For around a decade, 3D printing has been leading to significant medical advancements – custom prosthetics, for example, or orthopedic implants. However, while exciting, these are not the most immediately useful for a health sciences student. As SMHS, GWSPH, or Nursing students, if you’d like to get the most out of the free 3D printing service at Himmelfarb, consider the following five use cases!
3D Printing benefits tactile and visual learners, especially with objects that must be represented abstractly, like atoms and molecules. Unlike a diagram on a page, molecules like this dopamine model can be rotated and moved, which can aid memory of chemical interactions.
[Dopamine model guaranteed; dopamine hit from receiving not guaranteed]
When it comes to the complexity of the human body, structures with many similar parts – like the bones of the hand – benefit from modeling. They can be arranged, labeled, and assembled [but unfortunately not high-fived, unless you have amazing plastic glue].
Temporal Bone: Anatomy Models to Test:
Certainly within GW, 3D models can (and have) been used to practice surgery. Kidney models can be used to practice transplants, and (depicted below) prints of the temporal bone can be used for a trial mastoidectomy.
Himmelfarb has more than books and articles! This article will highlight some of the exciting options available to you as SMHS, GWSPH, or GW Nursing students.
If you’ve stopped by the circulation desk, you may have noticed a slight scenery change: Himmelfarb has a new Bambu Lab 3-D printer! The Bambu Lab X-1 Carbon prints significantly faster than our older printers, greatly increasing our turnaround time and ability to process more jobs. Plus, it can print in multi-colors, leading to festive and interesting options.
You can print as many curricular prints as the queue allows and one non-curricular print a month (full policy here).
The applications for med students are vast: from stethoscope holders to molecular diagrams to model organs.
Or fun friends, like this poseable turtle.
VR:
Himmelfarb has two Oculus Quest VR headsets for checkout.
[Oculus headset on display at the Himmelfarb library - available for 4hr checkouts]
These are great for taking a study break with guided meditations or nature walks (although make sure you have the appropriate space) or, if you want to get serious with studies, you can take advantage of the preloaded Medicalholodeck Medical VR platform (which includes Anatomy Master XR, Medical Imaging XR, and Dissection Master XR). Somewhere between a textbook and a cadaver lab, Medicalholodeck allows you to inspect high-resolution dissections layer-by-layer alongside your research.
Check out the video below for a brief demonstration:
BodyViz
Like Medicalholodeck, BodyViz is an interactive anatomy visualization tool that lets users view, study, and manipulate 3D anatomical structures. Although there's a bit of a learning curve, once you get a handle on it, the BodyViz slicing software allows you to digitally dissect models with great precision, allowing for intensive inspection.
Unlike the VR headsets - which can be used anywhere you find the space - BodyViz is best used in the Levine lounge (Himmelfarb 305A), adjacent to the Bloedorn Technology Center. All of these materials are available at our circulation desk. To learn more, explore our BodyViz Guide.
We hope these help take your studies to the next level.
If you’re a new student, or if our article about Himmelfarb’s technology options caught your eye, you may have heard that SMHS, GWSPH, and GW Nursing faculty, staff, and students can 3D print for free.
But if you’ve never submitted a 3D printing request before, it might seem a little daunting. Fortunately – it’s super easy!
All you need to do is find the STL file you want to print (think of the STL as the digital blueprint for the print job), submit the file (or the URL of where to find it) using our Submission Form, and then let Himmelfarb staff take over. We’ll format the file and print it out for you.
But where do I find an STL file?
Fortunately, there are a number of high quality free 3D printing libraries available: NIH 3D Print Exchange, Thingiverse, or the Zortrax Library. I recommend starting with Thingiverse (Thingiverse is your friend). You can find almost anything you want just by querying their database and downloading the file.
3D printing has a myriad of applications for the medical field. For medical students, it allows the visualization of the (almost invisible) by modeling molecules, or it can create bone models such as flexible spines or 3D printed skulls. For more information on the process of printing through Himmelfarb, check out our 3D Printing Research Guide. We hope to collaborate with you soon!
Himmelfarb Library has excellent technology tools to help enhance your learning and research! As the Fall 2023 semester begins, set aside some time to explore our 3D printing program and try out our BodyViz and virtual reality software.
3D Printing
Thanks to a generous grant from the GW Hospital Women’s Board, Himmelfarb is able to offer free 3D printing to faculty, staff, and students of the School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Nursing, the School of Public Health, Medical Faculty Associates, and the GW Hospital. Himmelfarb has two 3D printers (a Zortrax M200 and M200+) and is currently accepting print requests!
