Those closely following the 3D printing space know all about its immense potential to disrupt numerous established industries, from children’s toys to housing. Innovators in the field have been showcasing advancements at CES for years now.
The health space is one area where 3D printing could affect all of us in the most personal of ways. Take a look at some of the ways 3D printing is changing health and its prospects for the future.
Implants and Prosthetics
We’ve already covered how 3D printing is being used to create customized prosthetics for humans and their best friends.
Earlier this year, the University of Michigan also shared a similar but unique application of this technology. Researchers helped save the lives of babies facing cases of severe tracheobronchomalacia using implanted 3D-printed splints. This life-threatening condition makes it impossible for children to breathe normally. The implanted splints helped three boys continue to breath and were designed to disintegrate, leaving no trace.
Bioprinting
Another highly advanced application of 3D printing is in “bioprinting.” Around the world, there is a critical need for human organs for transplant, as well as tissue. Right now, organ transplants and tissue generation are difficult and expensive – but 3D printing could potentially offer an easier solution in the future.
It is no surprise that with such an ambitious goal, the future of bioprinting is filled with challenges.
Medication
Believe it or not, you may one day take 3D-printed medication.
The Federal Drug Administration recently approved its first 3D-printed drug to treat epilepsy. As the Observer points out, 3D-printed medicine follows an increasing trend in healthcare: personalized medicine.
“Also called precision medicine, this approach leads to individual treatments for each patient. How does 3D printing fit into the puzzle? This production method of creating medicine not only offers speed but it leads to the possibility of creating customized medicines for the variants that so many diseases come with.”
Food
There is hardly anything as important to our health as what we eat and drink. We’ve seen a number of experiments when it comes to 3D-printed food at CES, including cookies and pizza.
NPR’s The Salt blog, which covers food, recently highlighted a food lab and restaurant in Belgium dedicated to using 3D printing to push into new culinary frontiers. The lab started with chocolate (we’re talking Belgium, remember?) but aims to create new foods that are tasty, healthy and even use unusual ingredients like insect protein.
