What’s News – 3D printing in the medical industry
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What’s News – 3D printing in the medical industry
3D printing (additive manufacturing) has many functions in various industries around the world. Digital innovation in the medical industry is absolutely necessary. 3D printing can replace human organ transplants, speed up surgical procedures, improve the lives of those reliant on prosthetic limbs and make surgical tools cheaper.
3D printing was invented in the 1980s. It involves taking a digital model of an object and printing it in layers to build a 3D object. To use 3D printing in the medical industry, digital imagery can be taken from X-rays, scans, ultrasounds and MRI’s.
There are four main uses for 3D printing in this field. Bioprinting for tissues and organs is one of the most important. The printing works by layering living cells, referred to as “bio-ink” to create artificial living tissue. These tissues/organoids can be used to mimic organs. This also provides a cost-effective alternative to human organ transplants. 3D printing organs can be used for replicating patient-specific organs for surgeons and doctors before performing a complicated operation. This will help surgeons speed up the operation and minimise the risk. Often patients have to wait months or years before receiving an organ that fits their requirements. 3D printing will speed up this process.
Surgical instruments can also be printed by 3D printers. This is a more cost-effective method. Some surgical instruments are extremely small and 3D printing allows for these complex instruments to be made precisely and easily.
3D printing in the medical field can be used to produce prosthetic limbs customised to suit the patient. A common problem is that wearers have to wait several months before receiving their prosthetic limb and 3D printing speeds up the process. Once again this is another cost-effective method in the medical field.
By becoming a doctor or nurse in a first world country (such as the UK), digital innovations and implementations will be adopted and developed a lot faster than the rest of the world. The medical industry is booming in development and discoveries. There are endless opportunities. At IELTS Medical we want you to succeed so we provide the best possible training welcoming people from all over the world to work in the UK as a doctor or nurse.
Keep an eye out for information about our courses, study tips, NHS benefits, and more in our upcoming blogs. “What’s News” is our new weekly blog about developments in the medical industry. If you would like to book a course with us and work for the NHS why not give us a call on 02036376722.