While there are no limits to the number of 3D printing requests you can submit, priority will be given to requests that support teaching, learning, and research. Recreational requests will be placed at the end of the queue and may be limited to one per month per user when we are experiencing a high demand for 3D printing. Learn more about how 3D printing works, where to find 3D models, and how to submit a 3D print job on our 3D Printing at Himmelfarb Guide!
Quest Virtual Reality Headsets
Thanks to a generous grant from the Bloedorn Foundation, Himmelfarb has two Quest virtual reality (VR) headsets available for checkout. Each headset is preloaded with the Medicalholodeck Medical VR platform. This platform includes Anatomy Master XR, Medical Imaging XR, and Dissection Master XR. Anatomy Master XR features anatomy models similar to those found in textbooks but in a three-dimensional interactive format. Medical Imaging XR is a system for rendering and manipulating objects based on medical imaging such as MRI and CT scans.
Dissection Master XR showcases high-resolution images of human dissections created specifically for learning and teaching anatomy layer by layer. Check out the video below for a brief demonstration of Dissection Master XR:
VR headsets are available to check out for 4-hour loan periods from the Himmelarb Circulation Desk and can be used in Himmelfarb Library and Ross Hall. Check out our VR Headsets Guide to learn more about this amazing technology. If you’d like a one-on-one tutorial to learn how to use the headsets, email himmelfarb@gwu.edu to make an appointment.
BodyViz
BodyViz is an interactive anatomy visualization tool that lets users view, study, and manipulate 3D anatomical structures. 3D models allow users to zoom in and rotate models to view different angles. You can also adjust brightness, contrast, and color based on tissue density, and highlight or filter by bone, muscle, organ, or vasculature. The clipping mode allows you to slice into the models to digitally dissect the models in order to isolate areas of interest or to expose internal structures.
The BodyViz suite is on Himmelfarb’s third floor in Himmelfarb 305A, adjacent to the Bloedorn Technology Center. Be sure to reserve the BodyViz suite (available for one to four-hour sessions) prior to using BodyViz! Stop by the Circulation Desk to check out the wireless keyboard, game controller, and remote control equipment before heading up to the third floor. To learn more, explore our BodyViz Guide.
Using 3D printed models is becoming increasingly common for both surgical procedures planning and surgical training. Three dimensional models can help surgeons develop surgical plans by providing better visualization and understanding of the anatomical structures than CT or other imaging alone. In training, 3D printed surgical simulators can have advantages over other methods, such as cadavers, animal models, or virtual reality training.
Image by Formlabs, Inc on Flickr https://www.flickr.com/photos/161389331@N04/46066892645
To create a 3D model for surgical planning, imaging studies are converted to a file type that can be rendered as a 3D object. The file is edited to exclude unwanted structures and printed. A recent meta-analysis (Yammine, 2022) of 13 randomized controlled trials found that operative duration, intraoperative blood loss and fluoroscopy use were improved for those that used 3D models for surgical planning of fracture management and the rates of excellent/good overall results and anatomic fracture reduction were significantly higher.
A randomized controlled trial published in BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders (Zhang, 2022) compared the outcomes of clavicular fracture repair by experienced and inexperienced surgeons using 3D printing or just CT scans. The authors were particularly interested in how the findings could be applied in low and middle income country settings where surgeons may have limited skills and experience. 3D printing has become more accessible due to lower costs of printers and media. In this study, the average cost of the clavicle model was just $.84. The research team considered operation time, blood loss, length of incision, and intraoperative fluoroscopy use to measure success. Findings showed little difference in the performance of experienced surgeons, but inexperienced surgeons performed better with 3D models with reduced incision length and intraoperative exposure.
“Since 3D printing models could provide a visual, comprehensive vision of fracture, the position of plate implantation, screw direction, and screw length can be determined in the simulation operation before operation…3D printing could supplement routine CT scans, allowing surgeons to understand patients' fractures more intuitively and achieve better surgical results.”
(Zhang, 2022)
Though availability and cost of 3D printing technologies and the software that enables it are improving they can still present a barrier. Issues with the quality of the 3D objects produced can occur due to image resolution. Waiting for the 3D model to be rendered and printed can also cause delays in a procedure. A meta-analysis (Wang, 2021) that assessed 3D printing applications in open reduction and internal fixation of pelvic fractures found a delay of between 3 to 7 hours to print the object. The computer-aided design phase also required significant time and involvement from the surgeons.
Application of 3D printing in surgical instructional settings offers advantages over other models as they can be customized to simulate the exact procedure or anatomy required, and they provide the haptic experience so far lacking in VR simulation. VR simulation does include the challenge of learning how to use the equipment and navigate the interface. The University of Michigan has produced high fidelity 3D printed simulators for surgical instruction of airway reconstruction, cleft palates, cleft lips, ear reconstruction and facial flaps. Tissue components can have varying ranges of stiffness by combining types of silicones and additives.
