The Integration of 3D Printing in Hospitals

Over the years, 3D printing has gradually made its way into the medical field. Orthopedics, ophthalmology, dentistry and traumatology are just some of the specialties that are now using the technology to optimize their activities. And for good reason. Because of its characteristics, additive manufacturing allows for the design of all types of parts quickly and at a lower cost, to name a few these include drugs, insoles, orthotics, prostheses and even surgical guides. There are countless applications of additive manufacturing in the healthcare sector. But while more and more initiatives are emerging, what about the integration of 3D printing in the hospital environment? Between advantages, challenges and limits, 3Dnatives comes back to the question, which is still the subject of many debates among professionals, patients and the general public.

Several years ago, additive manufacturing was already being introduced in hospitals in several countries. In the United States, for example, Statista, which produces statistics on various topics, found that only 3 hospitals with in-house 3D printing facilities in 2010, compared to 113 in 2019. A meteoric increase, which testifies to the interest of the medical profession in the technology. On the other side of the Atlantic, in France in particular, additive manufacturing is also gaining popularity in university hospitals, especially in Brest and Besançon. There, the technology is being deployed for a variety of reasons, from helping practitioners with their therapeutic choices to helping patients better understand their diagnoses.

The 3D printers of the I3DM platform of the University Hospital of Besançon (photo credits: University Hospital of Besançon)

3D Printing in Hospitals: A Variety of Uses

“Between saving operating time, developing personalized surgery and low-cost manufacturing, I see few limits to the use of 3D printing in hospitals. That’s why I believe in it so much,” says Samuel Guigo, a radio technician in charge of 3D printers at the University Hospital of Brest. Like many others, the practitioner is attracted by the advantages offered by the technology. Like in the other many industries that use 3D printing, additive manufacturing is used for a variety of purposes in healthcare institutions. And in hospitals, the main use is probably the creation of surgical guides.