Blogs

Upcoming SME conference “Building Evidence for Medical 3D Printing Applications in Medicine” will be forum to discuss future of medical 3D printing

SME is holding an inaugural conference in about a week and a half, titled “Building Evidence for 3D Printing Applications in Medicine.” It’s sponsored by Materialize, a company that develops software for 3D printing and produces 3D-printed projects for researchers, clinicians, and consumers. This is a crucial topic for doctors, patients, and the medical 3D printing industry. 3D printing will not be widely accepted in the clinic without compelling, systematic evidence that it is better than e

Matt Johnson's Biomedical 3D Printing Blog

May 10, 2016

3D Bioprinted Ankles to Help Relieve Arthritic Pain

Imagine an orthopedic surgeon printing customized ankle bones with a printer and implanting them into patients to help them walk again. Consider a surgeon printing reconstructive wedges for an ankle surgery in his office and using them to replace staples, screws and plates. While these scenarios may seem like science fiction, advances in 3-dimensional medical printing are turning them into reality. The human ankle is made up of 26 bones, 33 joints and almost 100 muscles. Together, these comp

mattjohnson

May 9, 2016

3D Printing in Anthropology

Modeling Pubic Bones for 3D Printing Pt. 1: Grayscale Model Maker in Slicer

Here is a tutorial for the Grayscale Model Maker in the free program Slicer, specifically for modeling pubic bones since they are used in anthropology for age and sex estimation. The Grayscale Model Maker is very quick and easy! And I can't stand the "flashing" in the Editor. For this example, I am using a scan from TCIA, specifically from the CT Lymph Node collection. Slicer Functions used: Load Data/Load DICOM Volume Rendering Crop Volum

tsehrhardt

May 2, 2016

3D Bioprinting Vessels for Tissue Engineering

Tissue engineering can't expand into three dimensions as long as cells can't access oxygen and nutrients via blood vessels. This remains a big challenge for the printable organ and tissue engineering communities. Monica Moya and Elizabeth Wheeler, biomedical engineers at Laurence Livermore National Laboratory, are working on a way to solve this “plumbing problem,” as Moya puts it, using 3D bioprinting. Moya has previously developed microfluidic devices to test the effect of mechanical

May 2, 2016

Innovation in 3D-printed Surgical Models for Brain Tumors

Brain tumors located at the base of the skull are some of the most challenging to treat, because of their proximity to the brain stem, as well as important nerves and blood vessels in the head and neck (Johns Hopkins). The brain stem maintains breathing and heartbeat, the basics of life. Tumors found here are known as “skull base tumors” based on their location, not the type of tumor. A group of doctors at Toho University Omori Medical Center in Tokyo, Japan, hope to improve surgical models

April 19, 2016

Cardiologists hope to predict heart attacks with the aid of imaging, computer models, and 3D-printing

Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the USA and other developed countries. Imagine the number of lives that could be saved if doctors could predict heart attacks before they happen. Most heart attacks are caused by a buildup of cholesterol and triglycerides (called plaques) inside heart arteries that rupture, form blood clots, and block the artery. But not all plaques rupture and not all plaque ruptures cause disease. An Australian team of medical doctors and mechanical engine

April 11, 2016

3D Printed Replica of Patient’s Brain Used to Plan a Complex Procedure

A neurosurgeon from Saskatoon in Canada has 3D printed a replica of a patient’s brain to help him plan a complex medical procedure. Working with a team of engineers, Dr. Ivar Mendez created an accurate replica of the patient’s brain, which will allow him to practice surgery. Dr. Mendez is the head of surgery at the University of Saskatchewan, and is already familiar with using advanced technologies to improve surgical results. He uses computers in the operating room, and has a medical en

April 7, 2016

The Embodi3D.com Blog

Advanced 3D Printed IVC Filter and Arterial Vascular Training Models

The Most Advanced Vascular Training Models for Physicians Embodi3D has created a line of super-accurate 3D printed vascular models for physician and medical professional advanced training. Created by a board-certified physician who performs vascular procedures daily, these models were created for maximum procedural realism while being more practical and less expensive than conventional animal labs or silicone tube models. Physician specialists who utilize these models include vascula

embodi3d

April 1, 2016

“Miracle Kitten” Becomes Next Prospective Patient for Custom 3D-Printed Implants

Cassidy, a tuxedo kitten with a white mustache and socks, lost his hind limbs from below the knee at birth. When he was found starving after nine weeks, his wounds infected with E. coli, the emergency vet recommended euthanasia. But Shelly Roche refused to give up on him. She runs the TinyKittens rescue operated out of Fort Langley, B.C., Canada, that specializes in lost causes. She nursed him back to health, with the Internet cheering him on. This video shows Cassidy walking with a leash a

March 31, 2016

Supervet Discusses the Ethics of 3D Printing Technology for Veterinary Medicine

Professor Noel Fitzpatrick is one of the most prominent doctors of veterinary medicine in the UK. Featured on the show The Supervet on Channel 4, Fitzpatrick performs live-saving operations for people’s beloved pets, often making use of advanced technologies like 3D printing in his procedures. Despite his skills, Fitzpatrick says whether or not to keep animals alive is a moral decision, more than a scientific assessment. He says that 3D printing and other technological advancements have made

March 30, 2016

Many 3D Printed Hands Make Light Work

The rugged, replaceable, customizable, lightweight, and low cost nature of 3D printing technology make it ideal to make prosthetics for children, who quickly outgrow and/or wear them out. E-nable is an online community of volunteers, parents, makers, and medical professionals committed to providing 3D printed prosthetics to children who need them. Dr. Gloria Gogola, a pediatric hand surgeon at Shriners Hospitals for Children-Houston collaborated with E-nable and volunteer bioengineering stud

