3D printing in medicine

Out of the workshop and into the operating theatre! 3D printers are already making bespoke hip replacements, aiding surgical decisions and lowering the cost of medical equipment, but how close are we to 3D printed body parts? Join us and win a prize from the bucket of organs!

I work with a photoacoustic ultrasound system for ex-vivo and in-vivo imaging of the tissues and organs. Part of this project involved designing and making specialist holders and connectors and I chose to do this using 3D CAD software and 3D printing. I was fascinated by 3D printing technology and its possibilities, for example I used 3D printing to develop Agar-based ultrasound phantoms for vascular access training and flow studies. I also investigated the properties of acoustic lenses made by 3D printing along with a colleague.

3DMedNet is a free-of-charge networking and content website for the 3D printing community aiming to provide exclusive access to news updates, multimedia content, exclusive features and peer-reviewed journal articles. With channels dedicated to the hottest topics and subject areas in the field, 3DMedNet comprehensively covers some of the fastest advancing 3D printing technologies, techniques and materials being investigated and implemented in the medical field.