Use of 3D Printer For Medical Devices

3D printing is the new inn in many industries, and medicine is also one of them. Making replicas of anatomical structures with 3D printer for medical devices allows for the direct or indirect manufacture of useful medical equipment. Digital models of structures will create using 3D imaging techniques such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), computed tomography (CT), and others.

This method has gained traction recently for use in healthcare-related clinical and research settings. One of the main advantages of 3D printing medical devices is that it allows for the speedy and cheap production of small batch sizes.

As the technology improves and prices drop, medical 3D printing will be to continue its rapid ascent in popularity. As the market for medical devices expands, we may expect to see greater adoption of 3D printing in healthcare settings, improved regulatory clarity, and higher competition among suppliers.

Benefits of 3D Printing Technology For the Medical Industry

Additive manufacturing (AM), encompassing 3D printing, has several potential uses in healthcare. The advent of 3D printing medical devices in the medical field has allowed for the creation of highly individualized medical devices. The following are some of the technology’s special features.

Personalized Medical Gadgets

Personalized medical gadgets can improve patient outcomes and cut healthcare costs in clinical investigations. In the same way that personalized cancer treatments have revolutionized oncology, personalized medical devices have the potential to greatly advance fields, including reconstructive surgery, orthopedics, 3D printing medical prosthetics, orthotics, dentistry, and veterinary care.

The affordable and efficient development of patient-matched devices has been made possible by numerous technologies in the medical device industry. For example, 3D printing allows medical professionals to make unique, patient-specific medical gadgets.

Compared to conventional mass production processes, 3D printing allows for greater customization of devices to be better suited to each individual patient’s demands and physiological characteristics. The resulting personalized medical technology is better adapted to each patient’s anatomy.

For instance, the following are examples of personalized patient-specific medical equipment:

3D Printed Medical Implants of Orthopedic 

The stiffness of prosthetic leg sockets can be adjusted based on the patient’s BMI and activity level. Aesthetic enhancement, shorter recovery times, and less discomfort are just advantages patients can expect from using personalized medical equipment. Therefore, they will be crucial to the development of healthcare in the future.

Computer-aided (Automated) design

Medical instrument and device development using 3D printing medical devices relies heavily on design automation. It allows for quick iteration through design iterations, parameter locking, and prioritization of design considerations. Automating your design process means you can develop a new, validated design with minimal effort.

Saving both time and money, this method of automating the design process also increases the reliability and uniformity of the final product.

Osseointegration

Osseointegration creates a direct operational and structural connection between living bone and the surface of an implant. Which is essential for implant durability and long-term therapeutic success.

Porous metal foams are commonly used in 3D-printed medical devices because their porosity, shape, pore size, and distribution may be precisely tailored to optimize osseointegration. These 3D printed medical implants eliminate the need for cement, saving operating time by as much as a quarter.

Biologically Relevant Structures

Utilizing architected materials with 3D printing for personalized medical devices opens new avenues for improved functionality. Physical attributes like stiffness or impact absorption can be engineered and treated as design variables using architecting materials and constructions with specified performance features.

Osseointegration, mechanical biocompatibility, and 3D-printed foams are all examples of how 3D printing is being put to use in the medical device industry, and all three have the potential to improve device performance.

Mechanical Biocompatibility

Avoiding “stress shielding,” which can happen when metal implants fix fractures or replace joints, is vital to developing individualize medical technology. Long-term issues from stress shielding can be mitigated by selecting mechanically compatible 3D printed medical implants with the bone in terms of compressive strength and Young’s modulus.

An alternative to autologous bone grafts, porous metal scaffolds can optimally design using TPMS, stochastic, and graph lattices. To avoid implant failure and produce the intended impact. The characteristics of these lattice structures can finely controlled and optimized on a small scale.

3D-Printed Foams

It is also possible to construct foam-like structures by tuning polymer lattices. Additive foams have better control, impact absorption, and cushioning qualities than conventional ones. 3D printing medical prosthetics sockets using medical foams provide novel and responsive behavior.

Is 3D Printing The Affordable Solution For Medical Industry?

Indeed, it’s still early to give a verdict. But the three key challenges clinicians face that 3D printers can help with are:

  • It is time-consuming to create individualized simulations for use in pre-surgical planning.
  • Only on computerized models are individual patients’ anatomical characteristics discernible.
  • It’s common for implants to require shaping during surgery, which adds time to the operation.

Healthcare 3D Printer For Medical Devices Workflow

There are only three basic steps for clinicians to start using 3D printer for medical devices. Here’s how it goes down.

Modeling

CT scans form the basis for digital anatomical models.

3D Printing

Anatomical models are printed on full scale using a 3D printer.

Preoperative Preparation

For the purposes of surgical planning and surgical simulation, patient-specific physical models are useful.

3D Printing Technology and Printers For Medical Devices

Depending on the size and complexity of the items, the appropriate 3D printing medical devices method can be selected for bridge production. Some of the printers and printing technology that are helpful:

Complex Geometries, Miniature Scale

Small, precise models and biocompatible devices ready for sterilization are best printed using resin 3D printing technologies. Like the UV LCD.

Complex Geometrical Models of a Medium Scale

Medium-sized models with complicated internal architectures. Such as anatomical models of the human heart, are ideal candidates for LPD Plus technology.

Smooth-surfaced Medium-sized Models

Together, LPD and LPD Plus printers and SVS automated post-processing machines may produce models with improved aesthetics for communications.

Bottom Line

To summarize, medical 3D printing companies offering printing software, hardware, materials, and 3D printer for medical devices are expected to rise as investment in technology continues to rise across all sectors. Hopefully, this would hasten the process of decentralizing medical device manufacture and boost the availability and distribution of such devices.

To get the latest insights on the role of 3D printing medical devices read 3D Printing Hive’s articles!

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Jacob Anderson

With the growing interest in 3D printing technology, there are various approaches available to create stunning three-dimensional objects!


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