For many 3D printing is an interesting concept but they have difficulty in seeing how it can be utilised to benefit the world in general. For scientists and developers across the world, it is a growing technology that could actually revolutionise areas such as medicine, construction and education to name but a few.

We may be some time away from the day when 3D printers can print out brand new organs for a transplant, but that doesn’t mean researchers aren’t investigating the possibilities. In fact, even now there are experiments going on with bio-printing that will bring major benefits to the world.

Japan

An innovative clinic in Japan has been using 3D printing to produce models of foetuses that have been photographed with MRI scans. They combine this with bio-texturing to produce life size three dimensional images. It not only  gives greater detail for parents expecting a child it has also been used for one partially sighted lady who was able to hold her unborn baby in her hands. It’s thought that producing 3D images of a child in the womb can help identify problems more easily and maintain the health of the mother and the baby as it approaches birth.

California

If you think that 3D printing has great potential for the medical sector, it has been better utilised, so far, in the engineering and design. Researchers in California have used it to produce a working prototype of a bikini that helps to absorb pollution in the water. As the person swims, the combination of netting and rubber absorbs surrounding pollutants which are locked into the fabric. The idea is not particularly to design a garment that cleans as it goes but to produce workable materials that can help, on larger scales, to combat sea and water pollution.

Nottingham

In the UK the University of Nottingham has recently been given a grant of nearly £3 million to set up a 3D print testing facility that is going to explore ways that the technology can be used in the future, particularly in the pharmaceutical industry and manufacturing. Printed drugs could be used to provide highly specific medication for patients and may well help cut the cost of pills and vaccines once the technology is up and running.

Whilst we are still in the early days of 3D printing, the feeling amongst researchers and developers is that it can be used for practically any material. You’ll be able to print out your own tailored organs and prostheses, get clothes designed to fit you more closely, and even print glasses and hearing aids if you want! There’s even a Chinese construction firm that has built a new 10 storey home using a 3D printer.

3D printers are already becoming more accessible in the home and for office use with prices coming down in recently  but, of course, there is still some way to go. There’s no doubt, however, that the future of medicine will change as doctors print out tailored organs and devices to save lives, engineers and designers construct new and innovative models and organisations such as schools and colleges use them to provide better and more engaging education.