Dr nim 3d print

But technology is primarily a public good, not a private entertainment. For example, for the medical field, the spread of 3D printing technologies opens up truly limitless possibilities for the treatment of diseases and injuries that previously caused a life-long disability of a person or even led to his death.

More and more people around the world are acquiring “spare parts” and 3D models of their bodies that allow doctors to understand pathology: for example, figure out how best to get to an insidious cancerous tumor that has grown between vital organs, or plan a complex operation on heart muscle. Surprisingly, often the idea to print an organ does not come to doctors, but to patients and their relatives who are trying their best to save the situation: they themselves develop software and come up with materials for a future model, and then go to doctors with a ready-made proposal. Over time, such unique cases become precedents - and give hope to patients with similar diseases around the world. nine0005

Having studied several examples of the use of 3D printing in medicine, I divided them into several groups, depending on the purpose of creating models.

3D printing in surgery planning

If modern medical technologies such as computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging allow you to see a 3D projection of internal organs on a computer screen, why not print the desired model on a printer? After all, it is one thing to look at a picture, and another to hold in your hands an exact copy of the part of the body that is to be cured. nine0005

During the EuroEcho-Imaging 2014 conference, which took place in Vienna last December, Dutch doctor Peter Feschhoeven demonstrated to the assembled colleagues a 3D model of a human heart printed on a high-tech printer. While under normal conditions, children with congenital defects sometimes require up to 4 operations at different times of their lives to eliminate the defect, a plastic copy of the heart can reduce the number of interventions to 1-2, since doctors have the opportunity to pre-select and plan the necessary surgical appointment. In addition, with the help of a 3D heart, it will be easier for a doctor to explain to patients and parents the essence of the defect and its treatment methods. nine0005

Another example is that the wife of American 3D designer Michael Balzer was diagnosed with meningioma, a brain tumor 3 cm in diameter, which was located behind the woman’s left eye. In accordance with the standard surgical technique, in order to remove the formation, it was necessary to perform a trepanation and actually move the brain inside the skull. This, in turn, threatened with death on the operating table or unpredictable complications after the intervention. Balzer did not want to take such a risk and independently created a 3D model of his wife's skull with a tumor on the inside of the eye socket. Turning to the US neurosurgical community via the Internet, the designer quickly found a doctor who was ready to remove the tumor microinvasively, through a small incision above the patient's left eye. The doctor noticed that by the time of the operation, the tumor was already so large that it touched the optic nerve, and in a few months Balzer's wife could go blind. But now she is healthy and, according to her husband, a small scar on her eyelid is visible only to her. nine0005

In the same way, 3D printing pioneers create models of the pelvic organs in preparation for complex surgery, and cosmetic surgeons can show the patient in advance what his face with a reshaped nose will look like.

Functional prostheses

If 3D printing of mock-ups does not require complex material selection, then the creation of functional prostheses can be considered the next step in the evolution of the frenzied 3D medicine printer.

For example, several patients have already returned to normal life after receiving a lower jaw prosthesis (it is often destroyed due to tumor diseases or severe maxillofacial injuries). nine0005

3D printing is also suitable for printing vertebrae: scientists say that such constructions can be implanted even in childhood, because, due to its porous structure, it acquires full-fledged bone tissue with age. A 12-year-old boy in China has already become the lucky owner of such an artificial bone this summer.

The 3D printer can also help with loss of other bones in the body, such as the scapula or calcaneus.

Cosmetic prostheses

Fans of the TV series will surely remember the creepy mask of Dr. Thackery's former lover from the Knickerbocker Hospital, behind which she hid the flaws of a syphilis-stricken face. Nowadays, it has become much easier to hide cosmetic defects after injuries and diseases, which is important for the patient both in terms of aesthetics and in terms of physical comfort.

A 3D-printed prosthesis can be unique, and it can be created even without the participation of doctors. Here is an example from Russia: a girl named Olga, who was fond of extreme sports, lost her calf muscle, which led to a visible asymmetry of her legs. Moscow 3D printing specialists made a kind of cosmetic orthosis for her (and earlier, these same guys developed several finger prostheses for children and adults). nine0005

Another example is 3D printed skull bones, which are often damaged in traffic accidents. In these cases, the plates covering the defect have both a protective and cosmetic function. Previously, they were made of titanium, but modern technologies make it possible to replace 75% of damaged bones with a plastic copy, on which, among other things, small details are engraved that stimulate the growth of bone tissue cells around the “patch”.