These training applications could be a solution should there be another round of restrictions on nonessential surgery procedures such as were seen during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. At that time, the number of cases available for the education of surgery residents decreased dramatically. High fidelity 3D simulation could help.
“With high fidelity surgical simulators that can be rapidly 3D printed and a virtual curriculum, these residents could learn valuable surgical skills in remote settings.”
Yammine K, Karbala J, Maalouf A, Daher J, Assi C. Clinical outcomes of the use of 3D printing models in fracture management: a meta-analysis of randomized studies. Eur J Trauma Emerg Surg. 2022 Oct;48(5):3479-3491. doi: 10.1007/s00068-021-01758-1. Epub 2021 Aug 12. PMID: 34383092.
Zhang M, Guo J, Li H, Ye J, Chen J, Liu J, Xiao M. Comparing the effectiveness of 3D printing technology in the treatment of clavicular fracture between surgeons with different experiences. BMC Musculoskelet Disord. 2022 Nov 22;23(1):1003. doi: 10.1186/s12891-022-05972-9. PMID: 36419043; PMCID: PMC9682691.
Wang J, Wang X, Wang B, Xie L, Zheng W, Chen H, Cai L. Comparison of the feasibility of 3D printing technology in the treatment of pelvic fractures: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials and prospective comparative studies. Eur J Trauma Emerg Surg. 2021 Dec;47(6):1699-1712. doi: 10.1007/s00068-020-01532-9. Epub 2020 Nov 1. PMID: 33130976.
Michaels, R., Witsberger, C. A., Powell, A. R., Koka, K., Cohen, K., Nourmohammadi, Z. (2021). 3D printing in surgical simulation: emphasized importance in the COVID-19 pandemic era. Journal of 3D printing in medicine, 2021;5(1): 5-9. doi:10.2217/3dp-2021-0009
Whether you’re a new Himmelfarb Library user, or have been using the library for years, chances are there are things you don’t know about us. We’d like to take this opportunity to help you get to know us, or get reacquainted with us and all that we have to offer!
Getting Help is Easy! Just Ask Us!
Whether you need help finding a specific full-text article, identifying a resource for your research, formatting a citation, or have a more in-depth question about conducting a literature review, a systematic review or managing your data, our reference librarians have the knowledge and know-how to help! Stop by our reference desk, chat with us using the “Ask Us” button on our website, call us (202-994-2850), email us (himmelfarb@gwu.edu), or text us (202-601-3525) for help. We look forward to answering your questions, large or small!
Our Collections
Himmelfarb has extensive collections that include 125+ databases, 6,700+ ebooks, and 6,500+ electronic journals that are available 24/7 from on and off-campus! We also have thousands of print books in our basement level stacks that are available for check out. Most books can be borrowed for three weeks. But don’t worry - if you need more time, you can renew most items twice by stopping by or calling our Circulation Desk (202-994-2962), or logging into your library account.
Remember that masking is still required in the library in accordance with GW’s current mask protocols. Please wear a mask while spending time in Himmelfarb for your own safety, and for the safety of those around you. Hand sanitizer is also available throughout Himmelfarb.
Himmelfarb Tour
Take a quick virtual tour of Himmelfarb to help you get acquainted with our space!
Study Rooms & IT Support
We have plenty of study rooms available on our second and third floors. Study rooms must be reserved and can be booked up to seven days in advance. The SMHS Technology Support Center is located on the third floor in the Bloedorn AV Study Center for all of your IT support needs.
Technology Resources
Himmelfarb’s Bloedorn Technology Center, located on our third floor, offers statistical software, including SPSS, Stata, SAS, NVivo, MATLAB, and Atlas.ti on select computers. We also have equipment such as digital camcorders and digital voice recorders for loan to support curricular development and activities, but these items must be reserved in advance.
All of Himmelfarb’s electronic resources are available 24/7 from anywhere! Just login with your GW UserID and password, or via the GW VPN. If you have trouble accessing any of our resources, reach out to us (himmelfarb@gwu.edu) so we can help troubleshoot, resolve issues and restore access as soon as possible.
Services and Support
Instruction:
We have services to help faculty and instructors use and connect Himmelfarb’s resources in the classroom. Our Durable Links Service will check, fix, or create new links to our resources that work from both on and off campus so your students will be able to access materials from anywhere. Our Course Reserves service provides access to electronic, print, and streaming course materials. Do you use a book in a course that Himmelfarb doesn’t currently own? Contact Acquisitions Librarian, Ian Roberts, and we will consider purchasing items for use in your courses.
