Blogs

3D Printing of Soft Biomaterials Now Possible Through the FRESH Support Bath

A lot of people have heart problems and there is a long list of those seeking transplant because unlike other parts of the body, tissues of the heart do not repair or regenerate on its own. Fixing heart ailments often requires surgical procedures and these surgeries are often difficult and risky. There may be an answer to these challenges thru a process known as 3D bioprinting. This method has been advocated to remedy the need for transplanting of tissues and organs. The process on 3D biopri

November 25, 2015

Researchers Found New Ways to Create 3D Printed Embryonic Stem Cells

The creation of stem cells using 3D printers can bring a lot of changes in the world particularly in the field of medicine. One important application for stem cells is drug testing. Millions of laboratory animals will be spared if 3D printing can create stem cells. Collaboration between the researchers from Tsinghua University in China and Drexel University in Philadelphia developed a way of growing embryonic stem cell structures. To create the stem cell structures, researchers used an ext

November 22, 2015

3D Printed Knee Cartilage Can Pave Way To Easy Knee Surgeries In The Future

The 3D printing technology has proven itself a very useful innovation in the field of medical technology. In fact, this technology is no longer restricted to making medical models to help surgeons plan their operation but progress has been made such that construction of delicate tissues is now possible. One of the most intriguing things that can be created with 3D printers is the knee cartilage. Scientists from the Texas Tech University and Texas A&M University were able to develop a wa

November 19, 2015

3D-printing Helps Re-Shapes a Zimbabwean Man’s Misshapen Face

Blessing Makwera is the Zimbabwean man who was the recipient of Operation Hope, a California organization that offers surgical care and procedures to individuals in developing nations. Makwera was only 15 years old when he figured in a tragic accident that left his upper and lower jaws severely disfigured due to an exploding land mine. Although he survived the accident, he had to live with his misshapen face for eight years before becoming the happy recipient of the Operation Hope. Makwera n

November 14, 2015

descobar3d's Blog

Video: Dicom to STL

This a video demonstrating the use of Mimics software to convert patient dicom images into 3D printable files. Mimics software has many great features to improve and ease workflow. Like other software programs most segmentation and exporting can be accomplished in 15 minutes.

descobar3d

November 13, 2015

Complex Brain Surgery Was Assisted with 3D Printed Realistic Brain Model in Canada

Canadian Surgeon Dr. Ivar Mendez is the head of surgery at the University of Saskatchewan. Dr. Mendez reported that he always prepares before a brain surgery via the use of computer simulations. Given the fact that brain surgery is a very sensitive operation wherein it involves opening the skull and toe brain folds are inserted with electrodes. A miscalculation on the part of the surgeon can cause irreversible damage depending on the specific part of the brain involved. That’s why the meticulous

November 12, 2015

Researchers Develop Method For 3D Bioprinting Soft Tissues

Surgical transplantation procedures such as heart transplants can be very difficult to work with and this is the reason why patients have to join a long waitlist, along with other patients, in the hopes of getting a transplant. However, researchers from the Carnegie Mellon University want to improve the chances of getting a transplant early by developing a method for 3D bioprinting soft tissues. Currently, the 3D printing technology uses materials like titanium and silicone to create flexibl

3D Printing in Anthropology

November 7, 2015

Why do anthropologists need 3D printed bones?

I thought I'd do a quick post on why anthropologists need 3D printed bones in case anybody's interested. Real bones are expensive! Although we have real skeletons for teaching osteology, we are often limited to teaching the identification and examination of whole bones. For both forensic and archaeological contexts, osteologists need to be able to identify bones that are incomplete, scavenged, weathered, burned, or damaged in some other way. In such situations, the first question is

tsehrhardt

November 7, 2015

New Research Solves the Problem of 3D Printing Soft Body Parts

3D printing has been used for years to create prosthetics, but the technology has faced challenges in printing soft tissues. Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University have developed a solution that now makes soft tissue printing a possibility for medical use. A Supportive Goo Led by biomedical engineer Adam Feinberg, the team developed a supporting bath of goo with a similar consistency to mayonnaise, which allows them to 3D print soft biological structures without risking them collapsin

November 5, 2015

First 3D Blood Vessel Bio Printer Unveiled In China

The 3D printing technology provides revolutionary roles in the fast evolving field of medical technology. China-based company, Revotek, announced their custom-made 3D bioprinter that can print real blood vessels and other multiple layers of cells. What makes this news truly revolutionary is that no other commercially available 3D bioprinters have done this before. Yang Keng, Revotek’s chairman, noted that the company’s new 3D bioprinting system includes bio inks, medical imaging cloud platf

November 4, 2015

3D Printing Makes It Possible For Scottish Researchers To Create Stem Cells

3D bioprinting has a lot of applications in the field of medicine. Innovators are making significant contributions to the development of the said technology. Aside from prosthetics, researchers can now use 3D bioprinting for stem cell research. Researchers from the Heriot-Watt University in Scotland was the first group to 3D print stem cells using the valve-based technique. Dr. Will Shu, the lead researcher of the experiment, wants to use 3D printing technology for patient-specific drug tre

