Three-Dimensional Printing: Collaborative Nurse-Led Research.

Three-dimensional printed titanium pseudo-prosthesis for the treatment of a tumoral bone defect

Three-dimensional (3D) printing is a technique where the products are printed layer-by-layer via a series of cross-sectional slices with the exact deposition of different cell types and biomaterials based on computer-aided design software. Three-dimensional printing can be divided into several approaches, such as extrusion-based printing, laser-induced forward transfer-based printing systems, and so on. Bio-ink is a crucial tool necessary for the fabrication of the 3D construct of living tissue in order to mimic the native tissue/cells using 3D printing technology. The formation of 3D software helps in the development of novel drug delivery systems with drug screening potential, as well as 3D constructs of tumor models. Additionally, several complex structures of inner tissues like stroma and channels of different sizes are printed through 3D printing techniques. Three-dimensional printing technology could also be used to develop therapy training simulators for educational purposes so that learners can practice complex surgical procedures. The fabrication of implantable medical devices using 3D printing technology with less risk of infections is receiving increased attention recently. A Cancer-on-a-chip is a microfluidic device that recreates tumor physiology and allows for a continuous supply of nutrients or therapeutic compounds. In this review, based on the recent literature, we have discussed various printing methods for 3D printing and types of bio-inks, and provided information on how 3D printing plays a crucial role in cancer management.

Three-dimensional printing - Assisted planning for complete and safe resection of retroperitoneal tumor.

Dentistry is truly a great profession and recently it is coming to the terms of use of technology and tech-savvy dentists, who nowadays use smart devices to make their life easier. Researchers are constantly innovating to integrate techno-logy into dentistry. Of all the latest technological innovations in dentistry, the most talked about innovations are three-dimensional (3D) printing and cone beam computed tomography (CBCT), which have made the treatment planning and execution a whole lot easier. Three-dimensional printing like CBCT has been gaining much popularity in the masses. Three-dimensional printing technologies are evolving rapidly in the recent years and can be used with a wide array of different materials. In addition to rapid prototyping, the dominant use in the past, they are now being used in all manner of manufacturing applications in a diversity of industries such as sports goods, fashion items such as jewelry and necklaces to aerospace components, tools for automobile industry, and medical implants also in dentistry for producing models, making scaffolds, etc. In future, 3D printing has ability to change the way many products are manufactured and produced and bring an era of ‘personal manufacturing’. This article introduces 3D printing and gives little information about the technology behind the working of 3D printers. It also gives information about the applications of 3D printers and materials most often used for 3D printed scaffolds for periodontal regeneration.

Three-dimensional (3D) printing is based on additive technology in which layers of materials are gradually placed to create 3D objects. The world of 3D printing is a rapidly evolving field in the medical industry as well as in most sectors of our lives. In this report we present current technological possibilities for 3D printing in the surgical field. There are different 3D printing modalities and much confusion among clinicians regarding the differences between them. Three-dimensional printing technologies can be classified based on the basic material used: solid, liquid, and powder. We describe the main printing methods from each modality and present their advantages while focusing on their applications in different fields of surgery, starting from 3D printing of models for preoperative planning up to patient-specific implants (PSI). We present the workflow of 3D printing for the different applications and our experience in 3D printing surgical guides as well as PSI. We include examples of 3D planning as well as clinical and radiological imaging of cases. Three-dimensional printing of models for preoperative planning enhances the 3D perception of the planned operation and allows for preadaptation of surgical instruments, thus shortening operation duration and improving precision. Three-dimensional printed PSI allow for accurate reconstruction of anatomic relations as well as efficiently restoring function. The application of PSI is expanding rapidly, and we will see many more innovative treatment modalities in the near future based on this technology.

Chapter 6 - Three-dimensional printing in cardiopulmonary disease

The role of 3D printing in pediatric airway obstruction: A systematic review

Objective To explore the application value of three-dimensional (3D) printing in skull base tumor resection. Methods Fourteen patients accepted resection of skull base tumors in our hospital from May 2016 to November 2017 were chosen in our study; before surgery, solid models of the tumors, having bones of the skull base, tumor tissues and main blood supply arteries, were established by 3D printing; resection was simulated in these models and the surgical approaches and surgical methods were determined accordingly. The disease history, preoperative and postoperative imaging data were analyzed retrospectively. Results The mean time for making a solid model of the tumors was 18.5 h, and the cost was about 5,000 Yuan. Postoperative CT and MR imaging showed that total excision was achieved in 8 patients, subtotal excision was achieved in 5 patients, and one with tumor of the jugular foramen achieved total excision of the intracranial tumor and subtotal excision of the extracranial tumor. One patient had large hemispheric infarction after operation and decompressive craniectomy was performed; the other 13 patients recovered well without serious complications or death. Conclusion The 3D printing technique can assist the preoperative simulation and formulation of skull base tumor resection, and improve the efficiency and safety of the operation. Key words: Three-dimensional printing; Tumor of base of skull; Tumor resection

