Medical 3 D Printing Case Study

The field of bioprinting, using 3D printing technology for producing live cells with extreme accuracy, could be the answer to many of the problems we as humans face in the medical field. It could be the end to organ waiting lists and an alternative for organ transplants. In 3D printing technology lies the potential to replace the testing of new drugs on animals. However, the idea of applying 3 dimensional printing to the health industry is still quite new and yet to have a major impact. Manufacturing working 3D organs remains an enormous challenge, but in theory could solve major issues present today.

In a study conducted through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services on “average 79 people will receive an organ each day; however, an average of 22 people die each day” waiting for transplants that cannot take place because of the shortage of donated organs (U.S. D.H.H.S). The average amount of patients waiting for an organ can reduce to zero with the continued development of 3-D printers. 3-D printing is a process of making three dimensional solid objects from a digital file. The digital file is uploaded onto a computer software, and then the 3-D printer prints the digital file out onto different materials. The materials include plastic, resin, nylon, sandstone. The finish products become replicas of the digital file, and what was an idea is now a reality. Therefore, 3-D printers will one day be the future of organ transplants because over the past twenty years the technology industry has rapidly grown into the focal point in society. From advancement in communication, to the medical field, science and technology has shaped this world today. Thus, the American Government should invest more money into the medical field budget because the research conducted on new technology (3-D Printers) leads to more lives saved, and expands the opportunity of future medical breakthroughs.

The development of 3D printing has greatly impacted the medical field, more specifically knee replacements. With the new development of 3D printing, patients have experienced a shorter recovery time, less pain, and more mobility.

Although there may be questions speculating the negative side of this technological advancement, the world should realize the benefit. 3D printers can cure many unknown diseases and aid many disabled individuals. As said by Bernard in the novel Brave New World by Aldous Huxley, "We preserve them from diseases. We keep their internal secretions artificially balanced at a youthful equilibrium” (pg 111). The World State in the novel may consist of immortality and beauty, however, in modern times humans can’t be compared to this world. Our society can improve the people’s health, aiding them in medical advancements that are unimaginable. Therefore, many civilians have turned to medical facilities clinics to provide the necessary organs in order to survive. 3-D printing is greatly important for civilization because people are suffering from disabilities and custom made body parts could save many lives. With no further to do, even though this technology has some negative aspects, the positive attributes should be much more viewed with interest for it can save many lives in the next few years to

The equipment included 10 orthopedic surgeons with no experience in wrist surgery, 1 video of distal radius shortening osteotomy technique, a shine enhancer (Orthoscan®, Ziehm Imaging GmbH, Nuremberg, Germany), Surgical motors equipped with oscillating saws (Stortz ™, Tuttlingen, Germany) as well as three types of procedural simulators: 5 dry radius without any component of soft parts (radius ERP # 1018®, Sawbones ™, Washon Island, WA, USA) 3D impression simulators (Wristsim®, Biomodex ™, Paris, France), 10 forearms of fresh thawed bodies. Wristsim®, derived from 3D printer technology (Figure 1), consisted of a silicone forearm / wrist / hand segment with an orifice on which a cartridge consisting of a Distal radius and soft tissue [7 Lazarus 2016].

Elizabeth Gough-Gordon, in the article 3D Printing and Medicine: Not Just Science Fiction Anymore, explains that 3D printing in the medical field is “not new technology”, but recent innovations are not only revolutionizing surgical procedures and prosthetics, but also the future of prescription distribution. In her article, Gough-Gordon inputs statistics, dates, speeches, and individual stories of patients who received 3D printed prosthetics in her article in order to assert the changes 3D printing has undergone since the 1980’s and how it is helping people today in 2015. For example, Gough-Gordon explains how 3D printing was first invented in the early 1980’s, despite the futuristic appeal the it has now, and how it has become a less expensive

As with anything, new procedures that prevent the patient from having to undergo a surgical procedure will allow a patient to heal quicker however, the side effects that may occur many years from now remain unknown. According to Hynynen (2010),

