NecropSynth announced that they are beginning production of 3d designed and printed, macroscopically accurate, anatomical models for scientific and education purposes with the ultimate goal being to reduce the number of animals sacrificed in biological testing.

Recently at UCLA, doctors were able to use a 3D printed heart model to go forth with a very complicated surgery on 66-year-old Richard Whitaker. Whitaker had been suffering from congestive heart failure, which resulted in two hospital stays over a period of months, and needed something done in order to save his life.

Heart specialists at Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital have just 3D printed the first model of a patient’s heart using combined data from imaging techniques. The hybrid 3D printed model has significantly more detail than models created using standard techniques.

According to Materialise’s Board Chairman, Peter Leys, "Materialise highly anticipates working closely together with Fuwai Hospital, and Chinese regulatory authorities, to enable doctors and patients to benefit from 3D Printed heart models.

Australian physicians are taking advantage of 3D printing to create an exact replica of the patient's cardiac anatomy when planning left atrial appendage (LAA) closure procedures with the Watchman (Boston Scientific) device.

Surgeons at Fujian Medical University’s affiliated hospital were aided by an custom model of a patient’s spine, as they performed surgery to address the narrowing of his spinal canal, a condition known as spinal stenosis.

The Osteo3d Archives is a one of its kind repository of 3d printable medical models where one can view, study and download 3d printable files that can be printed on a 3d printer.

Anne Garcia, a parent of an infant heart patient, began OpHeart as a way to advance the idea of cheap 3D printed heart models for infants to help parents better advocate for their children. 

Surgeons at the Handan General Orthopaedic Hospital in China have used 3D printing to repair a young male patient’s severely deformed legs.

Assisted by the use of 3D Printed models, Philadelphia doctors have transplanted donor hands and forearms onto an 8-year-old boy whose own hands were amputated when he was a toddler.

Boston Children's Hospital physicians report the first cases of children benefiting from 3D printing of their anatomy before undergoing high-risk brain procedures.  Three of the four children had arteriovenous malformations (AVMs), in which tangles of arteries and veins connect abnormally, and were treated surgically.

Mimicing a similar surgery in the US in February, Chinese doctors created detailed medical models with 3D printing to aid surgeons in the delicate operation of separating conjoined twins.

Thanks to 3D printed models, spine surgeons in China were able to plan and rehearse a difficult hunchback pin surgery and knew exactly where the pin needed to be placed, so surgical time was cut in half, and a much smaller incision was required and the inherent risk was highly reduced.

A 3-year-old Chinese girl is now able to speak and eat thanks to surgery done after creating a 3D printed medical model of her fused jaw.

Dr. Sathish Vasishta, a craniomaxillofacial surgeon, and Dr. Derick Mendonca, a consulting plastic surgeon, used a 3D printed model provided by Osteo3D, a Bangalore, India-based company backed by the df3d design factory, to successfully plan and perform an Orbital Hupertelorism surgical procedure at Sakra Hospital in Bangalore.

 AstroPrint and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) are working together to make medical models more accessible and simpler to create via 3D printing.

“We are harnessing the latest technologies such as 3-D printing to help us better address the most complicated cases,” said Dr. Jamil Aboulhosn, director of the Ahmanson/UCLA Adult Congenital Heart Disease Center. 

Sahas Softech LLP, based in India, is now making 3D printed heart exact replica models available for pediatric surgery.

Using a CT scan of a patient's normal opposite ear, doctors in China were able to 3D print a mirror image of it, and this model was aided surgeons in building a new ear for the other side.

Phillips Imaging illustrated the educational and patient-communications value of 3D Printing of MRI scans at a trade show in Toronto. 

A team of surgeons in Dublin, Ireland recently utilized a 3D printed, color coded heart model to aid them in the preparation and performance of heart transplant surgery

Surgeons in St. Thomas NHS copied live prostate to practice removal of cancerous gland while sparing the nerves. It is a historical breakthrough as copy of organ was used to practice the original surgery right before.

8 month old suffering Craniosynostosis, a rare congenital skull deformity was treated using 3D printing technology to produce exact replica model of his skull. Surgery was conducted on May 21 at Shanghai Children’s Medical Center and saw the power of 3D Printing as a future perspective.

