Advantages & Disadvantages of 3D printing in Medical Devices.
3D printing process — that uses digital models
to form physical devices out of materials like plastic and metallic powder.
This is an excellent tool for medical device manufactures and it fabricates
low-cost, custom-fit devices for patients as ordered by surgeon.
The digital printing technology is new, but it
is being used in many areas and specifically some parts with complicated design
where usual die casting method may not work. It is used in automobile industry
to fabricate some complicated part with precise accuracy. It is because of this
property its use to fabricate some custom-made implant based on requirement of
patient as judged by doctor based on CT scan etc. The 3 D printer is now having software which can read
scan and print part accordingly which can become exact fit for the patient.
Advantages -
1. 1. PERSONLIZED MEDICAL DEVICES AND
PATIENT-SPECIFIC IMPLANTS
As suggested above 3 D printed implant is easy
to prepare as most of the precise work is done by printer based on CT Scan. In
traditional technique one must cast die as per patient requirement which
involves accurate CNC machine or skill of die caster and cost becomes high
because it is made just for one part. While in 3 D printing this process is
eliminated and accuracy is far better.Patient-specific 3D-printed tools and
implants square measure already getting used in knee surgery,
where surgeons at Yale Medicine have found that they speed up
recovery and scale back patient pain levels.
2. JUST-IN-TIME PRODUCING APPROACH TO
ON-DEMAND DEVICES
The speed of 3D printing means that it is
attainable for manufactures to quickly produce devices in response to patient
demand. ancient implants will take weeks to style and manufacture, particularly
if they have to be tailored for a patient. 3D printing is already getting used
to chop down the time required to create bone implants to as very
little as attainable.
3D printing process can produce more than one
type of implant based on size of implant and machine capacity in terms of
dealing dimension of implants, in one run. This means that one can produce more
than one customised implant (different types) in one run of printing.
3.
FAST MEDICAL PROTOTYPING
Sometime doctor needs a prototype to check the
exact fitting for patient by physically checking the prototype and suggest some
changes if needed. The prototype is usually made from plastic which saves
costly metal. Some medical device
companies already use 3D printing to speedily develop and look at
drug delivery devices, like inhalers and injectors. The accuracy needed for
such devices are easy to get through this technology.
Disadvantages –
1. 1..3D PRINTING ISNT ECO-FRIENDLY
2. RESTRICTED CHOICES OF 3D PRINTING MATERIAL
There are also some restrictions of use of
some material as 3 D printing requires that material to go in liquid form and
get deposited in layer by layer form. Very restricted type of metal and plastic
can be used which are designed for that machine. However, this restriction will
slowly reduce based on customer need and technology improvement. This
restriction is limiting some material usage if not suitable for that specific
machine.High cost of printer: Initial investment is quite high hence business
proposition can work out on larger volume and enough demand. The Machine also
need to be kept in certain environmental condition for it to work efficiently.
This also involves cost of running and maintaining such environment.
3 QUALITY OF 3D-PRINTED OBJECTS
3 D printer works on computerised technique
and all ills associated with that also comes in this technology too. Some
variation due to variation caused by electrical or other disturbances, results
into some unwanted bumps on surface which requires manual finish and cleaning
before it can be made ready for use.
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