drvarun sqMedical 3D Printing & Bioprinting

Dr Varun Tyagi is a medical doctor who practices in India and writes about remarkable and historical landmarks throughout the medical world.  Dr Varun believes that 3D printing can help democratize medical care, making medical devices affordable and available to everyone on the planet.

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While the technology most likely will be available and tested in hospitals and medical offices first, researchers at University College London (UCL) are currently developing specialized tablets that look like they have the potential for not only great medical use, but commercial as well, offering users the ability to 3D print attractive shapes and flavors for kids.

“3D printing is so cheap that potentially you could put a 3D printer into a hospital pharmacy and the doctor could print just a week’s worth of tablets with the right dose for a particular patient,” said Dr. Simon Gaisford, head of pharmaceutics at UCL.

“Because a child is always growing, following transplantation the dose they need is constantly changing, literally week to week,” says Dr. Gaisford. “And that’s where the new technology’s ‘Mary Poppins’ factor could come into play.”

“Children don’t like taking medicine,” says Dr. Gaisford. ‘Now, in principle, we could ask a child, ‘What’s your favourite animal?’ And print the tablet in any shape and colour they like.”