With the help of 3-D Printing, researchers are now able to simulate laparoscopic surgery of choledochal cyst removal model. Under the supervision of 10 delegates, researchers at King's College Hospital, London, this method saw its first trial. The procedure involved a complex series of digital hepatic anatomy images and standard laparoscopic trainer dimensions.

Boyd Goldie, an orthopaedic doctor in london, has started working with Ultimaker 2+, a software that converts medical scans to printable models. This free open software adds to the charm of 3D printing of the models, which help the doctor to get most of this technology.

Powered with one of most advanced 3D printers, 3D Life is providing medical models to doctors and students in Greece. These high quality models help doctors save many lives each year with pre-diagnostic expertise.

Using a Stratasys Dimension 1200es 3D printer from the New Jersey Institute of Technology, Amos Dudley, a digital design student, 3D Printed his own set of orthodontic aligners. Since it was a DIY aligner costing less than 60$ compared to 1K$, it went viral within a week.

After being diagnosed for congenital heart defect, Jemma Starks, received 3 open-heart surgeries. Preparing for the fourth surgery, the surgeons are delighted to use exact copy of Jemma's heart made from 3D printing. The family is happy to know what exactly are they dealing with before preparing for treatment and surgeries.

Channel Mum has set baby trend 2016 by 3D printing foetuses before they are actually born. Expectant parents can grab their 3D printed baby for 450$ for 8 inch or 200$ for small cast. The 3D foetus will be printed after ultrasound scans has been converted into actual plastic object.

Anatomy of medical world was dominated by formaldehyde smelling cadavers and high cost plastic models for education. However, researchers of Australia and New Zealand are now using 3D printers like Z650 printer to prepare medical models of eye for ophthalmologists and optometrists. Apart from being low cost, they serve with better quality and easy learning.

Scientists are now working with Computer simulation and 3D Printing to develop faster and safer ways of testing medical devices without actually installing them in live humans. Since these medical devices for heart and vascular diseases will be tested on 3D Printed models, the long list of Animal testing, Clinical trials and FDA approval will be surpassed.

Using the 3D printing technology, Doctors of University of Michigan successfully performed a surgery on a foetus. The unknown abnormality could have block the baby's airway at birth, but 3D Printed model of foetus face using MRI removed the guesswork of the surgery.

Aware of the fact, that rocks can't talk, Professor Maroto-Valer from European Research Council, plan to design his own 3D Printed rocks which will help them understand how liquids and gases travel through porous rocks in the subsurface. The team will 3D print their own porous rocks with incorporated micro sensors, thus allowing them to maximize oil extraction and storage of captured CO2.

Chinese University and the University of Hong Kong have introduced personalised models of complex heart structures using 3D Printing technology. The actual heart structure is first captured via ultrasound imaging, followed by the creation of a silicone model which takes two days. It has been applied on 3 patients, first being a 78 year old woman with several strokes. With this, doctors can now determine proper size of occluder.

Powder-based 3D printing of titanium often leads to increased porosity of final products and therefore, increased risk of breakage. To investigate this problem, researchers from Carnegie Mellon University and the Argonne National Laboratory inspected Ti-6Al-4V titanium and learned that as the titanium powder heats, gases trapped in the material can create pores. This issue has been established and yet to be fixed.

Pre-eclampsia of pregnancy can be fatal for fetus and mother and the 2D models doesn't help much in treatment regimens. John P. Fisher, Che-Ying Kuo and colleagues developed a 3D printed model of placenta with placenta tissue including trophoblasts, epidermal growth factor and other key elements, that can help in developing treatment plans for pre-eclampsia.

Headed by Dr. Michael Chae, a plastic surgery resident and PhD candidate at the Melbourne, Australia-based Monash University, the research team disclosed how 4D computed tomography (CT) scans of the bones of a patient’s hand could be used to create 4D models. These models, printed by Cube 2 desktop 3D printer, were able to accurately replicate hand movement during thumb abduction, opposition, and key pinch, giving surgeons vital information about a patient’s specific physiology.

