Abstract
3D printing is crucial to the healthcare industry's ability to quickly produce customized instruments and medical equipment. Customizing medical supplies and equipment is one of the main advantages of 3D printing in the medical field. Prostheses and implants in particular have profited immensely. At some time, 3D printing technology could advance to the point where failing organs might be replaced with specially designed, entirely new structures. The combination of stem cell research with 3D printing might potentially lead to the printing of functioning organs, including kidneys, livers, or hearts, using the patient's own stem cells. This may shorten the wait periods for viable organs and do away with the need for organ donors. This process offers several significant advantages over traditional organ donation, such as the lack of organ rejection risk, and may result in the production of healthy, fully functional organs. The applications for 3D printing are almost limitless. Complex, organic constructions like porous metal parts or thin scaffolds that mimic the structure of bones may be made. Personalized 3D printing offers a cost-effective alternative to traditional mass production and inspires a plethora of innovative applications. Instead of creating hundreds of identical components, additive manufacturing makes it possible to create prosthetic and orthotic devices that are specifically tailored to the anatomy of each patient, boosting their effectiveness.
TopIntroduction
These days, 3D printing technology offers pharmaceutical and medical corporations a great chance to develop more specialized medications, allowing for the quick manufacture of medical implants and altering the way physicians and surgeons arrange surgeries (Gu et al., 2015). (Barua and others, 2023). There are many uses for this technology, and the emergence of 3D printing has been the fastest-growing breakthrough in the medical industry (Paul et al., 2018).An overview of the usage of 3D printing in the medical profession is provided in this report, along with information about its benefits and drawbacks, with a focus on surgeons. Researchers are able to investigate novel medical applications and enhance those that now use 3D printing thanks to these technologies and their associated benefits (Datta et al., 2020). Figure 1 illustrates how 3D printing is being used in the healthcare industry. Because to recent developments in 3D-printed patient-specific prostheses, a wide range of handicapped persons who have been damaged in an accident or due to a genetic abnormality may now live normal lives. With the use of 3D printing and advanced imaging technologies, an accurate anatomic prosthesis may be created for use in several medical applications (Barua et al., 2021) (Datta and others, 2018) (Datta and others, 2019). This has had a big effect on the dental field as well. Debate has erupted about the use of cadaveric teaching materials to educate aspiring physicians. This is caused by the cost of the operations as well as ethical considerations. By precisely reproducing complex anatomical organs using high-resolution CT imaging, 3D printing technology may provide an inventive and effective substitute in many circumstances, including those in which using a corpse is not an option (Jin et al., 2021). Furthermore, the ability of 3D printing to produce several replicas of any anatomical topic in different sizes is very advantageous to training facilities. Human organ and tissue structures are already created by 3D printing for research purposes, as was indicated in the section on medical research (Barua et al., 2019). These may be used to create extraordinarily complex devices that mimic the operation of actual human organs when combined with biocompatible microfluidics (Shaukat et al., 2022). The next phase is printing organs inside the body while the patient is sedated, or even printing organs that can be transplanted into human donors. This technology, albeit less advanced than the others covered in this chapter, has the potential to revolutionize medicine and eliminate the need for organ transplants and artificial organs. The end of this chapter evaluates the current limitations of 3D printing for medical applications and suggests future directions for research and improvement.
Figure 1. 3D-printing Application in Modern Healthcare
Key Terms in this Chapter
Scaffolds: Commonly, in various industries such as construction and tissue engineering, are temporary structures that provide support, shape, and stability during the assembly or regeneration process, serving as a foundation for further development or construction.
Drug Delivery: It refers to the method and system used to administer medications into the body to achieve therapeutic effects, targeting specific sites or sustained release.
3D Printing: Basically, it is a technology that creates three-dimensional objects by layering material, such as plastic or metal, based on a digital design. It revolutionizes manufacturing by enabling customized, rapid, and cost-effective production of a wide range of items, from prototypes to functional parts and even artistic creations.
Dental Implant: A dental implant is a titanium or ceramic post surgically inserted into the jawbone to replace missing teeth. It serves as a foundation for attaching lifelike artificial teeth, restoring function and aesthetics.
Biomedical Engineering: Generally, it combines principles of engineering and biological sciences to develop solutions for healthcare and medical challenges. It encompasses designing medical devices, artificial organs, and diagnostic equipment, as well as creating medical imaging techniques and tissue engineering. Biomedical engineers play a critical role in improving patient care, advancing medical research, and enhancing healthcare technology. Their work spans various fields, from prosthetics to genetic engineering.