Blogs

3D Bioprinted Organs Now Available For Testing And Transplantation

Cells grown under laboratory conditions has been an achievable technology developed a few decades ago. However, researchers are now looking at innovative ways to improve the process of growing new cells that can speed up the process of drug testing. Researchers, from the Heriot-Watt University, have developed a new valve-based technique that can print embryonic cell cultures using 3D bioprinters. Led by Dr. Will Shu, he and his colleagues from the Biomedical Microengineering group pioneered 3D

February 28, 2015

3D Printing Revolutionizes Research in Paleontology

According to Kenneth Lacovara, a professor at the College of Arts and Sciences at Drexel University, the technology used in paleontology has been more or less the same for the last 150 years. “We use shovels and pickaxes and burlap and plaster. It hasn't changed -- until right now.” With the help of 3D modeling, everything from fossil extraction to hypothesis testing has begun to change for paleontologists. Scale Models and Future Robots Dr. Lacovara is currently collaborating with Dr. James

3D Printing: Radiology corner

February 28, 2015

Applications of 3D printing in radiation oncology

Enduring the physical and psychological consequences of having a cancer diagnosis is only the beginning of the battle. Cancer patients then have to deal with grueling treatment cycles and associated side effects. The high doses of radiation used to destroy cancer cells can also damage adjacent healthy tissues. Although major improvements in radiation technology such as intensity modulated radiation therapy have led to reduced toxicity, these methods tend to be complex requiring several planning

Dr Tatiana

February 27, 2015

Revolutionary Microstereolithography 3D Printing Used To Repair Damaged Nerves

Nerve damage causes delayed responses as well as total loss of sensation. The traditional way of repairing nerve damage is to suture the affected nerves but this procedure often results to more risk of damage. Moreover, surgical procedures to treat nerve damage has limited design capabilities thus it can only treat a few range of injuries. The problems concerning traditional method of repairing nerve damage has led researchers to try other things. Researchers from the Sheffield University are lo

Desktop 3D Printing in Medical Imaging

February 25, 2015

Desktop 3D Printing of CT Scan Images

This is a time of rapid growth in medical 3D printing. The technology allows us to take an individual patient’s scan information and create physical models, which can be used in any number of clinical applications. The industry standard DICOM image files from CT and MRI scanners can be converted into 3D files, such as STL (for stereolithography) files. These digital models can then be uploaded to a 3D printing service bureau or printed on one of the currently available professional grade printer

ebaumel

February 24, 2015

3D Printing: Radiology corner

Overview of 3D printing in medicine

Within the past few years, interest in 3D printing and its medical applications has been growing exponentially. 3D printed models have already been used to provide unparalleled pre-surgical planning in complex surgeries such as conjoined twin separation and face transplantation, as well as more common procedures such as fracture fixations and joint replacements. However, the majority of health care providers and recipients are still unaware of this technology and its utility. My hope with this b

Dr Tatiana

February 23, 2015

New Ways to Help Children in Need of Prosthetic Hands Find 3D Printers

Through the internet, news, and word of mouth, people are finding ways to help children gain access to 3D printed hands. A prime example is E-Nable, an online community founded by Jon Schull that aims to help children in need of prosthetic hands connect with a people who own 3D printers. The site is made up of volunteers; mainly designers, prosthetists, and 3D printing enthusiasts with access to a printer, who work together to design and produce prosthetics for children who are missing a hand or

February 21, 2015

3D Printing And The Ethical Issues It Raises

3D printing has a lot of benefits particularly in the field of medicine. Currently, 3D medical printing is used by orthopedic surgeons to create artificial bones for patients who need limb replacements. It also has a bright future ahead as medical researchers see the potential of using 3D bioprinting and merging it with other technologies like stem cell therapy. Although 3D medical printing is becoming a normal procedure in the medical industry, it has raised several ethical questions. The firs

3D Models Help Improve Surgical Precision, Reduce Operating Time

February 21, 2015

News and Thoughts about Medical 3D Printing

3D printing has been integrated into the surgical procedures of many physicians, as it has proved very useful in the planning stages of a surgery. It allows doctors to operate with more accuracy and precision by providing a means for surgeons to become acquainted with three-dimensional models of their subjects beforehand. These models provide a holistic view of the part of the body under examination, which affords the surgeon time to assess the model and make changes in their surgical procedur

TesiJohnson

February 19, 2015

3D Printing To Help Injured Soldiers Get Replicas Of Injured Bones And Limbs

The 3D printing technology has helped many patients all over the world. With this, the United States Military is looking into 3D printing technology to replace bones and limbs of injured soldiers using a 3D printed replica. A team of experts from the University of Nevada created “virtual copies” of soldiers through the images generated from MRI, ultrasound and X-Ray. Although it may sound queer, Dr. James Mah a clinical professor from the University of Nevada noted that the virtual copies of th

February 19, 2015

3D Printing Takes Biological Sciences Back to Basics

The 3D printing revolution in the biological and medical sciences are developing synthetics and treatments faster than the news media can keep up. Some of the advancements, like experimental 3D printed brain cells, sound like something out of a Sci-Fi novel. Although the benefits of 3D printing to advancements in human health are numerous, the technology is also helping biologists better understand the topics covered in Biology 101—namely, the basic structures of biological molecules. Some of t