New Medical Research shows that 3-D printing can be used to reproduce human cells by bio-printing blood vessels and human tissue. Medical Research has shown that 3-D printing of the tissue can be a new invasive treatment for individuals that need rapid acting, life-saving treatment and the most cost effective option. There are a variety of different types of 3-D printers. However, with each 3-D printer they each produce their own unique and distinct objects. The usage of each 3-D printer differs from one another. In the terms of bio-printing its provides many benefits such as providing the production of medication, or a tissue. Furthermore 3-D printing can be also used for educational purposes, such as adding 3-D printing to the curriculum

Anthony Atala, in his 2011 Ted Talk, Printing a Human Kidney, tells of printing a bladder. He explains that they use a small piece of the patients original bladder. They then print a scaffold and let the cells grow on the scaffolding in an “oven like device” that has the “same conditions as the human body -- 37 degrees centigrade, 95 percent oxygen” Weeks later, the organ has grown and it is ready to be placed in the patient. Atala explains that “For these specific patients, we actually just suture these materials. We use three-dimensional imagining analysis, but we actually created these biomaterials by hand.”Luke Massella, a patient who received a 3D printed organ because he was born with spina bifida that prevented his bladder and kidneys

As mentioned earlier, 3D printing can be more than just fun and games. 3D printing can be used to make organs and living tissues as well. This is obviously a complex process, but it can be done. This would allow more people to be able to receive transplants. This idea of printing organs and tissues has been discussed for quite a while now.

"3D Printer Definition."02 January 2014). "According to a medical research team at Harvard, the lab of Dr. Jennifer Lewis has designed a custom 3d printer… to create a swatch of tissue cell containing interwoven structural material that can potentially function as blood vessels" (Prof. Jennifer Lewis, Sc.D. MIT). The ability to print tissue is a huge step for medicine due to the external and internal structures containing tissue cells. Burn victims can now receive printed tissue cells instead of the previous methods of having to surgically graft their skin. Although the previous method is highly successful and leads to functioning skin cells after the healing process is over, “The grafts… ideally come from locations that are not ordinarily visible, such as the buttocks or upper thighs, because the donor sites will not be normal in appearance after they heal” (Skin Grafts for Burn Treatment. N.p., 2016. Web. 10 Apr. 2017). The main benefit of 3D printed tissue is the freedom it allows for the patient. No longer will the victim have to suffer from a traumatic experience as grueling as being burned, and then have to decide where else on their bodies they are willing to disfigure(N.p., 2016. Web. 10 Apr. 2017). 3D printed tissue is essential because it sets the patients up for success from the beginning while not having to rely on finding a donor match or using

In his eyes, this would require countless operations to reach his version of perfection. He had every possible operation you could imagine, including bleached skin, cheek implants, and lip augmentation. So, with this research that 3D printing could lead to the development of human organs and limbs, the match makes sense. There is no doubt that he would love this because it would give him another crazy operation to try. Unfortunately, he is never going to get the chance to enjoy this. However, wherever he may be I am sure he has a smile on his face when he hears 3D

The integration of computer-aided design (CAD) and 3D Printing allows medical image systems to develop physical and real 3D hard copy [4], before going to operation, 3D Printed part is very useful to study where the bone is lost, how to make operation by successive steps and planning the fixation of screws, all these are done with naked eye. How best it is to decrease operation time to the doctor, planning surgery and explain case to his patient/students. 3D Printed components are allows you to check implant shape is replaces the original skull or not.

Professor Peter Choong, head of orthopedic surgery at St. Vincent Hospital, has remarked that the pen's versatility enables a heightened personalization of surgical procedures. A handheld 3D printer that can be manipulated so deftly with one's hands is a great evolution for the high precision work performed by surgeons.

Plastic surgery manly used for correct deformity since birth or tissues damaged because of illness or any anther several situations , most of plastic surgeon's works for appearance and function restoration such as : trauma , hand fractures , congenital deformity( ear reconstruction ,cleft lip and palate ) ,cancer ,and post cancer cases like mastectomy for breast reconstruction , facial reconstruction , burn and scar revision and peripheral nerve repair and many of cases which called cosmetic or aesthetic plastic surgeries it's used to help the patient to achieve what he think it is the desirable look for him ,also for increase his self esteem and satisfactorily toward himself such as: thighs lift , tummy tuck , fat liposuction breast lift and eyelid lift and much more different surgeries. In the past years there is noticeable progress in the plastic surgeries in different areas such as : flap physiology, bone biology , tissue engineering and craniofacial .(1)(3)(5)