Printing Technologies for Medical Applications

Over the past 15 years, printers have been increasingly utilized for biomedical applications in various areas of medicine and tissue engineering. This review discusses the current and future applications of 3D bioprinting. Several 3D printing tools with broad applications from surgical planning to 3D models are being created, such as liver replicas and intermediate splints. Numerous researchers are exploring this technique to pattern cells or fabricate several different tissues and organs, such as blood vessels or cardiac patches. Current investigations in bioprinting applications are yielding further advances. As one of the fastest areas of industry expansion, 3D additive manufacturing will change techniques across biomedical applications, from research and testing models to surgical planning, device manufacturing, and tissue or organ replacement.

Trends3D printing is a versatile emerging technology that is finding its way through all aspects of human life, and the unique potential of 3D printers can be exploited in different areas of medicine, such as fundamental research, drug delivery, and testing, as well as in clinical practice.Nearly all current medical non-biological implants, such as ear prostheses or human mandibular replacements, are manufactured at predetermined sizes and configurations that are widely used for patients. 3D printing allows more accurate personalized manufacturing of devices created to the patient's own specifications; a process which is often aided by 3D imaging software.Surgical planning with 3D printing is already showing promise. As an example, living-donor liver transplantation surgery for patients with end-stage organ disease is complex and can be life-threatening. The use of 3D printed surgical models has been shown to help shorten operative time and decrease donor risk, thereby boosting surgical outcomes.Bioprinting is being used to create more accurate non-biologic and biologic research models for research purposes in wide variety of applications, including spatial and temporal trauma in cancer research.3D printing is being increasingly used for the design and manufacturing of living tissues and organs that may one day be implanted into patients.