pretty intimidating due to the complexity of the phenomenal technology, which is why we have created a guide to help simplify and explain what 3D printing is, how it works, its benefits in the medical industry, and some of the medical applications of 3D printing. This Beginner's Guide to 3D Printing in Healthcare will provide you with an overview of the topic and help you expand your understanding of the multifaceted world of 3D printing in the medical industry.

What is 3D Printing?

3D printing, also called additive manufacturing, is the process of adding up multiple thin layers of material (or multiple materials) to create a physical three-dimensional object based on a digital press file. The structure of the object being created is based on the input of a computer-aided design file that is compatible with the 3D printing hardware. Since 3D printing can print on multiple substrates, 3D printing is used to manufacture simple objects such as clothes and toys, and even complex objects such as car and airplane components for a fraction of the price.

A Brief History of 3D Printing

In 1983, Charles Hull (also known as Chuck Hall) invented a prototype system known as stereolithography. Hull defined stereolithography as an apparatus and method in which solid, three-dimensional objects are made by successively printing thin layers of material one on top of the other that are then cured with ultraviolet (UV) lasers. Stereolithography uses an STL file format to translate data from a CAD file to a 3D printer. In that same year, Hull created the first-ever 3D printed part. On August 8, 1984, the term stereolithography was coined by Hull in his patent application for an “apparatus for production of three-dimensional objects by stereolithography.” Hull successfully obtained the patent for stereolithography on March 11, 1986. In 1986, Hull also co-founded 3D Systems Inc. and commercialized the technology. 3D Systems Inc. introduced the SLA-1 Stereolithography (SLA) printer in 1987, this was the first-ever commercial 3D printer.

In the 1990s, 3D printing was first used for medical purposes, specifically for dental implants and custom prosthetics. In 2002, a 3D printed functioning miniature kidney was produced, and in 2008, the first 3D prosthetic leg was produced. Additionally, in 2012, scientists produced the first 3D printed jaw.

How Does 3D Printing Work?

There are two main types of 3D printing: FDM (Fuel Deposition Modeling) and SLA (Stereolithography). FDM is more commonly used due to its low manufacturing costs. SLA often requires the object to be printed upside down instead of adding layers in x, y, and z dimensions like FDM. Therefore, the substrate layer of SLA is also thinner than FDM as it requires fewer moving parts when printing. SLA is widely used in the medical industry to create anatomic models and microfluidics. Other types of 3D printing also include Selective Laser Sintering (SLS), Digital Light Process (DLP, Multi Jet Fusion (MJF), PolyJet, Direct Metal Laser Sintering (DMLS), and Electron Beam Melting (EBM). DMLS printing is also suitable for many medical applications where it is required to create organic structures.

The Benefits of 3D Printing in the Medical Industry

3D printing has evolved rapidly for the past few years and is expected to continue growing due to its high end-use values and cost-efficiency. 3D printing technologies in the medical industry can potentially affect tissue and organ creation, customized prosthetics, accurate anatomical models for medical education, ethical testing for new pharmaceutical drugs, and increased personalization in many aspects of healthcare. 3D printing also holds the promise of revolutionizing personal healthcare due to its time and cost efficiencies. The main benefits of 3D printing in the medical industry include:

1. Customization and Personalization: 3D printing offers the freedom to produce personalized medical products and equipment. Not only can 3D printing be used to create customized, patient-specific prosthetics and implants, but additive manufacturing can produce made-to-order fixtures and tools for use in operating rooms. The ability to produce custom-made fixtures, surgical tools, and implants provides great value for both patients and physicians, as it can lessen the time required for surgery and improve patient recovery time and the success of the operation.

2. Cost efficiency: 3D printing is considered a very cost-effective solution for the healthcare sector for a number of reasons. For one, 3D printing is a cost-effective solution to manufacturing customized and personalized products compared to traditional methods. Additionally, using 3D printed anatomical models can help improve patient outcomes, help people live better lives, and lessen the likelihood of individual's with medical issues having to return to the hospital; as a result, health services save a significant amount of money. Furthermore, the use of 3D printed models and surgical guides for pre-operative planning can help reduce time in the operating room, and saving time means saving money. According to Axial3D, using a medical 3D models saved $1,200 on average per medical case.