Scientists of Massey University, New Zealand, have developed 3D Printed Frog skeletons that will help the students learn anatomy. These skeleton and cartilage replicas were printed using a selective laser sintering 3D printer and will provide better approaches to anatomical dissections.

Ten year-old Casey Doyle was diagnosed with Synovial cell sarcoma, whose 3D Printed model he first smashed at University of Michigan's C.S. Mott Children's Hospital. Later, Surgeons at C.S. Mott Children's Hospital removed the tumor in March, and helping get him another 3-D model replica of his tumor using MRI and polylactic acid.

Artec,developer and manufacturer of professional 3D hardware and software and platform for 3D printing models Threeding.com, have announced today about their new collaborative project to produce a variety of 3D models based on the anatomy of animals. To combat the price issues, Threeding.com have announced that the collection of 40 models will be made entirely free to aid veterinary students and biological scientists.

Longhua Funeral Parlor, a funeral home in Shanghai, has started 3D Printing body parts for damaged corpses replacing the traditional use of wax or sludge. The whole process involves building multiple layers of material on top of each other to construct a three-dimensional product.

Researchers at Johns Hopkin's University in Baltimore have developed cost-effective ways of growing mini-brains in lab, which will be used to study the Zika virus. These Mini-Brains were grown by 3D Printed Bio-reactors designed by high school students and using neural stem cells, and will help in developing treatment regimes for Zika virus.

3D Printed Hearts have been used by surgeons since long as the perfect virtual guide to surgeries. Since the Jump Trading Center of OSF Saint Francis Medical Center opened back in 2013, there have been alot of advancement, and now they have whole library with more than 40 3D printed hearts.

Doctors from the south China's Hunan Province recently performed a successful spinal surgery using 3D printing technology on a man suffering from spinal arthritis, leading to a severe humpback. With densely distributed nerves on spine, the surgery could have led to permanent paralysis.

Dr. Francis Patterson, the Attending Musculoskeletal Oncology Physician and Assistant Professor at University Hospital in Newark, was helped with 3D Printed model of a tumor which was to be resected from a patient's pelvic region. The CT scan and Imaging technology of the patient’s pelvic tumor and surrounding bone and tissues were used to 3D print the model .

Using an innovative 3D inkjet printing method, researchers from Chemical and Biological Engineering at the University of Sheffield have developed silk 'Micro-Rockets' which are biodegradable and harmless to biological system. Being just 300 microns in length and 100 microns in diameter, these silk-catalyst made rockets can be used for Drug delivery and locating cancer cells.

Icelandic musician Björk has partnered with designer and researcher Neri Oxman on a mask made up of multiple 3D-printed strands that mimic the underlying structure of her own face. The piece was printed by additive manufacturing company Stratasys using a flexible, acrylic-based polymer.

Surgeons and doctors of Erasmus Medical Center in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, are using 3D printed bones and structures as training models for students. The first test started on 21 June in Rotterdam, and involved a 3D printed mastoid bone while these bones were developed by Medical Data.

Ottawa Hospital of Canada is revolutionizing the medicine with 3D Printed Body parts and research prototypes. With replica body parts as surgical guides, customized prosthetics, low-cost medical devices, surgical tools and even new skin for burn patients, Dr. Frank Rybicki is seeing to generate a commercial hub for themselves.

University of Malaya’s Centre for Biomedical and Technology Integration (CBMTI) uses Stratasys’ PolyJet 3D Printing technology to deliver custom medical implants, prototypes for new devices, patient-specific models for surgical planning and the sophisticated training simulators for clinical procedures. Identifying the anatomy and pathology, CBMTI engineers convert the patient’s CT and MRI scans into digital design files, and 3D printing the ultimate models.

Researchers at Vanderbilt University have been harnessing cotton candy machines to spin out threads similar in size, density and complexity to the patterns formed by biocapillaries. Already announced that they have succeeded in using this unorthodox technique to produce a 3D artificial capillary system, they are working on fiber networks that can be used as templates to produce the capillary systems required to create full-scale artificial organs.

