The usage of 3D printing in the medical industry  is increasing day by day. 3D printing technology is used for orthopedic implants, prosthetics, and patient specific replicas of bones, organs and blood vessels. This spotlights 3D printing’s growing role in an industry that relies on continuous innovation to provide patients with the best possible care.  Surgeons can also select various materials like biocompatible metals and polymers whichever suits the patients. 

3D printing allows designers to make designs and changes easily without any additional tools. It also allows designers to design patient specific devices or devices with very complex internal structures. These capabilities have sparked huge interest in 3D printing of medical devices and other products, including food, household items, and automotive parts. 

3D printing can produce medical devices like orthopedic and cranial implants,  surgical instruments, dental restorations. 

Benefits of using 3D printing: 

1. Marginal cost of production: 3D printing manufacturing allows you to create automated, scalable, end to end workflows for custom products- from design to production.
2. Biologically relevant structures: 3D printing will allow the creation of accurate organic structures and unique design features which are not possible in traditional methods.
3. Accelerated product development: You can easily replicate it across different devices once you have established the initial process of printing.

Limitation of 3D printing: 

1. Limited range of materials: You can leverage its ability to create complex structures to expand the scope of available applications because 3D printing is limited in terms of available materials for medical devices.
2. Regulatory approval and compliance: Receiving regulatory clearance and ensuring compliance is a highly scrutinized process. 
3. Inconsistent quality of 3D printed objects: 3D-printed objects can vary slightly in dimensions, and some level of design noise — like texture or bumps when a surface needs to be smooth. And it needs extra labor to fix those mistakes.

Applications of 3D printing:

1. Orthopedic Surgery:

3D printing is commonly used in orthopedic surgery for surgical instruments. Through 3D printing, you can design customized implants to match a patient's unique anatomy. It offers better coverage and alignment as well as features that promote osseointegration and match the mechanical properties of bone. 

2. Plastic and reconstructive surgery:

3D-printed implants made from biocompatible materials are shown as an alternative to autologous bone grafts. The clinical results in the past indicate that they are very safe and effective. These plants can be customized according to the patient's needs, minimizing infection risk.

3. Prostheses:

Prostheses created from 3D printing are more comfortable and have better fitting than those made from traditional materials and methods.  3D printing has the ability to customize prosthetic sockets using 3D scanning and also offers economic benefits. 

4. Orthoses:

By using 3D scan data orthoses can be customized for better fit and support. 3D printed orthoses can  have a more dynamic behavior than the traditional designs. The studies show that custom made orthoses for the wrist, hand, foot and ankle offer similar or better results in biomechanical and kinematic parameters than standard braces.

3D printed medical devices are becoming increasingly popular as this technology improves and costs decrease. There are many benefits of using 3D printing technology to create complex shapes and structures in the healthcare industry.