Time to read: 4 min
现在，3D打印是一项更加发达的技术，它在机械世界中提供的优势是巨大的。
But the power of 3D printing isn’t limited to building car parts and iPhone cases. When its vast capabilities of personalization and customization are applied to the medical field, the results are continuously pushing boundaries.
From the deceptively simple to the unbelievably complicated, here’s a look at some of the most amazing advances from the past year.
1. Printing Skin
皮肤是身体最大的器官,最commonly transplanted material. For the best deep burn recovery, skin is taken from other parts of the body. But what if the burn area is too large?
Enter researchers at the University of Toronto, who designed and built ahandheld 3D skin printer可以将皮肤床单直接沉积在灼伤本身上。
打印机读取伤口的深度，并使用该信息选择正确的皮肤细胞“墨水”。使用这种方法，只需要从健康的皮肤上取出整个燃烧的十分之一才能成功康复。
2. Custom Braces for Scoliosis
Treatments for chronic health problems like Scoliosis often take years, and involve bulky, uncomfortable instruments like braces. Among children and adolescents this causes low adherence to treatment guidelines, which can worsen conditions further down the road.
3D打印的强大力量在于其个性化能力，以相同的方式定制髋关节置换和牙科植入物可以比以往任何时候都更快，更便宜，可以制作脊柱侧弯的牙套使患者完全适合患者。
更重要的是，牙套可以变得不引人注目，甚至有吸引力。年轻的患者对治疗方法进行测验，一致选择了老式版本的新设计。
Making treatment options attractive to patients, especially younger ones, is a huge issue in managing chronic conditions and with 3D printing, patients can personalize their treatment even further.
3.无菌手术器械
由于缺乏获得设施，药品和基本设备的机会，可能会阻碍偏远，发展中和低收入地区的医疗保健。手术工具，通常由stainless steel, are one example often out of the price range of many local hospitals.
Researchers from the University of Arizona found they could print a common piece of equipment, an Army-Navy Surgical Retractor, in 90 minutes at a fraction of the cost of the stainless steel version. The plastic version is both sterile when printed due to high temperatures in extrusion, and sterilizable through standard FDA procedure for medical devices.
3 d打印机,电和实习医师t would need to be improved in developing countries to realize the full benefit, but the technology opens up many possibilities.
美国陆军已经进一步迈出了这项技术，并开发了sterile surgical kitthat can be printed in a single build. Supply pods equipped with printers are being sent to engineers on the front lines to better meet demand.
4.面部重建手术
面部损伤是创伤性的，传统的畸形校正方法可能会如此，结果有限。不必再这样了。
A man named斯蒂芬力量from Wales suffered a motorcycle accident that left his face sunken and asymmetrical on one side. Morriston Hospital in Swansea used CT scans to create a symmetrical model of Power’s skull and printed titanium implants to fit in the injured areas. The results of the 8 hour operation were immediate and successful, and open further doors for complicated reconstructive surgery to restore patients’ confidence.
In another story, a baby girl named Violet Petrok, born with a rare condition called Tessier facial cleft, was without a surgeon who could operate on her since the reconstructive procedure hasn’t been widely explored. By scanning and creating a 3D model of her skull, surgeons were able to practice different methods of operation and treatment before safely moving on toa successful surgery。
5.跳动心脏细胞
除了打印皮肤细胞外Wake Forest Institute of Regenerative Medicine在生物印刷进展的出血边缘，还在致力于打印其他组织，例如心脏。从理论上讲，像皮肤这样的组织易于印刷，因为它具有不同的层，但是肝脏，肾脏和心脏等其他组织会以更复杂的方式对特定的环境刺激做出反应。
Dr. Atala, who pioneers the bulk of regenerative organ research, may still be years away from producing a full-size and functional heart, but the printed cardiac cells will beat if placed in the correct environment (dependent of factors like temperature) and can also be induced to change beat patterns through electrical stimulus.
Tireless work by the people on the research front lines is constantly advancing the borders of our knowledge and technology. All these innovations were taken from the past 18 months, so with predicted exponential growth over the next year, the possibilities are endless.