Single-Photon Emission Computed Tomography (SPECT) imaging calibrating with 3D printed phantoms have appeared to be the best for patient-specific absorbed dose calculations for molecular radiotherapy requiring accurate activity quantification. These 3D printed phantom inserts can significantly improve the accuracy of whole organ activity quantification for molecular radiotherapy and are cost effective and efficient way.

Materialise announced the opening of a new 3D Printing Centre of Excellence in Malaysia which will aim to become a competence center for DLP 3D printing technologies. The teams at the facility will also investigate 3D printing anatomical models and other medical devices with DLP technology to further enhance the functionality of Materialise’s 3D printing software suites for the benefit of end-users working with DLP 3D printers.

Researchers and Students at the University of California, Riverside have created a Lego-like system of blocks that will enable users to make chemical and biological research instruments quickly, easily and affordably. The blocks, which are called Multifluidic Evolutionary Components (MECs) because of their flexibility and adaptability are designed to work together, and users can build apparatus--like bioreactors for making alternative fuels or acid-base titration tools.

Dr. Ken Stewart and team of doctors at Royal Hospital for Sick Children, Edinburgh, Scotland are now using 3D Printing technology to help children born with Microtia, a congenital condition in which the external ear is underdeveloped or undeveloped at birth. Using Artec Spider 3D Scanner, they are able to record the geometry of child's normal ear and use it to create a highly accurate model.

The 3D Printed Anatomy Kits were made available for sale last year by Monash University and partner Erler Zimmer which are now being currently used widely by the medical students to learn anatomy without actually having to dissect real cadavers in dissection halls. Professor Paul McMenamin, Director of the Centre for Human Anatomy Education at Monash, and his team uses CT and laser scans of real human bodies to create the full-color replicas, while each full-body replica consists of 57 parts, and larger components can take up to a week to 3D print.

A three hours long workshop was held at Queen Sirikit National Institute of Child Health through the help of ProgressTH, a Bangkok-based makerspace and media platform that works in numerous areas to enhance communities through organizing workshops. The workshop called Nurses and other healthcare professionals to use SketchUp Make, a user-friendly drawing tool suitable for makers on all levels and learn more about 3D Printing Technology.

Professor Kenji Shimada and his research team from Carnegie Mellon University’s College of Engineering have developed "Medical Phantom Model" ”, which uses 3D printing to create a realistic looking and feeling hands-on training model for surgeons and by using a clear ballistic gel, a 10% synthetic non-fouling gel material typically used for testing ammunition and to simulate bullet wounds. Currently it is being used for Clubfoot, or Congenital Talipes Equinovarus (CTEV), a congenital deformity which is distinguished by one or both feet being turned inwards and upwards and results in serious mobility problems if left untreated.

A medical team of 8 members at Hong Kong-based Queen Elizabeth Hospital team used 3D printing technology to create a detailed heart model of their 77-year-old patient Shum. The medical specialists performed a surgery that involved the replacing of two heart valves through blood vessels in a single operation. The surgery with 3D Printing involved minimal invasiveness and was completed in just four hours.

Three team collaborated on project to develop better 3D Printed Models of Heart of fetus using the ultrasounds. The GRID company, Rapid Crafting and experts at MWU in Poland worked to 3D Print realistic heart models which can help to learn more about any abnormality in fetus and each model is is 10 x 14 x 10 cm, and includes instructions as well as illustrations detailing each layer of the model.

Odile Fillod, a researcher, with help of Melissa Richard, mediator of the Carrefoure Numérique Fab Lab at the Cité des Sciences et de l’Industrie in Paris, who took to Blender to create a 3D model of an Clitoris for Sex Education in France. The 3D Model was it was printed in PLA on a Mondrian 3D printer, and the open source file has been made available. Also, Fillod has been working with V’idéaux, a Toulouse-based documentary film production company, to create a Ministry of Education-supported website for the cause where a video about clitoris will be included in January 2017.

A 53-year old patient was admitted to Bangalore's Health Care Global Hospital complaining of mouth ulcer, which was later diagnosed as Tongue cancer using the MRI scan. Surgical oncologist Dr. Vishal Rao and his team with Anatomiz3D used the MRI scan to create a 3D Model of patient's tongue which enabled them to digitally separate the tumor from the tongue and perform the surgery.

