How 3D Printing Can Save Lives: Additive Manufacturing in the Medical Industry

When it first began, 3D printing was thought of as a highly experimental last resort in the field of human health. But today, additive manufacturing is quickly developing into a dependable and game-changing resource for the medical sector.

The advantages of AM that are frequently cited—speed, customizability, cost-effectiveness, flexibility—become relevant not only to business optimization but also to the preservation of human life. Report Study anticipates that the market for 3D printed medical parts will exceed USD 5.89 billion by 2030, with a projected CAGR of 23.28% between 2022 and 2030, as awareness of its potential as a medical solution grows within the industry.

Additive manufacturing has emerged as a solution prepared to handle almost anything when it comes to medical complications, from fixing minor health issues to dealing with life-or-death situations. The initiative to find out how far AM technology can advance as a life-saving tool appears to have only been further fueled by the COVID-19 pandemic, a global crisis to which 3D printed PPE has been particularly invaluable.

Although some of additive manufacturing's more fantastical medical applications have yet to cross the threshold from concept to reality, the 3D printing industry has historically been very unaffected by the quality of being "far-fetched." With just a few of the use-cases covered, this article attempts to dissect some of the most intriguing AM parts created in medical contexts this year.

AM in Dentistry

Dentistry is currently the department that uses AM technologies the most heavily out of all the different departments that fall under the umbrella of "healthcare." SmarTech analysis was optimistic in 2020 that the market for 3D printed dental products would still reach 3.1 billion USD by 2021 despite the pandemic's disruptive effects. According to a recent report by Markets and Markets, this industry's growth will undoubtedly continue to be as anticipated until 2027, when revenue is expected to reach a staggering 7.9 billion USD.

For a variety of reasons, dentistry and additive manufacturing seamlessly complement one another. In contrast to other industries, which may 3D print on a wider range of scales, the parts that a professional traditionally seeks to produce—orthodontic models, occlusal guards, retainers, and dentures—are likely to be small. Although the size of vehicle components can vary greatly, to use the automotive industry as an example, a mouth can only be so big. The required components will also take even less time to print and can be produced in batches, further streamlining the production process, even though AM is already well known for its exceptional production speeds. Dental problems can be resolved quickly, and the products themselves can be made with more accuracy than ever.

While production procedures are made simpler for dentists, 3D printing also makes the procedure for patients receiving AM mouth casts considerably less invasive. The procedure for taking an impression of the teeth traditionally entails pressing a tray filled with an alginate and water mixture into a patient's mouth, making a top and bottom 'negative' impression. Many readers may remember this from their braces-wearing days. This routine procedure, which involves blocking the patient's throat while the dentist waits for the solution to set, can frequently cause anxiety in younger patients. However, AM mould-making eliminates the burdensome nature of the procedure for both the dentist and the patient by swapping out physical impressions for digital impressions captured using an intraoral 3D scanner device.

Formlabs, a developer of 3D printing technology, is one business leading the way in opening AM to dentistry. Their most popular "Form 3" SLA desktop printer line takes pride in its clarity and simplicity, making it easy for people with little background in additive manufacturing to use. The Form3B+, which boasts improved LPU stabilization, increased laser power, and compatibility with over 35 materials, was introduced in January of this year. Though social distance restrictions brought on by the pandemic may have deviated from the natural evolution of dentistry's connection to AM, advancements are now curving upward once more.

AM Prosthetics and Implants?

The most obvious application of additive manufacturing in medicine is the creation of prosthetics. Unfortunately, prosthetics are not always a practical option for people who live with amputation. The cost of purchasing, fitting, and maintaining prosthetics in the event of breakage or malfunction can often run into the tens of thousands of dollars. A prosthetic that may have provided an ideal fit at first could become harmful to the patient as time goes on and their bodies change. From excessive sweating to changes in the shape of the residual limb, several factors may eventually call for the administration of an entirely new prosthetic. Costs are certain to rise regardless of the patient.

To combat the exorbitant cost of prosthetics, Psyonic was founded. This company has invested heavily in research and development to produce The Ability Hand, the first touch-sensing bionic hand in the world. Psyonic partnered with Formlabs to further establish this company's leadership position in the medical 3D printing industry. They implemented additive manufacturing into their process alongside injection and silicone moulding as well as CNC machining with the primary goal of reducing the cost of the finished product. However, AM also made it easier to create intricate mould formations and markedly reduced production times. Psyonic's Ability Hand is the industry leader in prosthetic technology and the first bionic hand manufacturer to operate in the US, producing a product 150% faster than competing prosthetics.

