Driving healthcare personalization with 3DP

3D printing (3DP), extensively used in the healthcare sector, accomplishes a range of applications including customization of medical devices. Personalized healthcare provides the right treatment to the patient while considering customized parts in a short time and at a cost-effective price.

3DP electronics
Medical devices such as wearables and implants require small, flexible, printed circuit boards (PCBs) with unique geometries – essential to enhance usability per patient requirements. Standard planar PCBs don’t fit easily in medical devices. Rigid-flex PCBs are used in wearables but may not conform to a patient’s body and aren’t biocompatible. 

3DP technology drives healthcare personalization by printing nonplanar PCBs not possible in the traditional PCB manufacturing process. By using a 3DP system, it’s possible to build a complex PCB layer-by-layer in one printing run. The customizable form factor feature allows construction of multi-board systems with exclusive shapes, eliminating unnecessary material waste.

3D printers with high resolutions can print medical PCBs with tiny electronic components for miniature wearables devices. Two-photon lithography (TPL) technique and other processes can support the 3DP medical implants with sub-micron resolutions. A range of 3D printed embedded sensors can avert expensive medical procedures by providing real-time monitoring of the patient’s health parameters.

Personalization
Printing custom products in small batches at lower cost has enabled 3DP technology to drive personalized healthcare. Below are a few applications describing the impact of 3DP in medtech.

Synthetic organs help surgery teams understand the complications and plan the procedure in advance, reducing the actual operation duration substantially.

Patient-specific anatomical models help with prior knowledge of the treatment procedure, reducing patient intra-operative bleeding and speeding recovery.

Implants can be created according to each patient’s bone shape and size, ensuring higher precision and better user comfort.

3D printed models can be used to explain health conditions and treatment plans, helping patients understand the surgery procedure.

Personalized surgical instruments such as clamps, hemostats, and forceps can facilitate less painful procedures with better outcomes. Produced from biocompatible materials such as thermoplastics and metals, surgical tools created using 3DP techniques can deliver higher accuracy and lower cost.

Barriers to adoption
3DP offers several advantages in healthcare applications, but there are obstacles to worldwide adoption. The lack of broad regulatory outlines for 3D printed medical products is a major concern to scaling up this technology in healthcare. Regulating customized medical devices is a challenge as each device is personalized and generic certification rules aren’t adequate.

Obtaining funding for new-technology equipment is difficult without substantial use cases. Also, there’s a lack of knowledge and expertise among the healthcare practitioners adding to training expenses. Reimbursement from health insurers is another hindrance as the 3D-printed medical devices, implants, and other services aren’t completely covered.

Conclusion
3DP companies are collaborating with healthcare providers to improve the understanding of 3DP technology. Several regulatory organizations are working on standards for 3D printed medical devices. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has published guidance on recommendations and technical requirements for the design, manufacturing, and testing of 3D printed medical devices. The merits of using 3D printing technology are huge and its power to personalize medical services will revolutionize the healthcare sector.