Three-dimensional (3D) printing is an additive manufacturing technique, which is based on the addition of layers of material to each other according to 3D geometric data, allowing for the rapid transition of the designed parts to the production phase. In the 3D printing technique, no material is wasted, and no mold is required as in other traditional manufacturing methods such as plastic injection, casting, and machining. In this method, free-form parts can be practically produced, and the production of a new part having different geometries can be carried out quickly. Three-dimensional printing is much more suitable for the production of prototypes and custom-made designs than serial production. The variety of materials used in the 3D printer technology is continuously increasing. Today, plastic, metal, composite, and organic materials can be used in 3D printing. Development of the 3D technology enables us to produce parts with different design features. The most common of these technologies are known as fused deposition modeling (FDM), stereolithography (SLA), digital light processing (DLP), and selective laser sintering (SLS). In general, they are all based on the principle of additive layer manufacturing. Three-dimensional printing is also ideal for the creation of complex anatomical models and the production of biomedical devices with free-form geometry. Three-dimensional printers can save cost and time and enable clinical trial devices to be produced and used more frequently. Considering that the production of some of the medical devices is quite challenging due to the small size and complicated structure, the effectiveness of the 3D printing method becomes much more visible. In this chapter, different 3D printing methods and related materials used in the biomedical field are explained and critical examples from recent scientific studies are given. In addition, a number of practical works including 3D printing in biomedical engineering have been reviewed and a preliminary assessment of the use of 3D printers in future biomedical studies has been made.

Revolutionary fabrication technologies such as three-dimensional (3D) printing to develop dental structures are expected to replace traditional methods due to their ability to establish constructs with the required mechanical properties and detailed structures. Three-dimensional printing, as an additive manufacturing approach, has the potential to rapidly fabricate complex dental prostheses by employing a bottom-up strategy in a layer-by-layer fashion. This new technology allows dentists to extend their degree of freedom in selecting, creating, and performing the required treatments. Three-dimensional printing has been narrowly employed in the fabrication of various kinds of prostheses and implants. There is still an on-demand production procedure that offers a reasonable method with superior efficiency to engineer multifaceted dental constructs. This review article aims to cover the most recent applications of 3D printing techniques in the manufacturing of dental prosthetics. More specifically, after describing various 3D printing techniques and their advantages/disadvantages, the applications of 3D printing in dental prostheses are elaborated in various examples in the literature. Different 3D printing techniques have the capability to use different materials, including thermoplastic polymers, ceramics, and metals with distinctive suitability for dental applications, which are discussed in this article. The relevant limitations and challenges that currently limit the efficacy of 3D printing in this field are also reviewed. This review article has employed five major scientific databases, including Google Scholar, PubMed, ScienceDirect, Web of Science, and Scopus, with appropriate keywords to find the most relevant literature in the subject of dental prostheses 3D printing.

Visual representation of intricate anatomical morphology of the human body has great significance in the medical field. Technological advancements in imaging modalities over the past two decades have had a powerful impact on disease diagnosis and treatment. Simultaneously, development of sophisticated mathematical models, image processing, and visualization tools have enabled the emergence of three-dimensional (3D) models which are closer to reality. Three-dimensional visualization of medical image data is finding increasing applications in diagnosis, treatment planning, intraoperative support, and education and research. Medical two-dimensional (2D) images acquired from imaging modalities such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), computed tomography (CT), and ultrasound lack in-depth information and they are unable to interpret the complex interrelationship between anatomical spatial structures. Three-dimensional reconstruction is useful for directly displaying 3D structures, especially multiple, spatially interlinked, hollow, branching structures. However, many of the tactual qualities of physical specimen are absent in digital models. So, 3D printing opened up a new way for researchers to present their data. Medical simulation needs 3D reconstruction and 3D printing. Three-dimensional reconstruction is the mathematical process of generating a 3D virtual model of an object from a set of 2D images. Three-dimensional printing is an additive manufacturing technology which converts the digital information from an MRI or computer-aided design into 3D physical, solid model. Three-dimensional printing, the fourth industrial revolution technology, which aims at digital manufacturing and smart production, has the potential of turning dream into reality in the medical field. The aspirational applications of medical 3D printing are in medical education, pre-surgical planning, pharmaceutical drug production, bioprinting, and the customization of implants and prosthetics. This chapter puts forward the technology and software used for 3D reconstruction and provides an overview of various techniques and materials used in medical 3D printing. Furthermore, it discusses the wide range of clinical applications of 3D reconstruction and printing, including its role in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. The chapter also discusses the current challenges and barriers to medical 3D reconstruction and printing along with the future directions.

