3D printers have been available to us for a while now. While engineers and architects use the machine to print out whatever new model they dream of building someday, others wish for a 3D printer to print out their favorite action figures, like me. But the real heroes are using this marvelous technology to save lives.

The use of 3D printing in the Healthcare sector has certainly bloomed in the past few years. Advancement in the medical sciences are letting doctors and surgeons push the boundaries of what can and cannot be done. With the innovative use of 3D printing, an existing technology, medical experts are able to explore and find new answers.

New Opportunities

Healthcare has made great strides within the field thanks to 3D Printing. It started out with printing out replicas of a patient’s organ which doctors would use to prep for the surgery. From there, they went on to printing bone and cartilage, creating perfectly printed replicas for dental implants and bone replacements.

Companies like Ultimaker exclusively provide 3D printers and multiple options for materials in the form of spools for 3D printing. These printers can print objects from materials like stainless steel, plastic, resin and much more, therefore allowing doctors to 3D print large numbers of prosthetics and medical instruments at a smaller price.

Then there are companies like Cellink that provide 3D printers and materials in the form of bioink specifically for Bioprinting. These bioinks are a gel-like medium infused with living cells that doctors can use to 3D print living organs, tissues and skin, making waiting for viable donors a thing of the past.

Cancer research is also making great progress with this technology. Medicines are being printed and broken bones are healing with 3D printed plastic casts. Absolutely fantastic progress coming along in this sector but really there is so much more potential here.

Experience More

Really how can things get better when we have the option of literally just printing out living organs when we need it? Well, in this world, there is always room for improvement. And the medical sector still has a lot of room to explore with this unbelievably convenient technology. For with the right IT solutions, both doctors and patients can really benefit from 3D printing.

Cloud  

3D printers can be connected to and controlled over the cloud. All you will need is a stable wireless connection. There are always incidents where a life could be saved if only the patient was in another hospital or city. Doctors from remote locations can assess the situation and send designs and print orders from their system across an ocean.

Companies like Sculpteo are already offering small scale manufacturing service through the Cloud. Companies can upload designs onto the cloud and Sculpteo will print, package and ship the printed copies to where it needs to go. Therefore providing a fast alternative to provide for people in need.  

Big Data

Hospitals can tap into a whole hidden sector of information. Facts that can be recorded, compiled and utilized to improve the way the 3D printer and its resources are performing. Doctors can even calculate time spent with each patient and make tweaks in the schedule to improve patient relationships.

3D printers need an enormous amount of data to print, the more complicated the design the more data it demands. And who better than Big Data to crunch those numbers? Big Data can also track for any errors in the system, thereby preventing any miscalculations that could lead to defective and hazardous results.

Internet of Things

Harness Big Data’s true potential by investing in the Internet of Things. All your resources can be linked. Think about that, years of data records, devices used to monitor your patients, resources kept track of. Not only are your machines linked but your staff can receive Real-time alerts. Hospitals are assured that time and resources are managed and organized.

Cybersecurity

3D printing is a lot of responsibility. It has open access to sensitive and confidential patient information, which is essential as a 3D printer is useless without a 3D blueprint. These blueprints are designed specifically for every patient and need to be handled with the greatest security. The 3D printer is still a machine and can be susceptible to cyberattacks making cyber security a requirement if you wish to take the job seriously.

Power Supply

If you ever thought 2D paper prints took forever to get done then be assured that 3D printing too takes quite some time. Printing layer upon layer to produce a life-saving object is totally worth it though, so never compromise on supplying it with the steady flow of power it needs. Invest in a guaranteed power supply that won’t ever leave you lamenting over wasted time and resource.

Endless Possibilities

Perhaps someday the healthcare sector will have dedicated factories just for 3D printing prosthetics, drugs and tissue. Factories that will need their own dedicated data centers and servers wouldn’t that be a sight to see! Machines manufacturing organs for humans just like when humans manufactured machine parts during the industrial revolution.

Wow. A new age indeed, mankind keeps discovering new and wondrous ways to improve and save lives. It was only a few years ago when 3D printing used metal and plastic to make models of building, now its pumping out actual tissues with stem cells in them. Maybe someday we can easily 3D print a clone and have it complete all your chores while you take that long deserving nap you’ve been looking forward to.