Adoption of additive manufacturing in the medical world

This study explores the adoption of medical 3D printing. Through the analysis of journals, newsletters and other publications, insight is created on what types of medical 3D printing applications exist and who has adopted them. It was found that while simple prosthesis have been produced by medical laypersons on simple consumer-level 3D printers, this is not general. Other applications such as the 3D printing of mock models for practicing complicated surgical procedures and the printing of live cells requires sophisticated medical knowledge, sophisticated 3D printing knowledge or both. The most complex form of medical 3D printing is that of printing tissue. This is currently in an early stage of development and has led to new jobs such as the biofabricator.