3D Printing: Shaping the Future of Personalized Healthcare
Author: Materialise NV
Published: 2014/12/02 - Updated: 2025/01/23
Publication Details: Peer-Reviewed, Announcement
Topic: Medical 3D Printing - Publications List
Page Content: Synopsis - Introduction - Main
Synopsis: Materialise NV announces Materialise Hospital Solution, incorporating the Mimics Innovation Suite software, 3D Printing services, training and consultation.
Why it matters: This article discusses the transformative impact of 3D printing technology in healthcare, emphasizing its role in creating patient-specific anatomical models. These models enhance the understanding of complex medical conditions, improve diagnostic accuracy, and facilitate pre-surgical planning by allowing medical professionals to simulate procedures beforehand. The ability to produce tangible, accurate representations of patient anatomy not only aids in clinician education but also improves communication with patients and their families regarding medical conditions and treatment plans. This personalized approach has the potential to revolutionize patient care by tailoring medical interventions to individual anatomical nuances, thereby improving clinical outcomes and reducing healthcare costs. - Disabled World (DW).
Introduction
Materialise's Hospital Solution will assist with making 3D Printing in hospitals safe and accessible. Their 3D Printing services for anatomical models offers hospitals access to the latest technologies for 3D Printing backed by a comprehensive quality control system to ensure accuracy. To hospitals interested in printing educational models in-house, Materialise can provide everything needed from cleared software for medical image processing to consultation on the available technologies and training for each step of the process.
Main Item
With the Materialize Hospital solution, clinicians are able to address the unique needs of each individual patient. 3D software and models can be used to explain a patient's condition to families, assist in diagnosing complex pathologies, enable the review of a plan with a surgical team and even support testing a procedure on the bench before going to the bedside. The ability to translate patient-specific data into an accurate and tangible model can revolutionize the way the medical community is addressing the challenges of the modern healthcare system.
"Hospitals are excited about 3D Printing and we want the technology to benefit as many patients as possible. With nearly 25 years of experience in medical 3D Printing, we are the trusted partner who can help hospitals navigate the opportunities and the best way to achieve their goals in a safe, economical and sustainable way. We're confident that our Hospital Solution of software, services, consultation and training will achieve this," commented Peter Verschueren, Materialize Business Development Manager.
3D Printing is perfectly positioned to be a game changer as it can assist in improving clinical outcomes, provide evidence and reduce costs.
With regards to clinical outcomes, working in the 3D space opens the doors for treating a patient for their lifestyle and not just their disease. A great example is Koen, a surfer who feared he'd never ride a wave again after an unsuccessful ACL reconstruction and lateral meniscectomy. Thanks to the clinical services offered by Materialize for specialized surgical planning and 3D printed patient specific guides, Koen was able to make a full recovery and get back to the sport he loved.
Though 3D imaging is a powerful resource to assist in the diagnosis of patients, clinicians are collaborating with their radiology departments to take imaging to the next level with 3D Printing by providing additional evidence for determining treatment plans.
In the case of a 16-year old named Bradley, the cardiologist and surgeon gained a better understanding of the complex situation of his tumor. Having the 3D printed model enabled the team to confidently proceed with an electro-physiology study and catheter ablation over a risky surgical resection of the tumor. Bradley was relieved to avoid another open heart surgery and continues to enjoy his teenage years.
Though these outcomes are exciting from the clinical perspective alone, they may also reduce costs. Minimizing expenses while improving outcomes is an area where 3D Printing can play a role.
Recently a baby in New York was born with complex congenital heart disease. Thanks to a 3D printed model of his tiny heart, the surgical team was able to repair his heart in one surgery rather than three or four. Holding the model in their hands made it easier to visualize this unique approach.
"It's hard to imagine entering an operating room for another complex case without the aid of a 3D printed model. It's definitely going to be standard of care in the future and we're happy to be leading the way," said Dr. Emile Bacha, a congenital heart surgeon and Director of Congenital and Pediatric Cardiac Surgery at NewYork-Presbyterian/Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital.
Partnering with Materialize allows hospitals to immediately benefit from 3D Printing and contribute to a better and healthier world.
Attribution/Source(s): This peer reviewed publication was selected for publishing by the editors of Disabled World (DW) due to its relevance to the disability community. Originally authored by Materialise NV and published on 2014/12/02, this content may have been edited for style, clarity, or brevity. For further details or clarifications, Materialise NV can be contacted at materialise.com NOTE: Disabled World does not provide any warranties or endorsements related to this article.