TECHNOLOGY
increasingly exploring 3D printing because it cuts costs and improves healthcare .
“ Customized orthopedic implants , for example , perform much better , and their use dramatically reduces surgery times ,” said Jennifer Taylor , pharmaceutical industry analyst at Visiongain , in an interview with InformationWeek . “ In addition , 3D-printed medical models can reduce surgery times . Surgery costs US $ 100 per minute . As well as resulting in substantial costsavings , the use of 3D-printed medical implants reduces the risks associated with anesthesia during long surgeries .”
3D printing is being used to create everything from prosthetics to hearing aids . Some startups , such as BioBots , are tackling bioprinting to recreate the 3D structure of a tissue using a fabrication technique . The startup is committed to building a low cost bioprinter that is accessible to a large number of scientists , physicians and biologists to achieve the recreation of an artificial organ .
Align Technology currently prints 650,000 pairs of Invisilign teeth braces per day with the use of a 3D printer and research company Organovo has begun printing liver tissue to test drug toxicity .
Hybrid operating rooms With the rise of advanced technology , the integration of systems needs to be updated or replaced to improve their performance or build upon the technology ’ s use .
A hybrid operation room is a new innovation where a traditional OR is outfitted with advanced medical technology to improve the care delivered to patients and enhances the skill sets of medical practitioners when it comes to administering treatment . Technologies used in hybrid operating rooms have typically helped reduce trauma , scarring , spurred faster rehabilitation and has helped decrease hospital stays .
The technologies used at the Lakeland Regional Medical Center in Florida that helped improve a patient ’ s experience at a hospital included advanced imaging technologies that allowed for real-time intra-operative image guidance , as well as tools to help perform high-risk minimally invasive cardiac procedures .
10 September 2015