Blind mothers can now visualize the faces of their children using 3D Printed Models from IN UTERO 3D. The family-run company in Poland, IN UTERO 3D uses images from the ultrasound and then creates 3d printed models using Ultimaker printer and Spectrum filament and the process takes around four days before delivering directly to the parents.

Brian Jordan lost his parts of index finger and thumb after an accident with saw and started seeking prosthetic for which he reached Robiotech Corp. Working with lab manager Tony Ingelido at the MakerBot Innovation Center at University of Maryland, they together developed 3D Printed Finger Prosthetics. Currently, they are awaiting the plans of registering the device with FDA.

Polina Rožkova, a Latvian wheelchair fencer required better back braces for competing in 2016 Paralympics for which she approached Baltic3D and Stratasys. With data printed on WiDE software and Nylon 12 3D printing material used, the brace was finally printed on Stratasys Fortus 450mc Production 3D Printer which provided easy movement and sweating relief during exertion.

Shawn Jones, who received Shapeways Education Grant 2016 has revealed a 3D Printed Prototype of Prosthetic that will allow not just walking or running, but also swimming. Working with Operation Blue Pride (OBP), a non-profit organization, he will use the $1,000 grant to launch the device and help veterans who lost their limb to swim.

Anecdotal evidence had suggested that high-impact activities, such as roller coaster riding or bungee jumping, could result in spontaneous passage of kidney stones, however 3D printing has now been used to validate the efficacy of a trip to Magic Mountain next time you suffer from kidney stones.  A study was conducted at Michigan State University College of Osteopathic Medicine where Dr. David D. Wartinger performed research on whether roller coaster rides can actually facilitate kidney stone passage. A 3D replica of a patient’s kidney was printed in clear silicone material and then was monitored with ureteroscopy during a roller coaster ride. The results verified that roller coaster rides can assist kidney stone passage.

Dr. Nina Tandon, CEO of Epibne has started bioprinting human bones using CT scan and 3D model of it, which is then CNC milled with animal bone, following which, fat cells from patient are integrated with CNC milled animal bone. Plum Alley Investments, a private membership started by Deborah Jackson and Andrea Turner Moffit to support promising female entrepreneurs and gender-diverse teams, has announced funds of $560,000 to Epibone to support this 3D Printing initiative which will reduce the need for multiple surgeries.

The collaborative venture of NASA, American Society of Mechanical Engineering (ASME) and Future Engineers, an online education platform, has led to some 3d Printing Challenges recently, and now they have come up with the Mars Medical Challenge. Aiming directly towards future Mars mission, this challenge asks participants to create a digital 3D model of a medical or dental item that an astronaut could use on a three-year mission to Mars.

SSM Health Cardinal Glennon Children’s Hospital in St. Louis, Missouri is named a “Best Children’s Hospital” by US News and World Report and is now receiving 3D Printing Center of Excellence with brand new Stratasys J750 multi-color multi-material 3D Printers. The center will serve as a space to facilitate innovation in multiple 3D printing-related medical areas, including pre-surgical preparation, medical research and patient treatment.

Cardiologists from Tomsk Research Institute of Cardiology have been using 3D Printing Technology to create heart models for patients using Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI). Now they have approached towards more complex, children’s hearts which can help surgeon pre-plan and pre-work forthcoming operations, knowing the defects and risks that can occur with real heart of children.

A team from the College of Engineering, Pune (CoEP) in India has developed unique software, which helped them make a 3D printed ear in just one week for 32-year-old patient from Kondhwa. The newly developed software is called Osto3D, and reduces the fabrication time greatly. The successful auricular prosthesis surgery was performed last month, when doctors from the Armed Forces Medical College (AFMC) attached the artificial ear.

At University of Indianapolis, Dr. Erin Peterson, Assistant Professor of Occupational Therapy is working on determining the best use of 3D Printing technology in field of Occupational Therapy Education for both master’s and doctoral students. After receiving the MakerGear M3 desktop 3D Printer and Scanner, they started 3D Printing innovative designs for assistive devices and custom anatomical models, as well as using Customized 3D Printed Pill Boxes to improve daily medication routines.

