38 INNOVATION & TECH TODAY|SUMMER 2019
HealthTech
Presented by
How 3D Printing is Transforming
Healthcare One Layer at a Time
By Scott Jung
Ofallthetechnologiesinthedigitalage, 3D
printingisarguablyoneofthemost
revolutionary.Ithashelpedtotransform
productdevelopmentbyoptimizingthedesign
andmanufacturingprocess.Product
manufacturerscanquicklyandinexpensively
design,produce,andmodifytheirprototypes
andthenexpeditemanyofthecomplicated
toolingprocessesneededformassproduction.
3Dprintinghasalsodemocratizedproduct
designwithinexpensivetoolsandmaterialsthat
allowjustaboutanyonetoprinttheirown
creations.3Dprintingplaysanimportantrolein
makerculture,andit hasgreatlyaccelerated the
riseofthehackermovement
responsibleforconsumers
modifyingand repairing their own
gadgets.
Oneofthefastest-growing
applicationsof3Dprintingisin
medicineandhealthcare.Hereare
somewaysinwhich3Dprinting is
improvingourhealth.
HelpingHands
Over 30 millionpeopleworldwide
areinneedofprostheticlimbs,
braces,orothermobilitydevices,but
lessthan 20 percenthaveaccessto
them.Oneofthereasonsforthe
shortageisthattheprocessof
producingprostheticscanbetime-
consuming.Anuncomfortableor
incorrectlywornprostheticcould
quicklygounusedandbemore
pronetodamage,soit’simportant
eachprostheticdevicebecarefully
fittedforitsuser.Moreover,thehigh
costsofsomeprostheticdevicescan
makethemdifficultforusersto
affordorunsustainablefor
manufacturers to subsidize.Witha lowcosttoprintandtheabilityto
easilycustomizethedesign,3Dprintingis
makingit possibleformorepatients,particularly
indevelopingnations,toreceive bespoke, high-
qualityprostheticlimbs.
MickEbeling,founderandCEOofNot
ImpossibleLabs,realizedtheadvantagesof
3D-printedlimbswhen,inNovember2013,a
simpleprojecttoprinta prostheticarmfora
youngboynamedDanielbecamea full-blown
3Dprintinglabfor his entire village in war-torn
SouthSudan.
Similarly,theorganizatione-NABLE
mobilizes a global network of thousands ofvolunteerstohelpdesign,print,andtestbasic
prosthetichandsthatcanbeprovidedto
underservedpopulations.Theirdesignscostas
littleas$35formaterials and are available to
anyonetoprint.
Therestofusmightsomedayweara
3D-printeddevicewhilenursinganinjured
limb.Insteadofanitchyandsmellyplastercast,
a breathable,lightweight,andsturdysplint
couldbeprintedondemanddirectlyinthe
clinictohelpimmobilizeanarmorfoot.
Onecompany,Colorado-basedActivArmor,
offerssuch3D-printedsplintsthatarenotonly
customizedtoperfectlyfitthepatient,butcould
beeasilymodifiedtoaccommodate
medicaldevicesthatcanpromote
healingortoexposeincisionsand
surgicalscrews/pinstomonitor for
theriskofaninfection.
3Dprintingtechnologycanalso
giveothermobilitydevicessome
TLC.Aspartofthehacker
movement,brokenanddiscarded
wheelchairs,crutches,andmobility
aidsarebeingquicklyand
inexpensivelyrepairedwithprinted
parts.Somehackersareeven
modifyingthesedeviceswith
3D-printedpartsandelectronicsto
makethemmoreusefulforpatients.
GivingSurgeons a Better
Look
Twoofthemostvitalorgansthat
supporttheentirebody,thebrain
andtheheart,arenaturally
consideredtheriskiestpartsto
operateon.Bothcontaincertain
anatomicalfeaturesthatareunique
foreveryperson,whichoftenmake
them extremely delicate to navigate.3Dprintingmakesit possibleformorepatientstoreceive
customized and high-quality prosthetic limbs.