How 3D Printing is Influencing the Medicine Industry

3D printing technology has evolved throughout the years, and it has drastically reshaped many industries. In this article, the focus would be put on its impact on the medical industry. Specifically, this article would touch on the features, current application, and controversial areas of the 3D printing technology.

3D printing is different from traditional technology in several different ways. This article would focus on the three main benefits 3D printing bring to the medical field: customization, low-cost and flexibility.

Customization

The first feature of 3D printing is customization. Depending on the individual needs, the model or the product can be tailored to individual users. At the same time, the model or the product can easily scale up depending on the volume demand.

3D printing is becoming more and more widely used in the hospital setting. One application of 3D printing in the hospitals is the rehearsal of surgery. With 3D printing technology, the patients’ specific conditions can be printed out and examined before the actual conduction of the surgery. With rehearsal on the patients’ specific models, the success rate of actual surgeries is much larger. In addition, because the doctors can practice and train on the specific model, it takes less time to carry out the operation. As a result, the patients are exposed to the environment for a lesser time. This further reduced morbidity and mortality rate.

Low-Cost

The second feature of 3D printing is low-cost. 3D printing is generally cheaper than the traditional method. In a conventional way, the mold is designed for larger production, and it requires a larger volume to cover the capital investment. As a result, many products are more expensive to the end customers. This makes some products unaffordable to end customers with smaller disposable income. On the other hand, because 3D printing can be designed for each individual, the cost for each type is drastically cheaper. It doesn’t require a building a specific model to carry out a new type. The lower initial investment enables 3D printing to be low-cost even for small volume production.

One example of how low cost benefits the customers is the application in prosthetics. Traditionally, it is costly for customers to get customized prosthetics because of the sunk expenses related to building the model. With 3D printing, the cost of manufacturing prosthetics is much lower which makes prosthetics more affordable to end patients.

Flexibility of Location

The third feature of 3D printing is its flexibility of location. Traditionally, the manufacturing of the products takes place at the manufacturer. Then, depending on the channels, the products would go through several intermediates before it comes to the end customers. With 3D printing, it is possible that the features of the product are transmitted digitally. Changes can be made throughout the supply chain. In the medical context, the end hospital or drug stores can print out the pills at the very last minute depending on the patients need. The fact that it can be carried out at the last step enables more customization opportunity. Since nothing physical has been produced in the middle steps, the costs of switching are much lower compared with the traditional method. The distribution and storing cost can be reduced to a minimal extent. This makes 3D printing more affordable for patients.

One example of how the flexibility of location benefits the customers is pills. The pills can be printed out at drug stores. This makes it very convenient for customers to get the drug they need. In addition, combined with the customization feature of 3D printing, the pills can be customized to each individual so that the individual doesn’t need to take as many pills as they do with the traditional method. The shape of the tablets can also be altered to fit individual consumers better.

Controversies

Although there are many benefits and current application of 3D printing technology, the technology still has some controversial areas. Until those areas are fixed, it would be hard to apply 3D printing technology widely.

Unrealized expectation

The first controversial issue with 3D printing is the unrealized expectation associated with the technology. The current accomplishment of using the 3D printing has been exaggerated by the media, the governments or even researchers. As a result, the general public doesn’t have a clear image of what the technology can achieve and what the technology can’t achieve in the current stage. For instance, the application in bioprinting and organ structure is at the preliminary stage. However, the outcome of the current usage is exaggerated. The consumers are not aware that the technology is not mature enough to be carried out to all cases, and it will require more time and money until the wide application become realized.

Regulation

A second big issue with 3D printing is regulation. While the production becomes simplified with 3D printing, the potential impact of counterfeit products become problematic. This is especially true in the medical field. For instance, if customers buy fake pills, their health conditions would be worse. The government needs to set rules associated with the technology to ensure it is controlled and monitored. The same principle applies to copyright concern. The law needs to define to what extent it is legal to copy a 3D printing model.

Conclusion

The 3D printing technology has benefits in customization, low-cost and flexibility of location. With those features, 3D printing has been making a significant impact in the medicine field. However, certain controversial areas remain unsolved, and it is critical to solve those concerns before the broad application of 3D printing.

Reference

Cave, Holly. “3D-printed pills will provide the solution to one of medicine’s biggest issues” Quartz, 22 Feb. 2019, qz.com/1554685/3d-printing-could-give-you-a-better-pill-to-swallow/
Lee, Ventola. “Medical Applications For 3d Printing: Current and Projected Uses.” U.S. National Library of Medicine, Oct 2014, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4189697/
Giges, Nancy. “Top 5 Ways 3d Printing Is Changing the Medical Field.” ASME, May 2017, www.asme.org/engineering-topics/articles/manufacturing-design/top-5-ways-3d-printing-changing-medical-field
Trounson, Andrew. “Here’s how 3D printing could change the future of medicine.” World Economic Forum, 4 Sep. 2017, www.weforum.org/agenda/2017/09/heres-how-3d-printing-could-change-the-future-of-medicine