Here at Newsflash Online, we have seen 3D printers evolve from bulky devices costing hundreds of thousands of pounds to much more affordable printers that are small and versatile. The medical profession is now using 3D printers to make surgery go more efficiently, both shortening the time that a patient spends in surgery and making surgery less costly.
US-based 3D printing technology company Formlabs has developed a system called Form Cell that combines 3D printers, medical imaging and robotics to make replicas of body parts in just a few hours.
Form Cell imports data from MRI and CT scans into a network of 3D printers. The use of robotics minimises the need for medical staff to be involved in the printing process. By using a 3D model of the affected body part, a surgeon can examine a tumour, for example, or other medical condition prior to beginning surgery. That process can make an operation both shorter and safer. When patients spend less time in the operating room, they can have a speedier recovery.
‘We’re talking about hours saved before a surgery, and even hours in the OR,’ said Formlabs’ Director of Healthcare Gaurav Manchanda. One study conducted by the company found that surgeries on children were up to 45 minutes shorter when doctors used 3D models in planning and performing those operations.
Manchanda noted that doctors who have used the Form Cell system have found that their patients experienced lower readmission rates and infection rates. Hospitals also benefit from the system, as they can provide treatment to more patients and save money for every minute that a patient does not need to be in the operating room.
Some surgeons are now starting to use the 3D models to assist patients in getting ready to undergo surgery. For example, doctors at New York-based Northwell Health used a 3D model when preparing for surgery on a seven-year-old boy suffering from a tumour in his nasal cavity and palate. The doctors used the model to explain the differences in proposed treatments to the patient and his parents, something that would have been hard for them to comprehend without it.
‘We’re at a tipping point where hospital-based manufacturing and large-scale 3D printing in healthcare is becoming more commonplace and [we] anticipate this to be the new standard of care in the coming years,’ said Formlabs’ Chief Product Officer Dávid Lakatos.
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