Research Support:
Whether you are a faculty member, researcher, or student, Himmelfarb can help you be successful in your research! Are you working on your Culminating Experience project? Himmelfarb librarians provide individual consultations to help get your project started - and keep it going.
Are you working on a systematic review and could use some support? Check out our Systematic Reviews Guide for in-depth information on the process. Himmelfarb also provides access to Covidence, an online tool that streamlines parts of the systematic review process such as screening references, and creating and populating data extraction forms. You can also use our Systematic Review Service for additional librarian support!
Check out our tutorials for help with navigating databases, using specific software such as ArcGix, MATLAB, RefWorks, SPSS, or Camtasia, and for help with a wide array of research topics. Our Resources for Early Career Researchers Guide can help new researchers understand and navigate the research and publishing landscape. Check out our Scholarly Publishing Guide for information and resources related to publishing, researcher profiles, author rights, and measuring the impact of your research. Scholarly communications webinars and short tutorials are also available on this guide!
Himmelfarb Library Can Help!
Whether you are a student, faculty, or staff member, Himmelfarb Library has the resources and knowledge to help make your studies and research successful. From study space, extensive collections of resources, to expertise in systematic reviews and publishing, we have something for everyone!
If you are a student, staff or faculty member of the GW SMHS, SON, GWSPH, GW Hospital and MFA, you can use our 3D printer to support teaching, learning, and research related to the core missions of the schools and institutions we serve. There is no limit on the number of circulated requests; we aim to support you in your educational, clinical, and research pursuits! Before submitting your print request, please note some limitations on use such as copyrighted images. Check out our 3D Printing Guide for more information.
There are a few steps to take before printing your item, firstly make sure you have your STL (.stl) or OBJ (.obj) files prepared and with you at the time of submitting your request. Make sure that your item is smaller than 8 x 8 x 8 inches. Keep in mind that requests are processed on a first come first serve basis, processing time might take 5-7 business days for your request to be printed.
WIth 10 different filament colors available, we are happy to be able to offer these printing services to you. Printed requests may only be picked up by the requester at the Himmelfarb library Circulation Desk.
To learn more, review our 3D Printing policy, and explore these web pages that have a variety of 3D models for you to use!
If you have read the guidelines, have your file and are ready to submit your project, you can do so through our submit request page.
3D printing – what is it? It is a method of production, also known as additive manufacturing, in which software guides a machine to craft a 3D object, often with a high level of detail. This, however, is a very generalized definition. It is easy to assume that there is only one kind of 3D printing, but on the contrary: there are many different types of 3D printing, which can be referred to as “processes.” This post seeks to elaborate upon the different 3D printing processes, from the traditional Fused Deposition Modeling that you can find here at Himmelfarb Health Sciences Library, to the more unusual powder bed 3D printing, which is often used in the production of metal objects.
If you difficultly visualizing any of these types of 3D printing processes while reading this piece, check out Horne & Hausman’s 3D Printing for Dummies Chapter 2: Exploring the Types of 3D Printing. This post will describe these processes using more current terms, but this chapter has clear diagrams and illustrations, as well as some additional information about how various 3D printing processes function.
The most popular process of 3D printing is Fused Deposition Modeling, often referred to as FDM printing. This process produces 3D objects by heating up long strings of plastic material (aka: spools of filament), fusing it to the base platform of the printer, then continuing to build it up layer by layer using that same fusion process. Another way of looking at FDM printing is that it’s akin to a highly-nuanced hot glue gun (Horne & Hausman, 2018). There are also variants of FDM printers that utilize pellets instead of filament spools (Volpato et al., 2015), as well as those that use a cold semi-liquid mixture like what you might see with large-scale 3D printed houses that use concrete extrusion (Borg Costanzi et al., 2018).
FDM printing has some limitations. When the filament is in a moldable state during FDM printing, it extrudes through a nozzle, which is almost always moved along X and Y axes like what you might see on a crane game. Because of those movement restrictions, this process is weaker compared to its alternatives when it comes to items that have overhangs or details on an object’s underbelly. The machine is not so sensitive to be able to tell the difference between the 3D printers’ base platform, the previously-placed layers, and open air, so the printer needs the guiding software to give the digital object file (which you can think of as a map or a layout) structures known as “supports” which are designed to be removable. When those supports are removed, it is not uncommon to see score marks on the places where it touched, and in some cases, the area is so narrow that it’s impossible to remove those supports (Horne & Hausman, 2018).
