The future is here: 3D prototyping broken and deformed bone anatomical models to educate doctors

Dr. Alexis Dang, MD, is an orthopedic surgeon from San Francisco, California and an Associate Professor of Sports Medicine at Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of California, San Francisco and at the San Francisco VA Health Care System. Alexis has been in practice for over 16 years, having graduated from University of California, San Francisco, School of Medicine in 2004. Dr. Dang has helped expand 3D printing resources across the University, for both educational, research, and clinical use. He is a co-founder of Edge Labs, which is began in the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, and co-founder of the UCSF CA3D+ program to expand 3D printing and AR/VR across the university.

As a University dedicated to research and education, developing the technology for 3D printing and its related processes in-house was preferred over outsourcing. When outsourcing, you need to know what you want and need. With clinical 3D printing still in its infancy, these indications are not always clear. Using Polylactic Acid (PLA) and Polyethylene Terephthalate Glycol (PETG) filaments, they were mostly focused on 3D prototyping of broken and deformed bone anatomical models to educate doctors on how to best operate on patients. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the University also printed face shields, eye shields and additional medical device components.

At the education library on campus, there is a Makers Lab where they were already employing FDM and SLA 3D printers for the last 4 years, however these were larger models that took more time and projects needed to be scheduled in advance to give enough time for production among departments. This is what led Alexis to research additional 3D printers for the team to exclusively use.

From his research, Alexis knew that the most important requirements that he was looking for in a 3D printer were dual independent extruders, which would allow them to print parallel projects and in dual color/material along with a large build volume. This led him to the Craftbot line of 3D printers.

When selecting the best Craftbot model for the team, Alexis chose the Craftbot Flow IDEX XL version which he refers to as the ‘Cadillac’ model. The key feature that appealed to Alexis included the dual independent extruders, Core XY system, and the capacity for high volume projects. The 32-bit motherboard and touch screen allow for the system to run faster and quieter.

When asked about additional advantages of the Craftbot system, Alexis found that the ordering process was simple. While the Craftbot systems does have proprietary parts, there are a number of resellers throughout the U.S. so it is easy to re-order.

While the University’s Craftbot systems have only been in use for a few months, Alexis and the team have already completed a number of clinical prints, precision anatomic models for pre-surgical planning, and prototypes for educational and simulator projects.

In terms of cost savings, Alexis noted that the Craftbot printers utilize open source filaments which he prefers whenever possible.

3D printing allows doctors to improve surgery planning and performance, which leads to improved outcomes. Dr. Dang shared that there is a growing recognition of the value of 3D printed precision anatomical models. By bringing the cost of each model down, using high performance desktop printers like the Craftbot, with open source materials, there is nearly an order of magnitude reduction in per model costs, compared to closed systems.