March 24, 2016

A College Student 3D-Prints His Own Braces

Twenty-three-year-old Amos Dudley is a digital design student in New Jersey. He went viral last week after coming up with a unique way to save some cash — by 3D printing his own braces. Clear orthodontic aligners made from a mold of your own teeth can run thousands of dollars, but Dudley managed to create his own for less than $60 USD using a 3D printer. Dudley had braces when he was younger but didn’t keep up with them, leaving him with a slightly crooked smile in his twenties. As a you

March 22, 2016

3D Printing Used to Mimic Flowers to Understand Flower Mimicry

Researchers from the Department of Biology at the University of Oregon, Eugene, have come up with an innovative use of 3D printing to study the biology of flower mimicry. One of their models was the “Dracula Orchid” (Dracula effleurii). Despite its vampiric name, the flower is not carnivorous. They attract flies as pollinators, not food. Dracula here means “little dragon,” referring to their appearance. Bitty Roy, the principle investigator on the study, described the pollination proce

March 19, 2016

3D Printed Spine Model Aids in a Child’s Treatment

In a UK-first, surgeons at Alder Hey Children’s Hospital successfully used a 3D printed model of a spine to help complete an operation. The procedure was the first time NHS doctors have ever used a 3D printed model in the operating room. The model was used by surgeons on the West Derby hospital’s orthopedic team in their efforts to correct the curved back of an eight-year-old patient. The young girl from Whales suffers from kyphoscoliosis, a complicated congenital spinal problem. T

3D Biomedical Printing - by Jacob M.

March 15, 2016

Valchanov's Blog

My first 3D Print video - Kidney Hydronephrosis

Hello This is my first 3D print. I used a 3D model of a kidney, which I made myself from a renal angiography. I printed it with one of my engineer geek friends using a Prusa i3 self-made 3d printer, 0,2 mm nozzle, 0,2mm layer thickness and PLA as material. This was my entering demonstration, which gave me an assignment as a freelancer anatomy assistant professor. My ambitions are to use 2D and 3D models, along with the traditional cadaver techniques in my work as an anatomy teacher and to te

valchanov

March 13, 2016

Bioprinting cancer to aid medical research

Much of the press for medical 3D bioprinting has revolved around recreating parts of the human body for medical transplants, implants, and reconstructive surgery. We often find these stories easy to relate to, with visuals that help us understand the benefits of each bioprinting solution. However, another important aspect of bioprinting that may not be as obvious is its potential contribution to early-stage disease research. This type of research occurs in the laboratory, and focuses on how

JJMonash

March 11, 2016

Implanting A 3D-Printed Vertebrae: Another World-First Surgery Success Story

Every year, the number of world-first surgeries with 3D printed materials is on the rise. And a doctor in Australia recently added another success story to the list after implanting a 3D-printed vertebrae into a man’s spine. Last year, neurosurgeon Ralph Mobbs of the Prince of Wales Hospital in Sydney, met a patient suffering from chordoma, a difficult form of cancer. The man was in his 60s, and the cancer had caused a tumor to grow in a very difficult area to access. Hobbs told M

3D Biomedical Printing - by Jacob M.

March 8, 2016

The accessibility of 3D printing and the 'maker' mindset driving medical care

Recently, the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston (UTMB) in conjunction with MakerNurse, John Sealy Hospital, and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, unveiled the first MakerHealth facility. This space was created to inspire nurses to creatively solve problems they see every day caring for their patients, using a diverse range of crafting tools, from zip ties to 3D printers. The initiative recognizes that many nurses are already coming up with creative solutions to problems with pati

JJMonash

March 4, 2016

New Report Shows Promising Growth for the 3D Printing Healthcare Market

The global 3D printing healthcare market is expected to have a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 26.2% up through the year 2020, according to a new report, World 3D Printing Healthcare Market-Opportunities and Forecasts, just published by Allied Market Research. The report found many different factors that are influencing market growth, including breakthrough technologies. Portable, solar-powered, multi-material, and full color 3D printers make the technology easy to use anywhere.

3D Biomedical Printing - by Jacob M.

March 2, 2016

Move over cadavers, enter 3D printing for medical education

This week cdmalcolm posted a great article here at Embodi3d.com on how 3D-printed replicas of patient’s organs are helping surgeons plan for complicated operations. Today I'd like to supplement this topic by talking about the advances 3D printing can bring to medical education, specifically by recreating human models for students to study and dissect. Currently, the golden standard for teaching medical students the anatomy (overall structure) of the human body involves dissecting and observi

JJMonash

February 27, 2016

3D printing for bio-medicine

Fabrication at the the clinic: Desktop 3D-printers produce surgical implants for ACL repair

The utility of modern three-dimensional printing techniques for bio-medical and clinical use has been demonstrated repeatedly in recent years, with applications ranging from surgical modelling to tissue engineering and beyond. Despite the promise and potential of three-dimensional printing methods, impediments to their widespread clinical uptake still remain. Many of the printers used for medical applications are highly specialised pieces of equipment that require trained operators and contr

Merlin

February 24, 2016

3D Printing Organs for Use in Surgical Planning Shows How Medical 3D Printing is Changing Healthcare

3D printing organs is a small part of a technology that contributes to a wide range of industries. But no one can deny that the impact is greatest for the medical community, and the patients and families they’re helping. Biomedical 3D printing is often associated with innovative new prosthetics and affordable custom implants, but that’s only half of the story. 3D printing organs has completely changed surgical planning for many doctors, with impressive results. Doctors Find Their Optim