Victoria Sear, a graduate student from University of Michigan- Dearborn was introduced with 3D Printing Technology during an internship with SME and variety of things 3D Printing could offer. As a Bioengineering student, she was fascinated to learn about 3D Printed Prosthetics as replacement limbs, 3D Printed Heart models that were used to help prepare medical teams for surgical interventions, and a wide variety of medical devices that could be custom fabricated for patient-specific needs.

Duke University School of Medicine is making every possible use of 3D Printing they can in their medical efforts. From creating a 3D Printed Model of Hip at campus Co-Lab Studio through MRI and CT scans to aid in surgery for Chronic Limp in young woman; to enhancing Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement, a procedure for Aortic valve stenosis via a 3D Printed Model of flexible anatomy of aorta by Dr. Alice Wang at Duke University.

Blood Brain Barrier (BBB) is a semi-permeable that protects brain from direct contact with damaging entities in body. Until now, animals have been used to test drugs that cross BBB, but now researchers are capable of reproducing the microcapillaries of neurovascular system on 1:1 scale using 3D Printing technology. Carried out by Gianni Ciofani, Associate Professor at Polytechnic University of Torino, the mimicked BBB is important for developing pharmaceuticals that can cross boundary as there currently exist drug compounds that demonstrate great potential for addressing brain diseases such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and ALS.

A team of researchers led by Professor Cheng Shujie from Affiliated Hospital of Hebei University, China are unveiling precise 3D Printed Liver Models which have been 3D Printed using Stereolithography for lower costs & precision and can be used for aiding in surgeries. Using two high speed LCD-SLA 3D printers, the team was able to create detailed, life-sized liver model for approximately $80-$90.

An international research team collaborated to 3D Print Simple Liver Model using bioprinted tissue to develop a more accurate drug toxicity testing system. The new advancement can construct vascularized tissue, which is then able to mimic drug administration in vivo in 3D bioprinted liver tissue. This new model will allow scientists to observe the in vivo effects of drug absorption without having to actually set up a real in vivo study.

The ENEA walking stick was designed and 3D Printed by Andrea Morgante, founder of Shiro Studio, a London-based architectural design firm, in 2009. The ENEA stick is developed from a porous internal structure that mimics trabecular bone tissue, and this porous internal structure allows the walking stick to be lightweight yet sturdy, as does its 3D printed construction. The walking stick is stylish yet strong, and also features a twiglike protrusion near one end so that it can be hooked onto desks, tables or counters.

Researchers from Nagasaki University in Japan are working on scaffold-free approaches for an artificial trachea by assessing the circumferential tracheal replacement using scaffold-free trachea-like grafts, generated from isolated cells in an inbred animal model. Regenova 3D bioprinter from Cyfuse Biomedical was used to assemble multicellular spheroids in a tube-shaped artificial trachea.

Researchers from the University of Glasgow are using a chemical-to-digital converter to digitize the process of drug manufacturing to 3D print pharmaceuticals on demand. The digital code is used by the 3D printer to make a portable factory, which can make the drug by adding chemicals in a pre-defined, fail-safe sequence, making it possible for users to synthesize nearly any compound.

Temasek Polytechnic, a university in Singapore, is developing a new technique for better, faster, and cheaper Dental Crowns and Bridges, as a result of 3D printing. The technique involves creation of a traditional impression that is then turned into a form, which is scanned to create a digital model and in turn, the mold for shaping the exterior and interior metal form to attach the prosthetic to the receiving tooth.

A research team at American Association of Physicists in Medicine recently published an article revealing how effective 3D Printing is for producing Organ Phantoms (models of organs to test things like proper medication dosage). Three questions were explored including the resolution of 3D Printing, materials used against scanning modality and feasibility of radioactive solutions as per 3D Printing is concerned. 50 studies conducted later concluded that 3D Printing undoubtedly has some limits, but is the fastest growing and can be definitely considered the best approach for Organ Phantoms as the new materials are unveiled.

