Page 39 - Plastics News May 2024

FEATURE NEWS

The impact of 3D Printing on medical equipment manufacturing

lthough this technology has printing allows for the fabrication of cal instruments. Designers can swiftly
been used in many differ- patient-specific implants tailored to fit iterate through multiple design varia-
ent industries, its potential precisely within the patient's anatomy. tions, refining each iteration based on
to revolutionise healthcare, This level of customisation enhances performance evaluations and stake-
especially in the manufacturing of the effectiveness of treatments, reduc- holder input. As a result, the time and
medical equipment, is immense. 3D es the risk of complications, and ulti- cost required to develop new medical
printing is transforming the design, mately improves patient satisfaction devices are reduced, allowing for more
production, and use of medical items, and outcomes. agile innovation and faster deployment
from prostheses to surgical instru- Rapid prototyping and iterative de- of life-saving technologies.
ments, providing customised solu- sign Complex geometries and enhanced
tions and better patient results. functionality
Another key benefit of 3D printing in
Personalised medicine
medical device development is its ca- 3D printing also unlocks new possi-
One of the most significant advan- pacity for rapid prototyping and itera- bilities in terms of device design and
tages of 3D printing in medical device tive design. Traditionally, bringing a functionality by enabling the fabrica-
manufacturing is its ability to facilitate new medical device to market involves tion of intricate geometries that are
personalised medicine. Traditional lengthy design iterations, tooling pro- challenging or impossible to achieve
manufacturing methods often rely on cesses, and testing phases. However, with traditional manufacturing meth-
mass production, resulting in stand- 3D printing accelerates this process by ods. This capability is especially ad-
ardised devices that may not perfectly enabling designers to quickly produce vantageous for medical devices where
suit each patient's unique anatomy. prototypes and iterate designs based complex shapes or internal structures
However, with 3D printing, healthcare on feedback and testing results. are beneficial.
providers can create bespoke medical This rapid prototyping capability is For instance, in the field of cardiovas-
devices customised to individual pa- particularly valuable in the develop- cular medicine, 3D printing allows for
tients.
ment of complex medical devices, the creation of patient-specific stents
For example, in orthopaedics, 3D such as implantable devices or surgi- with complex lattice structures op-

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