3D printing in medicine: Current challenges and potential applications

Since its introduction in the 1980s, the three-dimensional (3D) printing technology has evolved to revolutionize both scientific community and academician. The wide range of currently available manufacturing technologies provides a versatile platform for converting a prototype into a physical model. Importance of 3D printing is not only restricted to industrial area but the impact of 3D printing is also expanding in medical field in a wide range of applications including fabrication of patient-specific complex medical and anatomical structures, customized medical prostheses, implants and surgical tools, tissue and organ printing, 3D printed in vitro tissue models, drug screening purposes, advancement of physicians, and patient education. Despite significant and exciting improvements, there are many substantial challenges and barriers to the progression of 3D printing. In this chapter, we encompass the process of 3D printing, historical perspective, types of 3D printing technologies, their applications in medicine, and finally discuss various challenges to the progression of 3D printing in medicine. In the upcoming years, we believe that integration of researchers from different fields will address the challenges and barriers of 3D printing to transform the field of medicine.