3D BIOPRINTINGLife-Saving Technologies Within the Medical Field

By: Juan Enriquez

INTRODUCTION

With the many advancements in technology that we have today, progressionin the medical field can really shape the future of medicine. Advancements instem cell research, cell cloning, and robotics all benefit the development ofmodern practice medicine, but there is one technology that has shown andstill has a huge potential. This technology is 3D printing and by extension 3Dbioprinting and as we continue to advance it, there really is no limit as to whatwe can achieve.

WHAT IS 3D PRINTING?

“3D printing or additive manufacturing is a process of making threedimensional solid objects from a digital file. The creation of a 3D printed objectis achieved using additive processes. In an additive process an object iscreated by laying down successive layers of material until the entire object iscreated. Each of these layers can be seen as a thinly sliced horizontal cross-section of the eventual object” (3Dprinting.com).

(Groopman, 2014)

BENEFITS OF 3D BIOPRINTING

Although 3D printing is considered wasteful and useless because of the products it creates – i.e. figurines, random knick knacks and potentially dangerous objects – the potential of 3D bioprinting is the advancement of science in medicine. Research into tissue replication or replacement and the creation of things like organs or even blood vessels really proves how huge of a potential these products have on both the scientific community and those in need of transplants.

ROBOHAND: A GLIMPSE INTO 3D PRINTED ROBOTICS

“Robohand creates 3D printed andaluminium CNC machined, anatomicallydriven, custom fitted, functional mechanicaldevices to help limb different individuals as analternative to standard prosthetics With theadvances in technology. Robohand turned to3D printing as a cost effective, quick way ofprototyping. When Robohand discovered thepotential of 3D printing and the endlesspossibilities, we recreated the first aluminumhand in 3D print” (About Robohand,2015).

3D PRINTING: A MEDICAL REVOLUTION VIDEO

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-i1OS6ZU_-k

SUMMARY OF VIDEO

• Ability to create a 3D printed hand.

• Can create custom made hands that can last the lifespan of an adult but has the capability to allow children to use this type of 3D printed items as they can continue to print them as the child grows. This is a main reason as to why children very rarely have prosthetics because they are expensive to begin with and cannot be reused as the child grows.

• Created an ear out of collagen jelly that can one day be used if 3D printed blood vessels are also created.

• Limited only to your imagination.

(3D- Printing: A Medical Revolution, 2013)

CONS OF 3D BIOPRINTING

Not a perfect science

meaning still potential for

errors

Still testing on smaller

animals who need limbs and

organs

Still many years away from organs being ready for printing or actual

applicable use

Expensive machine

(despite the significantly

cheaper cost of the product)

(3D Bioprinting)

PLAYING GOD?

Can a life-saving idea such as printing a heart for a patient to save their life, turn into a mass manufacturing industry where one can essentially pay for immortality? Further on that, if we can begin to create and utilize 3d printed organs or limbs, human lifespan could potentially increase, and as the science evolves, so will our lifespan. Many argue that printing organs may simply lead to counterfeit products which can result in many injuries or even fatalities. “The issue of quality control also exists. So far, there are no measures in place to legally ensure that bioprinted organs are of excellent condition. This lack of regulation could lead to the exploitation of unknowing patrons in the creation of unhealthy or low quality body parts.”(3D Bioprinting). This can also lead to who is liable if such a product should fail? Whenever you are dealing with a technology that has the capacity to create or save lives, there are always parties ready to exploit innovations, and prevent incredible breakthroughs.

PROS OF 3D BIOPRINTING

Decreased animal testing

Faster and more precise than traditional methods of building organs by hand

Significantly less expensive

products created

Decreased waiting times

for organ donors

Less prone to human error

(3D Bioprinting)

PROSTHETICS VS 3D BIOPRINTING

Prosthetics3D Bioprinted

Prosthetics

(Dealing with Different, 2013)

CURRENT BREAKTHROUGHS

• From robotic prosthetics all the way down to blood vessels, 3D bioprinting has grown exponentially and is nearly a 2 billion dollar industry. (Collins)

• “In 2013, researchers at Heriot-Watt University 3D printed an arrangement of human embryonic stem cells.” (3D Bioprinting)

• What used to take a 3D printer weeks to go through and process and finally print, now only takes a matter of hours.

• Taking a step further into prosthetics, there are companies that are working on full body exoskeletons and succeeding in allowing people with spinal cord injuries to be able to walk again.

• “L'Oréal, the largest cosmetic company in the world, signed a deal in 2013 with 3D bioprinting company Organovo to explore the use of 3D bioprinting for cosmetic safety testing, specifically skin care products” (3D Printing Report).

(3D Printing Report)

POTENTIAL BREAKTHROUGHS

• Working alongside research being done in the repurposing of stem cells to become cells that we can either no longer create or have been destroyed, (ie: spinal cord nerve cells in paraplegic patients), 3D bioprinting can assist in the replication of these cells as well as maintain a cost effective product that is durable enough and safe enough to be used within the medical field.

• Further research into robotics can also lead to the ability to create a printer that has the capacity to directly print skin right on burn or trauma victims (3D Bioprinting)

• The ability to create organs from the hosts cells and have a “reduced possibility of organ rejection” (3D Printing Report) when dealing with transplants, which in turn also significantly reduces wait times on organ transplant patients.

THE FUTURE OF 3D BIOPRINTING

Scientists have very high hopes and a great deal of ground-breaking innovations that can be used within the technology of 3d printing. This has allowed them to be able to create ideas to build custom made organs. This image is of a 3d printed heart. “Doctors have been scanning and 3D printing plastic models of patients’ hearts, allowing them to see its defects before going in for actual surgery” (3d Bioprinting). There are high hopes for the future of 3d printing, and the expectation is that within 30 years, clinicians will be able to actually 3d bioprint human kidneys or livers for use (3D Printing Report).

(3D Bioprinting)

WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

With modern medicine, we need to make sure that we follow the same morals and ethics that we do when we are dealing with controversial research but at the same time realize that some technologies can truly benefit us as a species. To be able to have the potential to save the lives of those waiting for replacement organs or give the ability to walk to those who cannot is really ground-breaking. Technologies like this should be viewed as an opportunity and as a privilege by the scientific community. We have the ability to change people’s lives forever and that is something that we must use technology for, to further better our lives.

REFERENCES3-D printing: A medical revolution [Motion picture]. (2013).

3D Bioprinting. Retrieved from https://sites.google.com/site/gsse2014b2/home

3D Printing Report Read more at: Http://www.idtechex.com/research/reports/3d-bioprinting-2014-2024-applications-markets-players-000387.asp. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.idtechex.com/research/reports/3d-bioprinting-2014-2024-applications-markets-players-000387.asp

About Robohand. (2015). Retrieved from http://www.robohand.net/about/

Collins, S. Will 3-D Printing Revolutionize Medicine? Retrieved from http://www.webmd.com/news/breaking-news/20140723/3d-printing

Groopman, J. (2014, November 24). PRINT THYSELF. Retrieved from http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2014/11/24/print-thyself

The Future is Here: 3D Printed Prosthetics. (2013). Retrieved from http://dealingwithdifferent.com/3d-printing-prosthetics/

What is 3D printing? (2015). Retrieved from http://3dprinting.com/what-is-3d-printing/#whatitis