Many informative education sessions were held at last week’s INTERPHEX conference in New York. I sat in on entitled “3D Systems Medical Solutions that Enable Patient Specific Instruments, Implants and Devices,” presented by Greg Elfering of 3D Systems.

The session talked about how medical devices are a fast-growing market. The 3D Systems Healthcare Group deals with Class I, II, and III medical devices, and manufactures things such as models for surgeries (one example shown in the presentation was a model of twins conjoined at the head, which doctors consulted prior to and during surgery to separate them), retainers for teeth, orthopedics, and hearing aids.

3D printing can be used in dentistry to reconstruct the jaw, and it can also lead to personalized surgery and patient-specific instruments, which can reduce the cost of healthcare. Another example, dubbed “jaw in a day,” showed photos of a young man who needed a tumor removed from his jaw — the surgery and 3D printing involved removing tissue, replacing dental work, and reconstructing his face.

The presenter noted that complexity does not add cost in 3D printing — precise, porous structured such as bone can be printed as easily as simple structures.

Read more: 3D Printing and the Future of Manufacturing 

Human compliance, according to the presentation, is a huge factor in the overall performance of medical devices. For example, people (specifically, children) may be reluctant to wear back braces to treat scoliosis because they may be uncomfortable and unattractive. 3D printing can create more streamlined devices with interesting colors and patterns tailored to the patient’s specifications. 3D-printed casts and braces can also be printed with special colors, and unlike conventional casts they can come into contact with soap and water, or they may even be able to be put in a dishwasher. Exoskeletons can be developed for people confined to wheelchairs.

3D printing of metals is also a fast-growing area, and can be used for maxiofacial surgery (specifically for those injured while serving in the military) as well as hip and knee replacements.

The “holy grail” of 3D printing, according to Elfering, is to develop functioning replacement organs, as well as skin printed using patient tissue.