In 1983, Chuck Hall, the genius inventor that created something that was simple yet earth-shattering. He developed the world’s first-ever 3D printer and used it to print a tiny eye wash cup.

It was just a small, black and utterly ordinary looking cup. But this cup paved the way for an unexpected revolution, one that today is changing the healthcare industry in dramatic ways. 3D printing involves taking a digital model or blueprint of the subject and then printing it in multiple layers with an appropriate material to create a new version of the object.

This technology has been utilized by many different industries, including medical technology. Often medical imaging techniques, such as X-rays, computed tomography (CT) scans, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans, and ultrasounds are used to produce the original digital model, which is then fed into a 3D printer.

According to statistics, it has been forecasted that the 3D printing industry in the medical field will be worth $3.5bn by 2025. The industry’s CAGR is supposed to grow at 17.7% between 2017 and 2025.

3D printing has a number of functions in a variety of industries, however, in the medical field, it has three main applications.

Improving Surgical Procedures

3D printing in the medical field is being used to create patient-specific organ replicas, that surgeons are using to practice on, before performing complicated operations. This technique has proven to speed up procedures and minimize trauma for patients. This process has been performed successfully in surgeries ranging from spinal procedures to a full-face transplant and has started becoming a routine procedure.

In January 2018, surgeons in Belfast successfully practiced for a kidney transplant for a 22-year-old woman, using a 3D printed model of her donor’s kidney. The transplant was complicated as her father, who was the donor, had an incompatible blood group. Along with that, his kidney was discovered to have a potentially cancerous cyst. Using a 3D printed replica of the father’s kidney, surgeons were able to assess the size and placement of a tumor and cyst, resulting in an outcome that wouldn’t be possible had it been done using the traditional methods.

Bioprinting of Tissues and Organs

One of the major uses of 3D printing that is being used in the medical device field is bioprinting. Researchers have started using a computer-guided pipette to layer living cells, known as bio-ink, on top of one another to create an artificial living tissue in a laboratory instead of printing with the usual materials like plastic or metal.

These tissue constructs are being used for medical research as they are organ look-alikes. They are also being trialed as cheaper and faster alternatives to human organ transplants.

A US-based medical laboratory and research company, Organovo is experimenting with printing liver and intestinal tissue to help with the studying of organs in-vitro, as well as with drug development for certain diseases. In May 2018, the company presented pre-clinical data for the functionality of its liver tissue in a programme for type 1 tyrosinemia, a condition that impedes the body’s ability to metabolize the amino-acid tyrosine due to the deficiency of an enzyme.

Prosthetics using 3D printing

3D printing has been making an entry in the production of prosthetic limbs that are customized to fit the user. It is a common scenario where people with amputations have to wait weeks or even months to receive prosthetics through the traditional route. 3D printing has drastically sped up the process along with creating much cheaper products offering patients the same functionality as traditionally manufactured prosthetics.

3D printers are affordable, accessible and easy to use. However, from an employer’s perspective, the installation of these 3D printers will call for a certain level of technological expertise which in turn is creating a new employment opportunity for CAD designers and engineers. Finding a suitable donor is a painstaking process, but with 3D printers creating organs from scratch, there will be no need to wait for a replacement. The beauty of 3D printing is that it is affordable, attainable and accessible, which is why it has been readily adopted in so many industries.