Microneedles (MNs) are considered to be a novel smart injection system that causes significantly low skin invasion upon puncturing, due to the micron-sized dimensions that pierce into the skin painlessly. This allows transdermal delivery of numerous therapeutic molecules, such as insulin and vaccines. The fabrication of MNs is carried out through conventional old methods such as molding, as well as through newer and more sophisticated technologies, such as three-dimensional (3D) printing, which is considered to be a superior, more accurate, and more time- and production-efficient method than conventional methods. Three-dimensional printing is becoming an innovative method that is used in education through building intricate models, as well as being employed in the synthesis of fabrics, medical devices, medical implants, and orthoses/prostheses. Moreover, it has revolutionary applications in the pharmaceutical, cosmeceutical, and medical fields. Having the capacity to design patient-tailored devices according to their dimensions, along with specified dosage forms, has allowed 3D printing to stand out in the medical field. The different techniques of 3D printing allow for the production of many types of needles with different materials, such as hollow MNs and solid MNs. This review covers the benefits and drawbacks of 3D printing, methods used in 3D printing, types of 3D-printed MNs, characterization of 3D-printed MNs, general applications of 3D printing, and transdermal delivery using 3D-printed MNs.

Chapter 6 - Three-dimensional printing and hepatobiliary surgery

Objective Explore the method for volumetric measurement of alveolar bone defect. Methods This study applied 2 advanced preoperative volume measurement methods: three-dimensional (3D) printing and computer-aided engineering (CAE). Twenty-six unilateral alveolar cleft patients were enrolled in this study from April 2015 to December 2016. Their computed tomographic data were sent to 3D printing and CAE software. A simulated graft was used on the 3D-printed model, and the graft volume was measured by water displacement. The volume calculated by CAE software used mirror-reverses technique. Results The volume of alveolar bone defect could be detected by both methods. The average volume of the simulated bone grafts by 3D-printed models was 1.61 ml, a little higher than the mean volume of 1.60 ml calculated by CAE software. The difference between the 2 volumes was from -0.34 ml to 0.54 ml. The paired Student t test showed no statistically significant difference between the volumes derived from the 2 methods. Conclusions This study demonstrated that the volume of alveolar bone defect is about 1.6ml in unilateral alveolar cleft patients aged 9-12 years. The mirror-reversed technique by CAE software is as accurate as the simulated operation on 3D-printed models. These findings further validate the use of 3D printing and CAE technique in alveolar defect repairing. Key words: Three dimensional printing; Computer aided engineering; Alveolar bone defect; Volume

Objective To evaluate the feasibility and accuracy of mitral valve prolapse(MVP) model made by three-dimensional(3D) printing based on three-dimensional transesophageal echocardiography(3D-TEE) data and the application value for mitral valvuloplasty. Methods 3D-TEE volumetric data of 28 patients with MVP were acquired and postprocessed, 13 patients underwent mitral valve replacement and 15 patients underwent mitral valvuloplasty. A flexible material was used to made the valve 3D model by molding. The areas of MVP identified by models were compared with surgical findings, the circumference and the length and thickness of anterior and posterior mitral leaflets obtained from the valve specimens and the models were compared in the mitral valve replacement group. The diameter between anterior and posterior, the diameter between anterolaterior and posteromedial, annulus area, height of prolapsed leaflet and area of prolapsed leaflet were measured from 3D models and 3D-TEE images in mitral valvuloplasty group. Surgical simulations were performed on the 3D models of the mitral valvuloplasty group, and the water injection test was used to evaluate the surgical results and compared with the surgical results. Results 3D-TEE volumetric data were successfully postprocessed and made as 3D MVP models in all patients. The consistency of MVP location based on 3D models and surgical findings was 0.92. The differences between the mitral valve replacement group and mitral valvuloplasty group were not significant (P>0.05). A simulation valvuloplasty was successfully performed on the 3D model in mitral valvuloplasty group, 2 patients underwent mitral valve replacement after water injection test. The remaining 3D models successfully simulated the operation. Conclusions The MVP model made by 3D-TEE and 3D printing technique has high feasibility and accuracy, which may be promising for the mitral valvuloplasty of MVP. Key words: Echocardiography, transesophageal, three-dimensional; Three-dimensional printing; Mitral valve prolapse; Mitral valvuloplasty