The success of 3D printing goes beyond the creation of components only intended for external bodily use; increasingly, medical implants are being made additively. This area of AM in healthcare, which deals with the compatibility of 3D-printed materials with the human body, entails greater complexity and greater risk. Many of the risks associated with surgical procedures that insert foreign objects center on the potential for the body to reject the implant. Although it is essential to use biocompatible materials in all medical devices, complications from implants are particularly challenging to treat because they become a permanent part of the body.

The scientific journal Acta Biomaterialia reported in 2022 that electron beam melting (EBM) was the best method for producing metal and alloy implants. By creating a high vacuum environment during the 3D printing process, any trace elements can contaminate the printed parts. One metal that EBM can safely print is titanium, which is frequently used in medical implants due to its durability and resistance to chemical reactions. The vacuum space in which EBM operates counteracts this substance's propensity for spontaneous oxidation and nitrogen pick-up when exposed to air, preventing such reactions from impairing the properties of the finished product. EBM is paving a new path for 3D printing by producing "osseointegrating implants of any conceivable shape/size" (Acta Biomaterialia).

AM in Medicine

The adage "not one size fits all" captures the essence of one of the key challenges advancing medical development: how can we establish a single key to ensuring the wellbeing and good health of the population when everyone within it is so different?

A strikingly literal answer to this problem is provided by 3D printing. The industry is on track to undergo a complete transformation thanks to medicines made with additives.

Generic drug formulas are mass produced, but they fall short of meeting the needs of patients with very specific medical conditions. A few professionals do provide manual drug compounding services, but the outcomes run the risk of being ineffective, and the procedure itself does not ensure adequate quality control. As a result, those who need specialized forms of care are left at the mercy of their anatomical complexity and have very few options available to them.

However, things started to change in 2015 when the FDA approved the first 3D-printed drug. The Aprecia Pharmaceuticals company created the Spritam tablet to treat epilepsy by 'ZipDosing' layers of powder together with liquid. At the time, the AM component of the process merely gave pharmacists more control over how the pill was put together, rather than necessarily providing a quicker, more flexible, or more affordable method of producing medications.

However, this quickly changed after the 2020 release of the world's first 3D printer created specifically to produce customized medications, the M3DIMAKER from UK company FabRx. With a variety of AM technologies, including FDM, SLS, and SLA, 3D printing has gained attention to rethink drug production.

The AM medicine scene has seen an increase in developments ever since the release of M3DIMAKER. Early this year, a collaboration between 3D printer manufacturer Natural Machines and drug compounding service provider CurifyLabs began work on a technology that will allow the production of custom medications through additive manufacturing. An experiment that started out small less than ten years ago and is attempting to implement "Medicine as a Service" on a global scale is on the verge of revolutionizing the sector.

The concept of what it means for a drug to be considered "successful" will be completely altered soon as medications are produced based on the needs of the individual patient.

AM in Medical Research

One of the advantages of additive manufacturing is its capacity to provide its services on-demand, as and when parts are required. However, AM also plays a significant role in making future planning easier. The technology first became widely used as a rapid prototyping tool, and R&D is still an area in which it is thriving.

As of 2022, the use of 3D printing for research has expanded further than ever, both metaphorically and literally reaching the stratosphere; the Canadian Space Agency recently selected AON3D's M2+ printer to produce centrifuges for use in studying the effects of living in space on the human body.

Additive manufacturing effectively made its case as a superior alternative to the slow and constrained results offered by traditional manufacturing methods by expanding the design potentials available to researchers and drastically reducing the time required to develop multiple prototypes. The ULTEM 9085 resin from Stratasys was chosen as an appropriate material for printing because it has fire resistance and is non-toxic in accordance with NASA's material requirements. On the International Space Station, the centrifuge will be used to separate blood into its microscopic components through a process known as blood fractionation.

The use of additive manufacturing in the medical field is not only poised to transform clinical practices and pave the way for improved healthcare standards, but also our world. Its capabilities are also being used to conduct some of the most fascinating research of our time, moving beyond the global and into the existential realm.