Contents
Introduction: 3D Printing in Healthcare
The 3D Printing Process: An Overview
Evaluating the Evidence: Clinical Benefits of 3D Printing
Evaluating the Evidence: Economic Benefits of 3D Printing
Regulatory Background
Quality Assurance
Medical Use Cases
Clinical
Educational
Supply Chain
The Future of 3D Printing in Healthcare Markets
Introduction: 3D Printing in Healthcare
Healthcare stakeholders are looking for solutions that improve clinical outcomes, personalize medical treatments, and mitigate unnecessary costs. Therefore, it’s no surprise that the use of 3D printing is a growing force in healthcare markets.
The first 3D printer was developed in the early 1980s, changing the way many industries approached prototyping and production. In contrast to other manufacturing techniques (e.g., subtractive processes or molding), 3D printing pioneered the process of joining materials together layer-by-layer based on a computer model. The result? The ability to create customized products, at the point-of-care, for a fraction of the cost.
Across the last 30 years, applications for 3D printing technology have expanded widely across many sectors, including healthcare, which represented ~11% of the $6B additive manufacturing market in 2017. Traditionally, the uses for 3D printing in healthcare have included patient-specific
anatomical models, surgical guides, and affordable prostheses.