Under a thesis by a student named Cristian Ghibaudo, 3D bioprinting was discussed regarding the better wound treatments under Onskin project based on microfibrillar cellulose, or MFC, and sustainable materials. The concept was developed in four modules: the moisturizing module (M1), the absorbent module (M2), the barrier module (M3) and the support module (M4). Using BioX 3D Printers, several wound dressing prototypes were 3D printed out of which the Flat prototype was selected concluding it had good mechanical properties and high resolution, plus it printed in only 30 minutes.

UCLA and Bioprinting Company Aether have collaborated to work towards 3D Printed Artificial Muscles by working together to develop technologies for faster, easier fabrication of soft artificial muscles and other multi-material structures. Aether will work on optimizing the Aether 1 bioprinter and its computer vision capabilities to automate the process of 3D printing soft robotic devices, improve print quality and ease of use and has also planned to launch software that will allow users to create 3D printable organs from medical images with the push of a button in around 2019.

A team of researchers at University of Minnesota researchers are working on what they call “Bionic Eye” by Custom 3D Printing photoreceptors on a hemispherical surface. The process consumed hemispherical glass dome, silver particle base ink, semiconducting polymer materials and approximately one hour. With 25% efficiency, they are now planning to create prototypes that are even more efficient and could be worked upon for implantation into a real eye, thereby restoring or improving sight.

Munam Arshad from Pakistan under his thesis for MS Mechanical Engineering, recently outlined the effectiveness of 3D Printing in drug delivery via a vibrating mechanism that moves the medications through small ‘slits.’ Using PMC-744 as the material of choice due to its biocompatibility and flexibility, the research team 3D Printed the final model using SOLIDWORKS and PLA, featuring one system with both a haptic motor and drug reservoir with drug release area .

Researchers from the Polytechnic University of Catalonia (UPC) in Barcelona developed a new method of designing porous scaffolds for FDM 3D printing using a dual-extruder Sigma 3D printer from BCN3D to fabricate three sample scaffolds out of PLA, and then measuring their pore size and total porosity. They applied their model to a disc shape and defined three different variables: Distance between parallel planes; Number of base points for columns on each plane and Radius of each column.

A group of researchers developed an inexpensive, 3D Printable Neuraxial Anesthesia Phantom through the use of free/libre/open-source (FLOS) software and data from CT scans to create a 3D model of the lumbar spine, which was then modified, put inside a digitally designed housing unit, and 3D printed out of PLA on a desktop system. The so 3d Printed Neuraxial Anesthesia Training Model cost only $13 and 25 hours of non-supervised 3D printing and two hours to assemble it, much less than creating a Simulab phantom.

A group of researchers from Tokyo Dental College set up a “One-stop 3D printing lab” at the college for the purposes of quickly and inexpensively designing and 3D printing models for oral and maxillofacial surgery. The researchers created their One-Stop 3D printing Lab by generalizing the software and hardware around its inexpensive Value3D MagiX MF-2000 desktop 3D printer from MUTOH Industries Ltd. The researchers determined, by 3D printing dental models daily, that the amount of preparation cost and modeling material can be lowered by increasing the laminating pitch.

A group of researchers from Imperial College, London is studying how malaria is transmitted, which requires mosquito test subjects to be infected with Plasmodium gametocytes – the blood stage parasites that actually cause malaria. In a Standard Membrane Feeding Assay (SMFA) test, an artificial membrane feeding apparatus, which simulates the host’s skin and body temperature, is used to get the mosquitoes to eat reconstituted blood containing the gametocytes. The researchers created the two-part membrane feeder design using the free, open source CAD modeling program Art of Illusion, then had Shapeways 3D print the parts out USP VI medical-grade “Fine Detail Plastic” acrylic resin (VisiJet M3 Crystal).

Researchers at TU Wien (Vienna) have 3D printed a placenta on a chip to specifically study the permeability of the placenta and gain a better understanding of how it works. They developed a special femtosecond laser-based 3D printing process to produce customized hydrogel membranes directly within microfluidic chips, which are then populated with placenta cells. The researchers can use the chip to closely monitor biological parameters such as the pressure, temperature, geometry and nutrient supply of the mini-placenta and also test different drugs on the 3D printed tissue, observing the progression of diseases and the rate of cure.

