Medical scanners can enjoy many advantages due to the use of 3D scanners such as improved speed and precision on a range of medical applications. For example, in the case of prosthetics, 3D scanners are used to make special implants with the exact shape of a human body. As reported in 2021 by the Journal of Medical Engineering, when combined with 3D scanning to create customized prosthetic legs and limbs, production time was reduced by upwards of 50%, which also contributed to a cost reduction by about 30% over previous methods. The technology offers more customisation, leading to better comfort and fit with prosthetics.
3D scanners also play a significant role within dental applications. For practice, however, the scanners work something like: The exactness of these scanners—such as those utilized for Invisalign—ensure that impressions specifically identified to orthodontic aligners are molded. 3D scanning technology increased the accuracy of dental alignments making them 25% more precise and enhancing patient outcomes with quicker treatment times, according to the American Journal of Orthodontics in a 2019 study. Over the last decade, 3D scanners became more affordable to use in dentistry, resulting mild pricing for practitioners and patients.
3D scanning technology has impacted the surgical field aswell Being able to plan the procedure using 3D models of patient anatomy, surgeons have started planning procedures more accurately, as it will help save time during surgery and increase chances of success as well. For example, in 2020 a UK team of surgeons utilized a 3D model of the patient’s heart to plan for complex heart surgery. The 55-year-old male patient had accurate data collected by a specialized scanner and transformed into a scalable ABS plastic (via Stratasys FDM technology) [27.] The study found this gained a 40% time saving on surgery, demonstrating just how crucial the 3D scanning process can be in making such important medical processes more efficient.
In orthopedics, 3D scanners are used to design personalized casts and splints. How does 3D scanning be more comfortable, accurate, and faster than traditional casting? As per the study by Cleveland Clinic in 2018, orthopedic treatments using 3D scanners help patients reduce recovery time by up to 20%.
The precision of a 3D scanner can be as low as0.1 mm or 0.5 mm, which is needed for some medical applicationswith high demands on measurement accuracy. In orthopedics, small deviations in measurements can result in incorrect fittings or surgical complications. 3D scanning coupled with additional medical technologies, such as MRI and CT scans, has allowed physicians to pinpoint highly detailed models of internal structures when diagnosing and developing treatments for a variety of conditions.
Overall, the cost of adopting 3D scanning in medtech has fallen dramatically as entry-level models have been reduced to below $1,000 while high-end systems are commercially available for $30,000 or greater. Although more advanced models incur high initial costs, the time and resources saved can justify a 3D scanner purchase for some healthcare settings.
And as the technology improves, the benefits of 3D scanners for medicine will only continue to blossom, providing innovative solutions that enhance patient care, reduce costs and make medical procedures much more efficient. Check out 3d scanner for information about what is a 3D scanning.