October 30, 2015

Northeastern’s New Method to 3D Print Medical Devices Tailored To Babies

Randall Erb and colleagues from Northeastern’s Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering have pioneered a new 3D printing method to make patient-specific medical devices. The method, which appeared in the October 23rd issue of Nature Communications, uses magnetic fields to shape composite materials in a 3D printer. The printer mixes plastics and ceramics into patient-specific products, which could mean an end to ill-fitting medical equipment for infants. A Prevalent Problem

October 29, 2015

The Embodi3D.com Blog

Selling Your Medical Model Files on Embodi3D.com

Dear Community Members, After many months of work, we are happy to announce the addition of a feature that will allow you to sell medical models you have designed on Embodi3D.com. While we always have encouraged our members to consider allowing their medical STL files to be downloaded for free, we understand that when a ton of time is invested in creating a valuable and high-quality model, it is reasonable to ask for something in return. Now Embodi3D members have two options: 1) You can share

embodi3d

October 27, 2015

3D Printed Models Revolutionize Cosmetic Surgery

3D printing provides a variety of applications for the field of medicine including cosmetic surgery. Currently, leading 3D printing technology 3D Systems partnered with a New York-based company to make cosmetic surgery experience more efficient for both client and surgeons. Dr. Carrie Stern from the New York-based company MirrorMe3D noted that the use of 3D printing technology can help patients by creating before and after colored models of the parts that the patients need work on; for pat

October 26, 2015

3D Printed Teeth: A New Way to Fight Oral Bacteria

Researchers at the University of Groningen in Holland are developing 3D-printed teeth from an antimicrobial plastic. The novel innovation may change dentistry forever, as it can kill tooth decaying bacteria on contact. A Prevalent Condition Ninety one percent of adults ages 20 to 64 have experienced some amount of tooth decay, according to the American Dental Association. For 27%, it goes untreated. Severe tooth decay can also be quite costly to fix. A single tooth implant can run

October 22, 2015

3D Printed Posterior Spine Truss System First to Be Marketed in US

4Web Medical is the first company to get FDA clearance for an additively manufactured spine implant in the US. The company announced at the North American Spine Society annual meeting in Chicago on Wednesday that they plan to launch their Posterior Spine Truss System in the US market. An Innovative Advancement Considered to be the leader in the 3D printed implant market, 4Web Medical has 3D printed around 6000 truss implants that have been used in surgeries throughout the world. The Pos

October 15, 2015

descobar3d's Blog

From Dicom to .STL

There are several options for clinicians to use when converting a patients .dicom data into a 3D printed model. For our 3D Printing Program I use the Mimics Innovation Suite made by Materialise. The software is available for computers running Windows. The software receives regular updates to improve functionality and increase the efficiency and quality of the .dicom to 3D print workflow. It is capable of converting CT, MRI, and 3D ultrasound images into 3D models that are ready for the 3D printe

descobar3d

October 15, 2015

3D Printing in Medicine

Medical 3D Model Creation: From CT Scan to 3D Printable STL File in 20 Minutes Using Free Software Programs 3D Slicer, Blender, and Meshmixer

UPDATED TUTORIAL: A Ridiculously Easily Way to Convert CT Scans to 3D Printable Bone STL Models for Free in Minutes Hello, it's Dr. Mike here again with another tutorial on 3D printing. Proprietary software that creates 3D printable models from medical scans typically costs tens of thousands of dollars to license. But, did you know that you can do the same thing using freeware? It's true! In this tutorial I'm going to show you exactly how to do this. We will be using the free,

Dr. Mike

October 10, 2015

New 3D Printing Technology Creates Microscopic Structures Using Human Cells

3D bioprinting is an important innovation in medical science. Through this wonderful innovation, researchers were able to make important applications. In fact, it is now possible for researchers to create organs like human ears; however this technology finds it difficult to create soft structures that have minute internal support. Unfortunately, 3D bioprinting still cannot print small structures like the veins or small organs because they have the tendency to collapse even before they can become

October 9, 2015

3D Printing Helped Solve 5-Year Old’s Life-Threatening Heart Condition

A 3D printed heart model allowed doctors to perfect a life-saving surgery for 5-year-old Mia Gonzalez. Mia was born with a double aortic arch, a rare heart malformation where a vascular ring wraps around the trachea or esophagus, which restricts airflow. The condition required a complex operation to fix, but surgeons at Nicklaus Children’s Hospital in Miami were able to use a 3D printed model of Mia’s heart to plan the surgery and practice using Mia’s specific heart structure. A Practiced P

October 8, 2015

Cancer Patient From Croatia Receives 3D Printed Acrylic Vertebra: The First In The World

3D printing is widely used in the medical industry to create a wide array of innovations to help different patients suffering from various maladies. Currently, all eyes are at Croatia as researchers were able to perform a successful operation on a patient suffering from spinal tumor. It is not common to hear innovations on treating spinal maladies using 3D printing, but what makes this particular operation innovative was that it is the first one to use all 3D-printed acrylic vertebra–the first o

October 5, 2015

Dual Syringe 3D Printer Head Developed By Argentinean Researchers

The 3D printing technology is constantly being innovated by dedicated scientists and researchers to improve its many applications in the field of engineering, manufacturing and medicine. The research center of the National University of La Plata in Argentina, LIFIA, created a special 3D printer head that has the ability to control two syringes thus allowing medical researcher to print biopolymers with complicated geometric patterns. This new innovation won an award and received funding for furth