3D printing is a significant technological advancement in our society, some might even say “revolutionary.” This printing method allows for the creation of custom-made parts by layering materials (plastics, polymer resins, metals, ceramics, etc.). Additionally, 3D technology, controlled by computers, produces unique pieces.
What can be made through online 3D printing? Nearly everything, and the medical sectors have understood and adopted it. No, this is not an episode of Grey’s Anatomy, it’s very real. Thanks to this advancement, several tests have been conducted to create bone substitutes and even prosthetics. The advantage of 3D is the ability to create a product perfectly adapted to the patient’s morphology, as each is physically different.
This need is also found in high-level sports, notably with the creation of 3D-printed masks allowing football players to play despite having a broken nose. Shin guards customized to the player’s physique and specific injury have also made their appearance on the fields. Whether they are prototypes or already successful, there are now numerous products dedicated to athlete health printed using 3D techniques and stereolithography, enabling the construction of solid objects from digital models. The computer and its dedicated software can record every physical detail, digitize it, and create a medical tool fully tailored to its needs.
Medical advancements don’t stop there. It’s not just about creating prosthetics to heal injuries but truly addressing the root of the problem by fabricating organs from scratch. Still in the research and testing phase, the technological progress in health is significant, and 3D printing is essential. Thanks to it, some conditions might receive a more precise approach and enable appropriate treatment. “We need to wait one to two decades for a whole and functional organ to be 3D printed, but a bright future can already be predicted,” according to 3D printing health specialists. One or two decades, and it’s already tomorrow.