Supports are less of a concern with Stereolithography Apparatus 3D Printing, also known as SLA printing. This 3D printing process produces 3D objects by aiming a laser up into a vat of liquid photopolymerizing resin. Photopolymerizing means that the liquid will transform into a solid when light of a certain wavelength touches it. Unlike FDM printers, which move the entire nozzle horizontally, SLA printers keep the laser fixed in one place, but change the angle. As the software instructs the laser to solidify certain portions of the vat of resin, the object is raised up and out of the vat by a component called the “elevator.” In the case of SLA printers, supports are not needed in order to hold up layers that have overhangs, but instead to keep the object attached to the elevator. SLA printers allow for more complex structures with holes, divots, and overhangs without using up as much filament and without causing scoring marks, and they often manage to print simple objects faster than FDM printers (Horne & Hausman, 2018).
SLA printing has its own downsides to keep in mind. For one, SLA printers tend to be more expensive than FDMs, and they require extra equipment, such as curing stations. Once the object is lifted up and out of the vat, it exists in a semi-cured state and is sticky. It needs to be treated with UV light to finish it. This makes not only cost, but space a concern, particularly since there is liquid resin involved, which requires special storage and disposal methods (Horne & Hausman, 2018).
Powder bed printing, also known as binder jet printing, likewise has some advantages at the cost of specialized set-up requirements. During this 3D printing process, a printer head moves horizontally along X and Y axes like with FDM printing, dropping a liquid binding material onto a powder that covers the printers’ base platform. When the binder comes in contact with the powder, a chemical reaction occurs that solidifies it. Since this process requires the use of fine particles which could be made of metal, plastic, sand, or even plaster, powder bed printers often require hoods and filters to prevent users from breathing in potentially harmful materials. An alternative method of powder bed printing uses a laser in the place of the binding liquid, which burns the powder to solidify it, which adds to the amount of safety equipment required (Horne & Hausman, 2018).
The finished product requires a step known as “depowdering” which can be done by hand with brushes and through automated vibration. Manual depowdering with brushes takes a significant amount of time, whereas automated vibration tools tend to be rather expensive. If you want to learn more about depowdering, this webpage by German depowdering manufacturer Solukon could be of help (Solukon, n.d.).
Powder bed printing is incredibly fast compared to FDM and SLA printing, and it has the added benefit of being able to produce metal objects swiftly. Additionally, this method does not require the use of supports, since the underlying layers of powder that were not activated by the binding chemical or laser can still support the weight of the rest of the object, despite the fact that the head of this kind of printer generally stays on X and Y axes like FDM printers (Horne & Hausman, 2018).
We would be remiss to not mention bioprinting, a process that technically falls under the umbrella of 3D printing which produces natural tissue, often for the sake of testing medications. The process of bioprinting starts by packaging certain types of cells taken from a biopsy into pellets the size of a micrometer or within a liquid that keeps the cells alive. Next, these packaged cells are combined with nutrients and a support material known as a matrix; this combination is known as a bioink. This bioink is then put into place layer by layer by the printer which is guided by software that interprets CT scans and MRIs. Up to this point, bioprinting fits the description of 3D printing, though the materials used are beyond the norm (Wei et al., 2020).
This is where bioprinting diverges, though. Rather than cooling down or solidifying and going off to the post-processing clean-up stage, the cells consume the nutrients and grow within the matrix. Pressure and chemical stimuli are added very carefully to nudge the cells to grow in the intended ways, and chemicals known as bioreactors are added as well to increase the speed of cell growth. There is no kind of 3D printing that is like this, simply because this part of the bioprinting process is less reliant on 3D printing methods and more on natural process of life: consumption, reproduction, and maturation (Wei et al., 2020).
Additional niche 3D printing processes also exist. Laminated Object Manufacturing (LOM) is a process that builds up laser-cut layers of paper, metal foil, or plastic film that has been coated with chemicals of choice. This process uses cheap, readily available materials and allows for additional customization, as the material color can change between layers (Horne & Hausman, 2018). Unfortunately, non-industrial LOM printer manufacturers are few and far between, as they are outpaced in popularity by FDM and SLA printers.
RoboCasting, a method of 3D printing similar to FDM printing which uses a paste made up of materials such as glass or ceramic, which either hardens on its own or needs to be baked. In their work, “3D Printing Bioinspired Ceramic Composites”, Feilden et al. explain how RoboCasting functions and how it can be used to mimic natural materials such as bone and shell (Feilden et al., 2017). This has some benefits for medical sciences through the development of implants such as biodegradable bone scaffolds that can aid during the healing process of bones, which you can learn more about in this study by Lei et al. (Lei et al., 2020).
