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Special Issue Editor

Dr. Radosław Wichniarek

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Guest Editor

Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Poznan University of Technology, Piotrowo 3 STR, 61-138 Poznan, Poland
Interests: additive manufacturing; 3D printing; biomedical engineering; rapid prototyping; rapid manufacturing; mass customization; fused filament fabrication; virtual and augmented reality
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The first half of 2020 saw an unprecedented increase in interest in the medical engineering use of additive manufacturing technology, popularly known as 3D printing. The situation related to the unexpected shortage of personal protective equipment and replacement parts for medical machines showed how flexible additive manufacturing techniques are and how quickly engineers can react to emerging needs. With different 3D printing methods, both single, fully customized prototypes and small/medium batches of a wide variety of fully functional products can be produced and delivered in a relatively short timeframe. Nevertheless, many aspects of designing and additive manufacturing for medical purposes are still unknown or not well-researched.

The increase in general awareness of the potential of additive manufacturing creates opportunities for close cooperation between technical and medical universities. This Special Issue is a suitable place to present the current needs and possibilities regarding future improvements or new solutions for emerging problems at the junction of mechanical engineering, materials science and medicine.

The subject of the Special Issue focuses primarily on, but is not exclusive to, the following topics:

3D-printed surgery supplies
3D-printed medical machine devices or components
3D-printed tissues and organs
3D-printed implants
3D-printed orthopedic and prosthetic supplies
3D-printed aids in psychological-trauma treatment
3D-printed teaching models and equipment
biomaterials properties and processing in additive manufacturing
biocompatible materials
bacteriological safety and sterilization of 3D-printed parts
collecting and processing of medical data for engineering designing
designing of anatomically shaped customized objects
numerical simulations and artificial intelligence in the design of additively manufactured medical devices
quality control of 3D-printed medical devices

Dr. Radosław Wichniarek
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

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Keywords

biomaterials
medical devices
surgery supplies
biocompatibility
anatomically shaped objects
tissues
organs
additive manufacturing
3D printing

Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

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20 pages, 7190 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Reducing Waste in 3D Printing Using a Neural Network Based on an Own Elbow Exoskeleton

by Izabela Rojek, Dariusz Mikołajewski, Jakub Kopowski, Piotr Kotlarz, Maciej Piechowiak and Ewa Dostatni

Materials 2021, 14(17), 5074; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ma14175074 - 04 Sep 2021

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2007

Abstract

Traditional rehabilitation systems are evolving into advanced systems that enhance and improve rehabilitation techniques and physical exercise. The reliable assessment and robotic support of the upper limb joints provided by the presented elbow exoskeleton are important clinical goals in early rehabilitation after stroke and other neurological disorders. This allows for not only the support of activities of daily living, but also prevention of the progression neuromuscular pathology through proactive physiotherapy toward functional recovery. The prices of plastics are rising very quickly, as is their consumption, so it makes sense to optimize three dimensional (3D) printing procedures through, for example, improved artificial intelligence-based (AI-based) design or injection simulation, which reduces the use of filament, saves material, reduces waste, and reduces environmental impact. The time and cost savings will not reduce the high quality of the products and can provide a competitive advantage, especially in the case of thinly designed mass products. AI-based optimization allows for one free print after every 6.67 prints (i.e., from materials that were previously wasted). Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Additive Manufacturing and Its Biomedical Application)

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Other

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16 pages, 5020 KiB

Open AccessCase Report

3D Printing of Customizable Phantoms to Replace Cadaveric Models in Upper Extremity Surgical Residency Training

by Elisha Raeker-Jordan, Miguel Martinez and Kenji Shimada

Materials 2022, 15(2), 694; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ma15020694 - 17 Jan 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2133

Abstract

Medical phantoms are commonly used for training and skill demonstration of surgical procedures without exposing a patient to unnecessary risk. The discrimination of these tissues is critical to the ability of young orthopedic surgical trainees to identify patient injuries and properly manipulate surrounding tissues into healing-compliant positions. Most commercial phantoms lack anatomical specificity and use materials that inadequately attempt to mimic human tissue characteristics. This paper covers the manufacturing methods used to create novel, higher fidelity surgical training phantoms. We utilize medical scans and 3D printing techniques to create upper extremity phantoms that replicate both osseous and synovial geometries. These phantoms are undergoing validation through OSATS training of surgical residents under the guidance of attendings and chief residents. Twenty upper extremity phantoms with distal radius fracture were placed into traction and reduced by first- and second-year surgical residency students as part of their upper extremity triage training. Trainees reported uniform support for the training, enjoying the active learning exercise and expressing willingness for participation in future trials. Trainees successfully completed the reduction procedure utilizing tactile stimuli and prior lecture knowledge, showing the viability of synthetic phantoms to be used in lieu of traditional cadaveric models. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Additive Manufacturing and Its Biomedical Application)

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