Printing organs

And, finally, the pinnacle of aspirations is the printing of fully functioning organs. There is no need for donation and the fear of losing a kidney or liver due to an overly careless lifestyle. But here everything is somewhat more complicated: after all, stem cells should act as the "ink" for the device, which must be arranged in the correct sequence so that the future organ functions as a "natural" one. nine0005

But the possibilities of human thought seem to be limitless: experiments on "printing" an artificial liver are being carried out in several laboratories around the world, and Russian scientists from Skolkovo promise to create a thyroid gland suitable for transplantation already this year, and an artificial kidney - in 2018- m.

With organs that do not have a parenchymal structure (a complex organization of cellular tissues), things are somewhat simpler: in May 2013, scientists from the USA published a scientific report on the successful creation of a "bionic" ear, which contains an antenna sensitive to radio waves and living cells . nine0005

In general, I suspect that while I was writing this text, the world has come up with some other medical application for 3D printing. And in about 15 years, this article in the archives of Newslab.ru will cause laughter - similar to what today, for example, a note in a Soviet newspaper about the possibilities of newfangled adding machines can cause. Well, so be it.

The second part of the 3D printing guide for beginners. Timeline of 3D printing

The birth of modern 3D printing. 1980-1990

The earliest modern 3D printing technologies first appeared in the late 1980s, at which time they were called Rapid Prototype (RP) technologies - RapydPrototype (RP). This is because processes were originally conceived as a fast and cost-effective way to create prototypes for industrial product development.

Interestingly, the very first patent application for the application of BP technology was filed by Dr. Kodama in Japan on May 1980 years. Unfortunately for Dr. Kodama, the full patent specification was not filed until one year after application, which is particularly unfortunate given that he was a patent lawyer.

Hideo Kodama (Hideo Kodama)

In reality, however, 3D printing started in 1986, when the first stereolithography apparatus (SLA) patent was issued. This patent belonged to Charles (Chuck) Hull, who first invented the SLA machine at 1983 year. Hull continued to collaborate with 3D Systems Corporation, one of the largest and most prolific organizations active in the 3D printing sector today.

3D Systems created its first commercial SLA-1 rapid prototyping system in 1987 and after extensive testing sold it in 1988. However, despite the fact that SLA technology may claim the first place in the history of 3D printing, it was not the only rapid prototyping technology at this time. At 19In 1987, Carl Deckard, who worked at the University of Texas, applied for a US patent for selective laser sintering (SLS-Selective Laser Sintering). This patent was issued in 1989 and SLS was later licensed from DTM Inc. and subsequently acquired by 3D Systems. Also in 1989, Scott Crump, co-founder of Stratasys Inc., applied for a patent for FDM-Fused Deposition Modeling technology, which the company still owns today, the technology used today by many entry-level printers. open source level RepRap (Replicating Rapid Prototyper). The FDM patent was issued to Stratasys in 1992 in Europe.

Scott Crump Co-founder of Stratasys

In 1989, Hans Langer founded EOS GmbH in Germany. After playing around with SL technology, EOS shifted its focus to SLS technology. Today, EOS is recognized worldwide for the quality of its products for industrial prototyping. In 1990, EOS sold its first Direct Metal Laser Sintering (DMLS) stereo system in cooperation with Electrolux Finland, which was later acquired by EOS. nine0005

Other 3D printing technologies emerging in these years include Ballistic Particle Manufacturing (BPM) originally patented by William Masters, Laminated Object Manufacturing (LOM) patented by Mikhail Feigin, mask stereolithography ( SGS - Solid Ground Curing), patented by Itzhak Pomeranz and three-dimensional printing (3DP), patented by Emanuel Sachs. So in the early nineties, there was an increase in the number of competing companies in the rapid prototyping market, but only three of them have survived to this day - 3D Systems, EOS and Stratasys. nine0005