Each of these 3D printing processes has strengths and weaknesses. Some may be faster, others may be more precise, and others still may be cheaper. This variability makes some more suitable for certain applications than others. FDM, for instance, because of its popularity, limited cost, and low barrier to entry, makes it a perfect choice for early-stage prototyping, whereas powder-bed printing may be more suited for an industrial environment. With 3D printing, the sky is truly the limit, particularly since new printers are being developed each year.
Want to try out 3D printing yourself? We are proud to announce that we have moved to a free-to-print policy and will no longer be charging cost-recovery fees for most print jobs. Some limitations apply, so make sure to consult our 3D Printing at Himmelfarb guide or full policy for the full details.
Borg Costanzi, C., Ahmed, Z. Y., Schipper, H. R., Bos, F., Knaack, U., & Wolfs, R. J. H. (2018) 3D printing concrete on temporary surfaces: The design and fabrication of a concrete shell structure, Automation in construction, 94, p. 395-404 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.autcon.2018.06.013
Feilden, E., Ferraro, C., Zhang, Q., García-Tuñón, E., D'Elia, E., Giuliani, F., Vandeperre, L., & Saiz, E. (2017). 3D printing bioinspired ceramic composites, Scientific Reports, 7(1), p. 1-9. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-017-14236-9
Horne, R. & Hausman, K. K. (2018). Exploring the types of 3D printing. 3D Printing for Dummies. https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/gwu/detail.action?docID=4856326
Lei, L., Wei, Y., Wang, Z., Han, J., Sun, J., Chen, Y., Yang, X., Wu, Y., Chen, L., & Gou, Z. (2020). Core–shell bioactive ceramic robocasting: Tuning component distribution beneficial for highly efficient alveolar bone regeneration and repair, ACS biomaterials science & engineering, 6(4), p. 2376-2387. https://doi.org/10.1021/acsbiomaterials.0c00152
Solukon. (n.d.). Automating depowdering in 3D printing. Retrieved May 8. 2022 https://www.solukon.de/en/news/festo-and-solukon/
Volpato, N., Kretschek, D., Foggiatto, J. A., & Gomez da Silva Cruz, C. M. (2015) Experimental analysis of an extrusion system for additive manufacturing based on polymer pellets, International journal of advanced manufacturing technology, 81(9-12), p. 1519-1531. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00170-015-7300-2
Wei, S., Starly, B., Daly, A. C., Burdick, J. A., Groll, J., Skeldon, G., Shu, W., Sakai, Y., Shinohara, M., Nishikawa, M., Jang, J., Cho, D., Nie, M., Takeuchi, S., Ostrovidov, S., Khademhosseini, A., Kamm, R. D., Mironov, V., Moroni, L., Ozbolat, I. T. (2020). The bioprinting roadmap. Biofabrication, 12(2). https://doi.org/10.1088/1758-5090/ab5158
3D printing has received a considerable amount of spotlight in the past decade, but much of the focus lies upon its value for engineering, prototyping, and manufacturing. What can 3D printing offer the field of medical sciences, and what innovations have healthcare professionals already developed using 3D printers? Let’s explore some of the ways 3D printing is able to support or advance the field of medical sciences.
To start with, the customizability of 3D printing offers opportunities to create models that fit the needs of individual students and their courses. Scholars such as AbouHashem et al at Macquarie University and Western Sydney University have studied the effectiveness of using models in education, all at a more affordable price than traditional anatomical models (AbouHashem et al, 2015). But why is 3D printing so much more useful than other approaches to developing educational models? 3D printed models can be developed and printed to suit individual education needs–for instance, one student may want to focus on the internal structures of the heart, but another may need practice with the arteries and veins and how they connect to the rest of the vascular system.
Additionally, while traditional medical models often (for the sake of mass-production) show the body at the peak of health, 3D printed models offer opportunities for physically handling case-study examples. With tools like Harvard’s FreeSurfer, which can transform CT and MRI scans in the form of DICOM files into STL files–files readable by 3D modeling software like Blender3D and AutoDesk Maya–it is possible to create a 3D printable object based off of medical imaging after a bit of work cleaning it up.
Aside from educational models, hospitals and medical science institutions have been able to make high-detail models with tactile realism that can be used for surgical training and preparation. One method of 3D printing, known as Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM), extrudes a string of plastic material known as filament through a heated nozzle to meld the layers together one at a time. Advanced FDM printers can use multiple different nozzles to print different colors and materials. This has allowed some professionals such as Watanabe et al to develop models with flexibility and texture that better matches the human body (Watanabe et al, 2021). Weidert et al have elaborated upon how 3D printed models of bone fractures can be used to prepare surgeons for pre-planning complex procedures (Weidert et al, 2019).
