Medical Applications

Question 1

Why the big fuss about medical applications?

Answer 1

1. Growing sector:
   • Ageing population
   • Increasing survival rates for major diseases
2. Cost constraints (especially for NHS)
3. Patient expectations
4. High value (not just financially…)

Question 2

Which medical product areas can AM influence?

Answer 2

In terms of medical devices, AM has the potential to influence both of these areas
• Customised devices
• Mass-produced devices

Question 3

Examples of customised medical devices?

Answer 3

• Maxillofacial prostheses
• Dentures
• Custom orthoses
• Artificial limbs
• Burns splints

Question 4

Often an AM device will cost substantially more to manufacture than a more traditional device, so why bother looking at it?

Answer 4

Sometimes it’s the general benefits of AM, e.g.
1. Geometric complexity
• Fit to individual (we’re all shaped & sized differently!)
• Weight saving
• Fluid flow
• Cellular growth

All of these could improve function of the device, but at higher cost …
• But, we often need to look further • i.e. consider the whole process chain

Question 5

What are the characteristics of the current methods we use for producing customised devices?

Answer 5

1. Oftenhand-made
2. Labour-intensive
3. Skill dependent
4. Slow
5. Can be inaccurate
6. Often involve one or more trips to a specialist
7. Can involve physical contact

Question 6

How is a burn mask currently produced and how can we produce it using AM?

Answer 6

Traditional method of production:
• Apply plaster to the patient’s face to make a mould
• Plastic mask produced from this mould

Very effective method, but…
• Painful (stop for a moment and think through the implications of this method)
• Patients can become extremely anxious during the procedure

with AM we avoid physical contact by simply scanning the face of the patient and 3d printing a mask probably even faster.

Question 7

Examples of where AM can be used to significantly improve patient treatment?

Answer 7

1. Production of a cranioplasty plate
2. Manufacture of a hearing aids
3. Burn masks

Question 8

What are the stakeholders who we need to take into account when making decisions in medical related technologies?

Answer 8

• Patient
• Clinician
• NHS

Question 9

What are the improvements that we seek to do to improve patient/nhs/clinician lives?

Answer 9

• Look to remove stages of the process chain, e.g.:
• Minimise number of consultations (streamlining)
• Localised scanning (remove physical transport)
• Reduce manual labour
• Faster, improved quality & accuracy
• Reduces need for adjustments
• Ideally, we will benefit as many interested parties as possible in one go