A single technological concept that can produce cars, shoes, and human organs represents the “next industrial revolution,” said one of the field’s pioneers at a recent medical device conference.
Jon Cobb, executive vice president of marketing for Stratasys, a Minnesota-based 3D printing company, talked about the rapidly-growing technology at Life Science Alley’s 2013 Conference, held in Minneapolis Wednesday. Cobb has been in the 3D printing business for 18 years.
“The first 15 years, no one cared,” he said. “What’s happened over the last two to three years is nothing short of amazing.”
Cobb outlined some recent breakthroughs in 3D printing, including a Canadian-built hybrid car that has most of its body and interior manufactured through the 3D printing process. He noted that the boom in 3D printing is changing the way products are designed.
With the Rise of AI, What IP Disputes in Healthcare Are Likely to Emerge?
Munck Wilson Mandala Partner Greg Howison shared his perspective on some of the legal ramifications around AI, IP, connected devices and the data they generate, in response to emailed questions.
“Instead of designing for traditional manufacturing, people are starting to design for 3D printing,” he said.
In the medical device field, 3D printing already has dental and orthopedic applications, Cobb said. He said that scientists are predicting that within ten to 15 years, the technology will be used to print organs such as kidneys and livers.
“If you look at all that is going on in 3D printing, the acceleration of 3D printing in the medical field is absolutely amazing,” he said.
Also impressive is the potential for the democratization of design and manufacturing that 3D printing represents, as access to home printers and retail printing services continues to grow.
A Personalized Approach to Medication Nonadherence
At the Abarca Forward conference earlier this year, George Van Antwerp, managing director at Deloitte, discussed how social determinants of health and a personalized member experience can improve medication adherence and health outcomes.
“Content that was the domain of designers and engineers now is really becoming very available to everyone,” Cobb said.
The 3-D printing process takes a design and digitally slices it as thin as 1-12,000th of an inch, then prints out the slices in layers, creating a finished product. The process has been used for years in aerospace and automotive production, and is rapidly expanding in fields such as medicine, jewelry, and fashion.
Part of the explosion of interest in the technology is fueled by social media and access to relatively cheap (starting at $500) 3D home printing devices. Cobb referred to Thingiverse, a website that contains more than 100,000 designs for items that anyone can copy and print out at home.
“Today, there are do-it-yourselfers out there, there are hobbyists – and there are children,” he said, adding that 3D printing has come to not only high schools, but elementary schools as well. “As with so many things, change is really driven by children,” Cobb said.
[Image from flickr user Indiana Public Media]
