3D Printing Innovations in Medicine
Back in June I wrote about attending gener8tor’s health care start-up conference, OnRamp, at Lambeau field in Wisconsin. (You can read my earlier blog here.) During the day I was able to meet with multiple start-ups, including The Virtual Foundry which creates filaments that can be used in off-the-shelf 3D printers.
3D printing, also referred to as additive manufacturing, basically takes a digital model and, layer by layer, turns it into a tangible, physical object through use of some type of material. With The Virtual Foundry, for example, their Tungsten filament can be used in a 3D printer to create lead-free radiation shielding (x-ray and gamma rays) for use in health care. While we may not think of 3D printing in health care, they fit quite well together.
- Medical devices. Emerging Implant Technologies (EIT), recently acquired by Johnson & Johnson, received FDA approval in 2017 for their 3D printed Cellular Titanium® spinal support implants, and, similarly, Osseus makes 3D printed devices for use in spinal surgeries. ActivAmor makes 3D printed splints and casts. The casts are FDA registered, waterproof, and can be fixed or removable. If we look at prosthetics, creating 3D hands, arms or legs is already a reality and is helping to increase access to prosthetics globally through open source initiatives like e-NABLE.
- Surgical tools, guides, and anatomical models. The impact of 3D printing on surgery is significant. Surgeons are already using 3D models in preparation for complex surgeries, such as seen at Yale Medicine or in Belgium’s first face transplant where surgeons used 3D models from Materialise. 3D Systems provides custom models and simulations for prep and training, and in dentistry, 3D printers, like those available from Sprintray, are being used to create models and guides.
- Pharmaceuticals. Martin Burke, a PhD and MD, along with his team at the University of Illinois developed a 3D molecular printer in 2015. His work was seen as an important break-through in small molecular synthesis which is important in drug development. Aprecia Pharmaceuticals, a 3D printing pharmaceutical company, is already producing FDA approved drugs, like Spritam, to treat epilepsy.
- Cells, tissue, bones, organs. With 3D printing, we may not only see the creation of, but the use of 3D printed cells, tissues, bones, cartilage or organs in humans in the future. Aspect Biosystems of Canada is working on bioprinting and tissue engineering. Organovo has been “pioneering bioprinted human tissue to treat disease” and is merging with Tarveda Therapeutics to advance its cancer treatments. Cellink has already developed Cellink Bioink, the first “universal bioink that’s compatible with any cell type in any 3D-bioprinting system.” And there have been other advancements like the creation of 3D printed corneas, cartilage and skin. With the latter, Wake Forest School of Medicine is testing this by printing skin cells on burn wounds. Just think of a future where individuals who need regenerative medicine could have access to these life-altering or life-saving options. Pretty amazing.
- Research and development. Finally, health care’s R&D costs can be high. 3D printing could help by providing faster, more cost-effective, and more humane options for R&D.
With all this activity, what do I think are a few of the impacts 3D printing can have on health care?
- Enabling more precision medicine. The ability to create, titrate and target drugs based on each unique individual or tumor, for example, is incredible and just one way 3D printing can provide for the personalized delivery of medicine.
- Providing opportunities for education, testing and simulation. The ability to prepare for complex surgeries in advance using 3D printed models or to train medical doctors and clinicians using life-like simulations expands the ability for those individuals to deliver higher quality care and better outcomes. In addition, life-saving research and development can be rapidly simulated and tested without using humans or animals.
- Expanding access to and reducing the cost of care. The ability to quickly manufacture devices or drugs in more cost-efficient ways should reduce cost, which, in turn, allows more individuals to afford or access the devices or drugs.
There is a lot of activity and potential in 3D printing. Some advancements are near-term while others are tantalizing off in the future. Regardless, they all are intriguing.
What are your thoughts on 3D printing in health care?
Jennifer Boese is the Director of Health Care Policy at CLA. She is a highly successful public policy, legislative, advocacy and political affairs leader, including working in both the state and federal government as well as the private sector. She brings over 20 years of government relations and public policy knowledge with her to CLA. Well over half of her career has been spent dedicated to health care policy and the health care industry, affording her a deep understanding of the health care market and environment, health care organizations and health care stakeholders. Her role at CLA is to provide thought leadership, policy analysis and strategic insights to health care providers across the continuum related to the industry's ongoing transformation towards value. A key focus of that work is on market innovations and emerging payment models. Her goal is to help CLA clients navigate and thrive in an increasingly dynamic health care environment.
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