Senior Development Engineer Boston Children's Hospital
PolyJet Technology, a form of Additive Manufacturing (AM), has been rapidly transforming pediatric healthcare by enhancing clinical practices and medical education, as evidenced by its adoption at institutions like Boston Children’s Hospital. The integration of these technologies has advanced patient-specific care, surgical precision, and educational goals through innovative applications across clinical and training settings. PolyJet anatomical models for surgical planning leverage workflows that convert CT or MRI scans into precise 3D-printed models. These models enhance the understanding of complex anatomy and facilitate effective communication with patients and among members of the clinical team. Technologies such as Materialise AI segmentation and Stratasys GrabCAD Print significantly expedite the creation of these models, allowing for rapid delivery and maximizing time for patient education and team planning. Furthermore, polyjet pre-surgical practice enables surgeons to simulate and refine surgical techniques, thereby reducing operative times and minimizing intraoperative risks. In medical education and training , high-fidelity 3D models play a critical role in transferring theoretical knowledge and clinical experience to trainees via hands-on sessions with models that simulate pathologies. These haptic models offer essential practice opportunities, reinforcing knowledge, and developing essential decision making and technical skills in a low-risk environment. Additionally, new innovative materials and modeling techniques are advancing the fidelity of replicated anatomical structures. Techniques like UV texture mapping can produce highly visually realistic models. The lifelike replication of bone and tissue material properties through Stratasys PolyJet Digital Anatomy allows cutting, suturing and other manipulations during training, improving surgical accuracy. Additive manufacturing is and will continue to revolutionize pediatric healthcare by providing customizable, anatomically precise solutions that improve surgical precision, patient safety, and medical education. These innovations are especially valuable in pediatric healthcare, where personalized medical solutions are needed due to the continuous growth and often small and delicate anatomical structures of children.
Learning Objectives:
Upon completion, participants will be able to understand the specialized capabilities and advantages of polyjet printing in a healthcare context.
Upon completion, participants will be able to understand the current and potential future uses of polyjet medical models in healthcare.