Researchers from FabRx are working on using 3D Printing to create personalized medicine for patients that could reduce the adverse effects to individuals. Though FDM 3D Printing has potential, the high extrusion temperature limits the potential active ingredients to only heat-stable ones, it was still chosen over SLA 3D Printing since it was unsafe. A regenHU 3D bioprinter was used to print paracetamol into three different tablet geometries – solid, ring and mesh and the results could be invariably beneficial if successful for the individual personalization of medicines.

Tawfig Khoury, MD, an otolaryngology (ear and throat) resident at Duke University makes 3D printed medical models of the ear’s delicate temporal bones used for the purposes of medical training while Dr.Khoury works on his 3D printed models at the university’s Innovation Co-Lab Studio, previously described as a “creativity incubator,” also includes 3D scanning equipment, CNC machines and laser cutters, digital modeling workstations, and a number of other electronics. In order to receive and handle requests for 3D prints from around the world, the studio uses 3DPrinterOS, which gives users access to an online, live-streaming video of the project while it’s being 3D printed.

Ti6Al4V, a biomedical implant, is a titanium alloy with biocompatibility, mechanical properties, and excellent corrosion resistance but poor wear resistance, corrosion and stability. The researchers from Jiangsu University used Laser Peening (LP), a laser surface modification technology, to modify Ti6Al4V and the results concluded that the surface micro-hardness value of the LP-treated Ti6Al4V sample increased by 25.7%, showing that LP was able to strengthen its surface. Additionally, the results of the experiment showed that after being treated with LP, the specimen did have better wear resistance than the untreated one; laser energy and impact time also helped improve the wear resistance of the LP specimen.

Liqun Ning, a post-doctoral fellow in the Tissue Engineering Research Group at the University of Saskatchewan, is working on 3D Printing Scaffolds of Schwann Cells, the supporting cells in the nervous system that can force nerve cells to grow properly, which were created using the Canadian Light Source center at the University of Saskatchewan. The scaffolds are expected to stimulate new, healthy nerve cells to grow. The results of the study show that the 3D printed scaffolds can promote the alignment of the Schwann cells and provide cues to direct the extension of dorsal root ganglion along the printed strands.

A group of researchers from the Netherlands finished a validation study to test the accuracy of 3D printed anatomical models for surgical planning purposes which included dissecting nine human cadavers to acquire three specimens each of a pelvis, hand, and foot, and inserting Titanium Kirschner (K-) wires in them to mark important anatomical landmarks. Using a Siemens Somatom Definition AS 64-slice CT to scan the specimens, and then using Phillips Intellispace Portal software for 3D reconstructions, the models were 3D Printed using an Ultimaker 3 and a Makerbot Replicator Z18 using PLA material.

Local company BioArchitects was founded by young entrepreneur, Felipe Marques four years ago with investment in medical 3D Printing to harvest the technology. The company now uses metal 3D printing technology to create patient-specific, biocompatible implants that replace hard tissue and allows doctors to actually be able to see and manipulate a replica of what they will find when they operate. The BioArchitects also performs in field of medical training, simulated operations and prosthetics, with their titanium plate being first of its kind to be approved for use by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Researchers from University of Colorado Boulder have developed a 3D printing technique with SLA that allows for localized control of an object’s firmness, which can potentially pave way for tissue 3D printing technique. The layer-by-layer printing method with fine-grain and programmable control over rigidity allows the researchers to mimic the complex geometry of highly structured yet pliable blood vessels. The 3D printer used by the researchers is capable of printing biomaterials as small as 10 microns, or one-tenth the width of a human hair.

Researchers’ team from Louisiana State University led by Wayne Newhauser, director of the medical physics program at LSU, is working towards creating better Phantoms—models used as patient dummies when figuring out treatments and dosages. Using these dummies, the research team plans to carry out multiple trials of treatment for Cancer using Radiation therapy to kill neoplastic cancer cells in human bodies. These 3D Printed Phantoms are relatively cheaper method and quicker means to accessing information against Cancer.