Another popularized process is known as “bioprinting.” Bioprinting is a method of 3D printing with cells and other biomaterials to imitate natural tissue. It’s easy to imagine how this could be applied to medical sciences if the technology becomes advanced and accessible enough: as a replacement for organ donation, as a supplement for skin grafts, as a hyper-realistic training tool for surgery preparation. Much of this is not yet feasible on a large scale, but some are becoming more of a reality year by year. For instance, some researchers, such as Keriquel et al, have managed to complete in vivo bioprinting (i.e.: directly printing into the body) bone substitutes in mice with certain bone defects (Keriquel et al, 2017).
If you would like to learn more about bioprinting, Kenneth Douglas’ book, Bioprinting: To Make Ourselves Anew, explains how bioprinting came to be, as well as how it all works, in terms accessible to a generalized audience (Douglas, 2021). For a deep-dive into where bioprinting as a field might be headed in the future, you may be interested in reading Wei et al’s “The Bioprinting Roadmap,” which analyzes the successes, challenges, opportunities, and obstacles of bioprinting as of 2020 (Wei et al, 2020).
Some surgeons utilize 3D printing to develop customized implants and prosthetics for their patients. Since some of the more high-end 3D printers permit users to print objects made of metal alloys that are safe to be within the human body, healthcare professionals, such as Xu et al, have developed alloy-printed cervical spine reconstruction implants for Ewing’s sarcoma, a rare bone cancer found most commonly in adolescents.
You can learn more about 3D printed implants by reading Krishna et al’s “Muskuloskeletal 3D Printing” from Rybicki and Grant’s 3D Printing in Medicine. This chapter also includes information about how the customizability of 3D printed prosthetic limbs allows for things such as light-weight, low-cost, and functional prosthetic hands for children that can scale with the natural growth of the patient, (Rybicki & Grant, 2017) which were reported on in more detail by Zuniga et al. (Zuniga et al, 2015) You may also find Christensen’s chapter in 3D Printing in Medicine, “3D Printing and Patient-Matched Implants” a worthwhile read. It covers methods such as using 3D printed patient-scanned models as a form to shape metal implants around prior to surgery, as well as the use of implantable biomaterial, tying in methods of bioprinting previously elaborated upon. (Rybicki & Grant, 2017)
3D printing has not just made advances on a large scale, 3D printing is also on the forefront of innovation within micro-devices like lab-on-a-chip, micro-needles, and more. High-end 3D printers allow researchers and healthcare workers to produce complex micrometer-sized objects such as micro needles and lab-on-a-chip devices, customized to their particular needs.
In terms of the applications of these micro-devices, one scenario might be a researcher using a microelectrode array to gather and track high-quality data about how a person’s muscle cells and neurons react to certain electrical stimuli. This can help pharmacologists better understand how human bodies react to certain drugs. This same device can also be used in the development of a movable prosthetic limb that is custom to the person who uses that prosthesis.
Microneedles, on the other hand, are tools that allow healthcare professionals to deliver injectable materials into the skin in a way that is less painful and less frightening for patients with needle-phobia. They also produce less waste than their traditional needle counterparts. Researchers such as Kundu et al have published on the value of the production of these kinds of micro-devices in low-resource settings, even despite the high cost of the machines needed to produce them (Kundu et al, 2018). Other researchers such as Santana et al have discussed how micro-devices produced by 3D Printers might serve as a possible alternative to in vivo testing on animals in the future (Santana et al, 2020).
All of this is just a small slice of what 3D printing is capable of in the hands of healthcare professionals. As well, with 3D printing technology advancing, the sky is very swiftly becoming the limit of what is possible. From medical models to research devices, there is so much opportunity that comes with 3D printing for the field of health sciences.
Want to learn more about 3D printing and even get involved?
Himmelfarb Library offers 3D printing services! While we may not be able to produce every one of the items described in this piece, our 3D printing services do support a wide array of patron projects and activities, from educational models to cookie cutters. It is also a great way to get early involvement with what may very well become standard practice in many aspects of healthcare in the future, so please do come check out the service if you are a patron! If you’d like to learn more about how you can get involved, you can read more about how to request a print in a previous blog post, and you’re welcome to reach out to Leland Ashford Lanquist (lalanquist@gwu.edu) Brian McDonald (bmcdonald@gwu.edu) if you have any questions. If you already know what you want to do, go ahead and submit a print request, which you can also find on our 3D printing guide!