Development of various 3D printing technologies. 1990-2000

Throughout the 1990s and into the early 2000s, many new technologies continued to be introduced, but they all remained exclusively focused on industrial production. Through research and development (R&D), more advanced technology has been introduced for specific casting tools. This marked the beginning of a new terminology, namely high-speed machining (RT-Rapid Tooling), rapid casting (Rapid Casting) and rapid production (RM-Rapid Manufacturing). nine0005

So in 1996 SandersPrototype (later Solidscape) and ZCorporation were created, in 1997 - Arcam, Objet Geometries - in 1998, in 2000 MCP Technologies introduced the technology of selective laser melting (SLM), in 2002 EnvisionTec was founded, In 2005, ExOne was established as a subsidiary of Extrude Hone Corporation and SciakyInc. introduced its pioneering additive process based on patented electron beam welding technology.

All these organizations joined the ranks of Western companies operating in the world market. Terminology has also evolved with the spread of manufacturing applications, and a common term for all technologies has been adopted - additive manufacturing (AM - Additive Manufacturing). It is noteworthy that at the same time there were many parallel processes in the Eastern Hemisphere, but in the end, all of them did not have a significant impact on the world market. nine0005

The mid-2000s began to show signs of diversification in two specific areas of focus that are much more clearly defined today.

First of all, these are high-end 3D systems, still very expensive equipment, which was aimed at producing high-quality, high-tech complex parts. The growth of this field continues to this day, but only now, after years of research and development, the results are becoming more visible when using technologies in the aerospace, automotive, medical and jewelry sectors. Much still remains behind closed doors and/or under non-disclosure agreements. nine0005

On the other hand, some manufacturers of 3D printing systems are directing their efforts towards the development and promotion of the concept of modelers, as they were called at the time. In particular, these were 3D printers that kept the focus on improving functional prototyping, which were designed specifically as office-friendly, cost-effective systems. This was the prelude to today's desktop printers. However, most of these systems were still being developed for industrial prototyping. nine0005

In hindsight, this was indeed the calm before the storm.

Opening 3D printing to the general public 2007 - ...

In the low-price segment, 3D printers are in the middle of the price range today, as price struggles have come along with incremental improvements in materials used, as well as printing speed and accuracy.

In 2007, the market saw the first $10,000 printers from 3D Systems, but they failed to achieve their intended goal. This was partly due to the system itself, partly to market influences. According to many industry insiders, users, and commentators, the holy grail at the time was getting a $5,000 3D printer as the key to opening up 3D printing technology to a wider audience. nine0005

For most of the year, the world was looking forward to the arrival of the long-awaited Desktop Factory, as many predicted that they would find the Holy Grail. However, the expectations were in vain, as production faltered in anticipation of the release. Desktop Factory, led by Cathy Lewis, was acquired by 3D Sysytems in 2008, and that was it. As it turned out later, 2007 did become a turning point for the opening of 3D printing technology to a wide audience, although at that moment no one realized that the RepRap phenomenon had already taken root. Dr Bowyer conceived the concept of an open source, self-replicating RepRap 3D printer back in 2004. In the years that followed, the seeds gradually germinated, with major contributions from members of his Bath team, especially Vic Oliver and Rhys Jones, who developed the concept of working prototype 3D printers based on deposition modeling technology. In 2007, shoots began to appear, and the promotion of 3D printing to the masses began to gain momentum. nine0005

Adriano Bowyer (left) and Vik Olliver (right)

However, the first commercially available disassembled 3D printer based on the RepRap concept was only put up for sale in January 2009. It was a BfB RapMan 3D printer. MakerBot Industries closely followed this technology, the founders were actively involved in the development of the RepRap printer, until, due to extensive investments, they moved away from the philosophy of open source printers. In 2009, a lot of similar printers appeared, sold in various parts of the world, and this continues to this day. The RepRap phenomenon has spawned a new sector of entry-level commercial 3D printers. nine0005

2012 was the year of introducing alternative printing technologies to the entry level market. B9Creator with color LED projection technology (DLP-Digital Light Processing) appeared in June, and Form 1 in December. Both projects were launched with Kickstarter funding and both have been huge successes.

As a result of market divergence, significant shifts at the industry level, and a sharp increase in awareness, 2012 was also the year of the emergence of various media channels. 2013 was a year of significant growth and consolidation in 3D printing technology.

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