3. Productivity: 3D printing can produce personalized products faster than traditional methods while still maintaining high resolution, accuracy, and reliability.

4. Democratization and Collaboration: The democratization of design and manufacturing is another major beneficial feature that 3D printing offers. As 3D printing technology advances, more and more materials are becoming available for use in additive manufacturing and at a lower cost. In other words, 3D printing makes the means for designing and manufacturing more accessible to everybody, including medical professionals. 3D printing also allows for the precise sharing of designs among researchers and medical professionals. Thanks to the to the open-source, downloadable nature of 3D printing data files, medical professionals can simply access and download .stl files and use a 3D printer to create an exact replica of medical model or device. This is much more accurate and efficient than trying to reproduce parameters as described in scientific papers and documents.

Opinions on 3D Printing in Healthcare and an Overview of the Market for Medical 3D Printing

Compared to traditional processes of medical manufacturing, 3D printing technology reveals its capability of better control over the qualities of end products, providing higher dimensional accuracy and stability, and leading a way into cheaper and more personalized medical services. Evidently, 3D printing presents a plethora of opportunities in the medical industry, and as a result, the technology is gradually replacing traditional manufacturing techniques. This is evident in the rapidly growing market for 3D printing in the healthcare industry. According to market research conducted by Research and Markets for the period 2020-2025, the healthcare sector is expected to be the fastest growing segment of the 3D printing market. This is largely due to the fact that additive manufacturing is increasingly being integrated into specialized sectors of healthcare such as orthopedics and implants. Additionally, with the widespread outbreak of the COVID-19 virus, the agility and efficiency that 3D printing offers has presented a solution to the supply chain shortages of critical medical supplies.

However, there are still limitations and barriers in 3D printing techniques as it comes to commercialization, concerns such as safety and security, and legal requirements from regulators, come along with its high potential. Nevertheless, the application of 3D printing in the medical industry is widely spreading, improving existing technologies and exploring new methods.

Medical Applications for 3D Printing: Current Trends

1. Bioprinting tissues and organs: 3D Bioprinting is a type of additive manufacturing that uses cells and bioinks to create a printed living structure that mimics the behaviour of natural living systems. Tissue failure, organ failure, diseases, birth defects and chronic problems due to the damaging effects of post-transplant immunosuppression, are all problems that 3D bioprinting has the potential to help. Bioprinting also has the ability to help the rapidly increasing demand for organ transplantation and eliminate the long organ transplant waiting list. Additionally, 3D bioprinting can aid in the area of pharmaceutical development as it offers a way of testing drugs faster, at a lower cost, and with a better biological relevance to humans than animal testing.

2. Patient-specific anatomical models for preoperative planning: 3D printing is often used to print anatomical models that are precisely customized to the anatomy, physiology, and medical needs of a patient. These models can be used during patient consultation and communication to help them better understand their medical condition and what necessary surgical procedures will involve.

3. Teaching and training: 3D printed anatomical models are widely used in educational settings to provide medical students with specific anatomical pathologies that allow for more realistic learning.

4. Medical device prototyping: With 3D printing, companies are able to rapidly design, test, and engineer medical device prototypes quickly and within a short period of time. The ability to view a physical, three-dimensional design in just a few hours has reduced the development lifecycle which ultimately minimizes the overall cost and allows for a greater number of test periods. An increased number of test periods means increased improvements and device safety as there are more opportunities to adapt and fine-tune the device functions.

5. Customized Implants and Prostheses: Similar to the use of 3D printing for patient-specific anatomical models, additive manufacturing is increasingly being used to create personalized, client-specific prosthetics and implants. Customized implants that accurately conform to the anatomy of a patient can greatly improve one's standard of life. Additionally, 3D printing has had a transformative impact on hearing aid manufacturing. Today, 99% of in-ear hearing aids are customized using 3D printing.

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References

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