Additive Manufacturing: How Does It Help The Healthcare Sector?

Additive Manufacturing: How Does It Help The Healthcare Sector?

Additive manufacturing, alternatively known as 3D printing, is a breakthrough technology that benefits different industries. Whether it is oil and gas, defense, consumer products, industrial products or the healthcare sector, the application of additive manufacturing can improve production output and quality.

If you're wondering how additive manufacturing improves the healthcare sector, we've compiled a brief guide on applying metal 3D printing in healthcare.

Healthcare Sector and Need for Tech-Advancements

The individual differences among patients are obvious in healthcare. The fact that patients are price sensitive and yet want quality service means that there's a desperate need to search for better tools and apparatus.

The medical industry follows research-based philosophy to improve the quality of service. It's one of the high-paced sectors in additive manufacturing. Additive manufacturing is widely used for a variety of applications in the healthcare and medical sector.

According to one estimate, 97% of the medical additive manufacturing professionals confide in the application of additive manufacturing technology. If you're part of the healthcare sector, you need to understand how the use of metal 3D printing can improve the sector's performance.

Additive Manufacturing in Healthcare Sector

Additive manufacturing (AM) is the layer-by-layer manufacturing process. It creates an object one layer at a time, unlike subtractive manufacturing, where an object is manufacturing by cutting away a block until finishing.

This technique has increased the ability to add personalization while reducing the cost to achieve a competitive edge. The application of additive manufacturing in healthcare is multi-faceted. Following are the multiple uses of 3D printing in medicine today:

Medical Devices

The global market for 3D printed devices is set to reach over $1 billion by 2026. Additive manufacturing allows room for more customization, meaning the healthcare sector can produce better customized medical devices. From hearing aids, implants to prosthetics, additive manufacturing enables medical AM professionals to customize products for different individuals.

Testing And Planning

3D printing allows physicians to visualize and assess patients' anatomy as well as complex pathologies. Unlike digital images that lack 3-dimensional realism, additive manufacturing has eased the process of imaging and testing. Thanks to advanced 3D printing techniques, medical professionals can now replicate the characteristics of human bones and tissues. This way, surgeons can plan operations early on and improve postoperative and surgical precision.

Research and Development

One of the biggest advantages of using additive manufacturing in healthcare is medical research and development improvement. 3D printing contributes greatly to prototyping for medical research purposes. It provides realistic anatomical prototypes and models. Additive manufacturing also expedites the design process, and biomedical engineers can create better models at a faster rate.

Take 3D printed prototypes of cancerous tumors, for example. Medical professionals can understand tumors in a better way to prevent their spread. Similarly, additive technologies improve drug testing for cancer.

Medical Education

Additive manufacturing is widely used in medical education and marketing. 3D printed models provide a better understanding of new medical devices. This way, professionals can demonstrate how these devices work, and students can gain first-hand experience of 3D printing in healthcare.

At Falcon Technologies International, we offer additive manufacturing and metal 3D printing services for the healthcare sector. Improve your medical device quality and reduce manufacturing costs with our medical 3D printing. Contact us today!