February 14, 2015

3D Bioprinting Helps Develop Synthetic Blood Vessels

3D bioprinting is an important technology used in the medical industry. One of its most recent applications is the creation of synthetic vascular grafts that can be used to replace unhealthy blood vessels of patients who underwent coronary or bypass surgery. Traditional vascular grafts work by repurposing the existing blood vessels from a donor or from the patient’s body. The problem, however, is that sources of good and healthy blood vessels are often very difficult to come by. This is the rea

February 14, 2015

MedShape’s 3D Printed Bones To Help Repair Foot Deformity Get FDA Clearance

A new orthopedic device technology using 3D printing was created by MedShape to provide surgeons with biomaterial tools that can easily transform and adapt once inside the body. The technology is called FastForward Bunion Correction Systems that can help patients suffering from foot deformity caused by bunions. This technology can help protect the native bone anatomy. This biomaterial, when surgically placed in the affected area, safely wraps around the metatarsal and adjusts according to the

Cool Medical 3D-Printing Blog

February 11, 2015

Cardiologists use 3D printed heart to treat arrhythmia

Cardiologists in Aalst, Belgium, 3D printed the hearts of two patients for preprocedural planning in the treatment of arrhythmia (irregular heartbeat). There are different types of arrhythmia and treatment thereof varies. Some conditions don’t require any treatment, while others call for medication or surgical procedures. One minimally invasive procedure is catheter ablation. During this procedure, a catheter delivers high-frequency electrical energy to a small area of tissue inside the heart t

Els

February 11, 2015

3D Printing Makes Cosmetic Solutions for Children More Accessible

In the past, children born with a congenital deformity or who suffered a deformity after cancer or another illness had few options to fix these issues. Many prostheses are prohibitively expensive, as they are often considered to be ‘cosmetic’ by insurance companies and are therefore not covered. This puts parents in a difficult place, especially when the child will shortly grow out of expensive prostheses. In some cases, the necessary surgeries to fix the cosmetic issue were too risky. Thanks to

February 8, 2015

3D Printing Gave Hope To A Girl Suffering From Rare Facial Distortion

3D printing is a technology that is widely used in the medical field. Recently, a girl suffering from a rare facial defect called Tessier facial cleft found new hope from 3D medical printing. The Tessier facial cleft is a condition that leaves a fissure on the skull. In most cases, patients suffering from this condition need to undergo complicated surgeries that may put their lives at risk. The patient, Violet Pietrok, was born without a nose because of her condition. Moreover, her eyes were al

February 8, 2015

3D bioprinting Creates Synthetic Tracheal Cartilage

The trachea is one of the most understated parts of the respiratory system. Also called the windpipe, it is a tube that connects the larynx and pharynx to the lungs. The trachea is a rigid tube that is made up of several cartilage rings called the cricoid cartilage. The cartilage is a necessary support system that allows the trachea to remain open. It also prevents the collapse of the trachea with the sudden movements made on the neck. While trachea seems to be a very sturdy organ, there are ti

February 5, 2015

How 3D Printing is Aiding New Discoveries in Human Evolution

It’s easy to think of the benefits of 3D printing for teaching anthropology. The new technology allows professors to digitalize fragile fossil and bone samples for classroom use—creating a great visual teaching aid. As it turns out, 3D printing has considerable benefits for anthropologists outside of the classroom as well. For one, increasing access to fossil samples for scientists is putting collaborative research on the fast track. Digitizing fossils and making the files available to universi

February 3, 2015

3D Printing Is A Promising Technology To Treat Patients Suffering From Heart Problems

Heart problems among children are one of the most difficult cases that surgeons have to deal with. The common reason for this is that the size of the heart is tiny which makes it difficult to conduct the operation. However, doctors from St. Thomas Medical Hospital in London used 3D printing technology to help pediatric patients with heart problems. 3D printing specialists, Gerald Geli, and Professor David Anderson created a medical innovation that can likely save many lives of patients sufferin

February 1, 2015

3D Printing Helps Medical Students Practice Suture Training

3D printing does not only give advantage to patients but also doctors. This technology provides a tool that makes it easier for medical professionals to do their job as well as medical students during their training. Hamish McIntosh, an industrial engineering masters student from Victoria University of Wellington, developed a way to make suture training a real-life experience for medical students by using 3D printing to create artificial skin. Suturing is an art for experienced doctors but tho

January 28, 2015

3D Printing in Medicine

Preparing CT scans for 3D printing. Cleaning and repairing STL file mesh from bones using Blender, an advanced tutorial

Summary: This is an advanced tutorial and assumes that you already know how to create STL files from CT scans. If you do not yet know how to do this, stay tuned, as a series of tutorials is planned on this website. Here we will use a free, open-source software package Blender to repair and correct a bony pelvis and lumbar spine model generated from a CT scan. If you would like to follow along with this tutorial, you can download the relevant Blender and STL files here, and follow along. >

Dr. Mike

January 28, 2015

Hong Kong Scientists Use 3D Printing to Help Kids with Bowed Legs

A bowed leg is a condition caused by developmental issues or improperly healed fractures. Treatment of bowed legs usually involves surgery and long hospital stays. However, medical researchers from The Chinese University of Hong Kong led by Dr. Liu King-lok developed a way to treat children with bowed legs using 3D printing. Conventional treatment of bowed legs encourages patients to wear a metal body frame for a year. The problem with traditional treatment is it involves a lot of hospital vi