3D Printing Technologies and Materials

Three-dimensional (3D) printing, also known as “rapid prototyping” and “additive manufacturing,” can manufacture objects using a vast array of materials, from thermoplastics and polymers to metals. The technology is capable of fulfilling numerous biomedical and clinical needs. Radiologists and other healthcare providers use 3D printing to communicate pertinent findings gleaned from multi-modality imaging data to care teams. Teams that include radiologists, surgeons, and engineers can also design custom patient-specific surgical tools, guides, and even prostheses. A majority of (particularly orthopedic, dental, and maxillofacial) surgery practices now utilize 3D printing as a service provided by third parties, either as a standalone service to aid surgical planning, or as part of ordering custom surgical guides and implants. Some of this work has begun to move to the in-hospital or in-practice setting, often spearheaded by radiology practices that are now starting their own 3D printing labs. This chapter provides a solid foundation to teach those 3D printing technologies and materials now available and used for various clinical applications. This information is key to successful investment and foray into medical 3D printing given that each printer technology has its own optimal application(s), while often it is material requirements for a specific clinical application that can dictate the selection of the 3D printing modality. This chapter also discusses biocompatible materials and sterilization required for 3D printing patient-specific surgical tools and guides, including those anatomic models intended to be utilized in the sterile field. This chapter also introduces opportunities to incorporate information to separate normal tissue versus pathology using properties beyond color coding, such as differing mechanical or imaging signal (CT attenuation, MR relaxation) properties. 3D printed surgical guides within hospitals and medical centers, also referred to as at the point-of-care, is now already underway, while disruptive innovation is being sought to apply 3D printing for procedure planning for the vast number of interventional radiology procedures now being performed.