Australians will have the first hospital with 3D implant printing, the first time this happens.
Organ 3D printing is one of the most exciting applications for a technology that still has a long way to go.
A hospital that creates its own implants
At Omicrono we have already spoken about these possibilities on more than one occasion, but it was never clear when we can enjoy them; Keep in mind that this technology faces many challenges before it becomes viable.
This is why the announcement from the Queensland University of Technology is so important; In collaboration with Metro North Hospital, they are building a 3D printing implant biofactory.
Two entire floors of the hospital will be dedicated to this area, which will house some of the most advanced machines in the industry; These machines will create tissue prostheses to be used in surgical operations in the hospital itself and in others.
The importance of the first hospital with 3D implant printing
Australia’s Minister of Health boasts that it is the first time that a bio-factory is located in a hospital like this; It is not for less, since it not only serves to create new prosthetics, but also to develop new methods and technologies.
The implants developed in these plants can be implanted in the patient without fear of rejection; at that time they serve as scaffolds so that the tissue can regenerate, until they are not needed.
Instead of the metal implants used so far, these materials dissolve in the body as the tissue regenerates.
However, much work remains to be done; this department is not yet capable of 3D print organs created with patient cells. This will be the next step in the program and that is why integration in a hospital was so important.
