HOW 3D PRINTING SUPPORTS A MEDICAL REVOLUTION

3D printing came to people’s attention in the healthcare industry at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic when additive manufacturers offered their skills to help manufacture medical equipment and tools that were in short demand. Today, it’s used to boost efficiency, reduce risks, and deliver better results across a wide range of applications.

3D printing is used to produce anything from medical implants and hearing aids to surgical models for education and complex, customised prosthetics that enhance comfort for users. All are made on-demand, with shorter lead times and thus reduced storage requirements.

Patient-centric 3D printing for the medical sector

It is transforming the field of implants, such as hip replacements, by allowing experts to design implants that match the patient’s unique anatomy and reduce the risk of complications. In addition, surgeons are using 3D-printed models based on patient scans to better plan complex surgeries and

improve surgical outcomes. Another vital application is the production of intricate drug delivery systems, allowing for the customisation of drug release profiles to improve treatment results and patient compliance.

The opportunities are no less evident in the dental industry, where 3D printing is being commonly used to fabricate customised dental implants, crowns, bridges, retainers, and dentures, as well as anatomical models for training and education.

The possibilities are virtually limitless, in sectors where continued innovation is really changing lives for the better. It will be fascinating to see the continued development of bioprinting, for example, which applies 3D printing techniques to deposit living cells layer-by-layer, to create tissues and organs – a process that could potentially reinvent organ transplantation.

Want to know more about 3D printing in the dental and medical sectors? Email us at bowman3d@bowman.co.uk