References
AbouHashem, Y., Dayal, M., Savanah, S., & Štrkalj, G. (2015) The application of 3D printing in anatomy education, Medical Education Online, 20(1), https://doi.org/10.3402/meo.v20.29847
Blender Foundation. (n.d.) Home of the Blender project - Free and Open 3D Creation Software. Blender3D. https://www.blender.org/
Christensen. J. (2017). 3D Printing and Patient-Matched Implants. In F. J. Rybicki & G. T Grant (Eds.) 3D printing in medicine: a practical guide for medical professionals, (pp. 85-95). Springer International Publishing.
Douglas, K. (2021). Bioprinting: to make ourselves anew. Oxford University Press.
Himmelfarb Health Sciences Library. (n.d.) 3D Printing at Himmelfarb. https://guides.himmelfarb.gwu.edu/3DPrinting/
Keriquel, V., Oliveira, H., Rémy, M., Ziane, S., Delmond, S., Rousseau, B., Rey, S., Catros, S., Amédée, V., Guillemot, F., & Fricain, J. (2017). In situ printing of mesenchymal stromal cells, by laser-assisted bioprinting, for in vivo bone regeneration applications. Scientific Reports, 7. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-017-01914-x
Krishna, S., Small, K., Maetani, T., Chepelev, L., Schwarz, B. A., & Sheikh, A. (2017). Musculoskeletal 3D Printing. In F. J. Rybicki & G. T Grant (Eds.) 3D printing in medicine: a practical guide for medical professionals, (pp. 71–84). Springer International Publishing.
Kundu, A., Ausaf, T., & Rajaraman, S. (2018) 3D Printing, Ink Casting and Micromachined Lamination (3D PICLμM): A Makerspace Approach to the Fabrication of Biological Microdevices, Micromachines, 9(2), https://doi.org/10.3390/mi9020085
Santana, H. S., Palma, M. S. A., Lopes, M. G. M.., Souza, J., Lima, G. A. S., Taranto, O. P., & Silva, J. L. (2020). Microfluidic Devices and 3D Printing for Synthesis and Screening of Drugs and Tissue Engineering. Industrial & engineering chemistry research, 59(9), 3794-3810. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.iecr.9b03787
Watanabe, N., Yamamoto, Y., Fujimura, S., Kojima, A., Nakamura, A., Watanabe, K., Ishi, T., & Murayama, Y. (2021). Utility of multi-material three-dimensional print model in preoperative simulation for glioma surgery. Journal of Clinical Neuroscience, 93, 200–205. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jocn.2021.09.017
Wei, S., Starly, B., Daly, A. C., Burdick, J. A., Groll, J., Skeldon, G., Shu, W., Sakai, Y., Shinohara, M., Nishikawa, M., Jang, J., Cho, D., Nie, M., Takeuchi, S., Ostrovidov, S., Khademhosseini, A., Kamm, R. D., Mironov, V., Moroni, L., Ozbolat, I. T. (2020). The bioprinting roadmap. Biofabrication, 12(2). https://doi.org/10.1088/1758-5090/ab5158
Weidert, S., Andress, S., Suero, E., Becker, C., Hartel, M., Behle, M., & Willy, C. (2019) 3D-Druck in der unfallchirurgischen Fort- und Weiterbildung: Möglichkeiten und Anwendungsbereiche, Der Unfallchirurg, 122(6), 444-451. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00113-019-0650-8
Xu, N., Wei, F., Liu, X., Jiang, L., Cai, H., Li, Z., Yu, M., Wu, F., & Liu, Z. (2016) Reconstruction of the Upper Cervical Spine Using a Personalized 3D-Printed Vertebral Body in an Adolescent With Ewing Sarcoma, Spine, 41(1), E50-E54. https://doi.org/10.1097/BRS.0000000000001179
Zuniga, J., Katsavelis, D., Peck, J., Stollberg, J., Petrykowski, M., Carson, A., & Fernandez, C. (2015) Cyborg beast: a low-cost 3d-printed prosthetic hand for children with upper-limb differences, BMC Research Notes, 8(1), 10-10. https://doi.org/110.1186/s13104-015-0971-9
The guide links you to repositories such as Thingiverse and the NIH 3D Print Exchange to browse their collections of ready-to-print models. It also links you to the job submission form. From there, we take care of the rest!
We frequently print items to support research at GW, and have recently fulfilled several orders for hearts to support medical students in the Cardio/Pulmonary/Renal block. (See images below.)
Image source: Brian McDonaldImage source: Brian McDonald
Our two Zortrax printers can print materials as large as 8x8x8 inches. The cost is 10 cents per gram, with a $1.00 minimum purchase. Check out our quick 3D printing video guide to learn more about our service, and to see our printers in action! Or stop by the Circulation Desk to see some of our models on display.
