Dr. Kenneth Wang, PhD, of the University of Maryland will present the research, which constitutes the first large-scale assessment of 3D printing in U.S. healthcare facilities. The researchers analyzed data from 15 healthcare centers that submitted 1,963 cases to the registry over a nearly two-year period.
The cases involved 1,420 anatomic models and 543 anatomic guides. Of those, 111 cases included an estimated time saved from the model. The average time savings was 38.5 minutes. Organized by organ system, the cases were as follows: 426 neurological, 405 breast, 399 cardiac, 334 genitourinary, 327 musculoskeletal, and smaller numbers of other organ systems.
The most commonly used printing technology or anatomic models was material jetting. For anatomic guides, it was material extrusion.
The number of components within the models determined case complexity. Of anatomic models, 976 had a single part while some had as many as five parts or more. Of anatomic guides, 376 had a single part while some had as many as three parts or more.
"The data demonstrates the breadth of clinical applications, provides insight into the workflow involved in 3D printing, and shows a direct impact of 3D printing on patient care in the form of estimated procedure time savings," the authors wrote.
