Despite all the hardship news facing our country today, between economic downturns, corporate scandal, and government mistrust, there is a light of hope, and it comes in the form of 3D model printing.
It’s innovative, readily available and people from doctors to architects to manufacturers have taken a closer look at the many benefits that 3D model printing and rapid prototyping provides. 3D model printing has been in use since the 1990’s, but advances in technology have catapulted into new arenas.
According to a 2008 report in BusinessWeek, surgeons at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center, who treat soldiers wounded in Iraq, recognized that 3D model printing would assist them in preparing for surgical procedures. And it may surprise you as to the reasons why.
By having the opportunity to practice complex surgery on plastic casts of the actual patient’s injured body part produced by 3D model printing, it helped to minimize complications surgeons may face during the operation, such as causing damage to arteries and nerves precariously located near the surgery location.
Other medical facilities are also benefitting from 3D model printing, particular those that specialize in reconstructive plastic surgery that involves facial prosthetics.
With the aid of 3D camera and the proper software that converts the image into a map of a person’s face, a doctor can transfer the image to create a mask using 3D model printing that they use as a guide to help with the surgery.
Although the future can’t be predicted, it’s evident that 3D model printing will continue to open up other doors of opportunity and hope for various industries and professions.