Medical & Dental
Medical
3D printing is increasingly used in the medical field for a number of applications as medical professionals can give patients the personalized healthcare they expect as well as improving accuracy and outcomes. 3D models bring scans to life for added certainty and preparation.
- Surgical planning
- Patient communication
- Medical instruments
- Clinical training
Projects around the world are using 3D printing to print low-cost prosthetics. Lake Victoria Disability Centre in Tanzania has been using the Ultimaker 2+ Extended for a number of years to print upper-limb prosthetics. Using this machine reduced their printing time per prosthetic from 40 hours to 10 hours, meaning they can help more patients with life-changing custom low-cost prosthetics.
Dental
Dentists are using 3D scanners combined with 3D printers to produce moulds, visual aids, bridges, crowns, guards and more. Using technology saves weeks of time as it drastically reduces manual tasks. Each product is also accurately tailored to the patient.
Download the UM Dental Guide
Download the Formlabs Dental guide

Surgical Planning
Know what to expect before entering the operating theatre

Patient Communication
Turn patient scans into models they can see, hold, and understand

Medical Instruments
Prototype medical and research devices, or produce assistive tools when required

Clinical Training
3D print anatomical models to train teams and improve results for patients

Case Study: Dr Boyd Goldie
3D printed bone models
Dr. Goldie reduced the time involved with bone model preparation from weeks to hours while saving significant costs.
External Suppliers | Ultimaker 3D printers and proprietary software | Ultimaker 3D printers and Ultimaker Cura software |
Cost per model $850 |
Cost per model $345 |
Cost per model $7 |
Time per model 2 weeks |
Time per model 5 hours |
Time per model 2.5 hours |
"3D printing has utterly changed my workflow. As a surgeon, it helps me plan my operations and gives me a better understanding of what I'm dealing with so I don't have any surprises in the operating room. With modern radiology software, you can see a virtual model on-screen, but there's nothing like holding a model in your hands"
— Dr. Boyd Goldie,
Consultant Orthopedic Surgeon, MBBS, BSc, FRCS, DHMSA