JawsTec is using their 3D printing expertise to print medical devices and parts. The ability to customize and create prints quickly makes 3D printing advantageous in this industry.
With the advantages of 3D printing aligning extremely well with the needs of the healthcare industry, the team over at JawsTec is excited to continue to use their 3D Printing Service to provide solutions for healthcare personnel. JawsTec has predominantly printed orthotics and knee braces for their customers, but is ready to expand into other realms of healthcare. They discuss below how 3D printing is currently being used in healthcare and how their services would prove beneficial in this industry.
Uses of 3D Printing in Healthcare
– Prosthetics, Implants, and Braces – One of the primary uses of 3D printing in healthcare is creating prosthetics, implants, and braces for patients. Because these items need to be highly customized to an individual’s anatomy, the process to create them can be very time consuming and costly with traditional methods such as plaster casting. With 3D printing, these parts can be produced in a day at a fraction of the cost, allowing for minor adjustments to be made easily. 3D scanners and X-rays allow these 3D designs to be created quickly and accurately. Prosthetics, implants, and braces all going through plenty of wear from day to day activities and in direct contact with skin, need to be made with strong and biocompatible materials. JawsTec will generally use nylon-based materials to meet these requirements.
– Anatomical Models – Radiology teams and surgeons will often create 3D models of abnormalities, tumors, fractures and other complex pathologies from their patients’ scans to visualize and plan for an operation. These models can also be used to communicate with their patient about their condition and what a surgical operation would entail. The ability for 3D printers to print complex shapes and geometries in a timely manner makes 3D printing the best suited for this task, especially with time often being of the essence in the healthcare world.
– Medical Devices and Instruments – The ability to print with sterilizable and biocompatible materials has allowed for the development of medical devices to be expedited. With rapid turnaround, prototypes can be tested quicker and put into production at a much-reduced cost. Similarly, surgical instruments can be customized for the procedure at hand taking into account the patients’ specific anatomy, allowing for better accuracy and outcomes.
