The medical industry has revolutionised since the introduction of 3D printing. It has saved lots of time and it has the potential of saving many people’s lives and the efficiency of surgery.
There are many different ways that 3D printers are helping and can (futuristically) help the medical industry to advance. This is why this cutting edge technology can accelerate the medical industry:
Burn victims will be able to receive skin grafting. Using a 3D printer, researchers are able to create an artificial thick layer of skin. This can enable the production of tissue at an extremely low price.
Making life-like prostheses that will resemble a specific person’s missing limb. This field already relies on the convenience of 3D printers; however, there is endless potential for patients’ and so much more room left for research. At the moment, countless prosthetic hands have been manufactured to fit individual patients at only a fraction of what a prosthetic hand would usually cost, thanks to 3D printing.
Improving dental health needs. Dental care is a big issue for people who cannot afford to pay thousands to restore their dental health. 3D printers can assist dentists by making their procedures cost-effective and efficient. The patient would just need the inside of their mouth to be scanned by a digital scanner and a 3D printer to create whatever he/she may need; for example, crows, dentures and bridges.
Patients will no longer need to wait ages for a kidney transplant. Many people that are on the organ transplant list for a new kidney have to wait for the backlog of other patients- some never receive a new kidney which increases death rates. With the use of 3D printers, however, transplant ready kidneys can be provided on demand.
Creating entirely new organ structures to treat medical problems. By means of bioprinting, a glucose-sensitive pancreatic organ can be developed, grown in a lab and transplanted inside a person to help regulate the level of glucose in their blood. This would save costs and lives. This is not only relevant to regulating diabetes but can potentially be modified and evolved to help chronic conditions such as cancer.