Application and Development of 3D Printing in Medical Field
Sun Chunhua, Shang Guangqing
Abstract
Different from reduction manufacturing and equal manufacturing, 3D printing is an additive manufacturing method, which transforms 3D model into 2D cross-section data to form entity layer by layer. This makes its processing not limited by complexity of the design model and number of the manufacturing products. It is very suitable for the medical field with high customization requirements. In fact, application of 3D printing technology in the medical field is particularly noticeable. In this paper, application and development of 3D printing technology are reviewed in medical model, rehabilitation equipment, tissue engineering, medical hygiene materials, lab-on-chip. Its applications include medical education, surgical planning, prosthesis customization, tissue culture and biosensor manufacturing and so on. Its wide application is due to its digital model, which makes the whole manufacturing process easier to digitize, so it is more conductive to updating and customization of products via 3D printing.