3D printing technology has been around for a while, but at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), printing an actual model of a patient’s organ will help improve surgeries and healthcare for vets.
- Dr. Beth Ripley, VHA 3D Printing Network Initiative enterprise lead, VA Ventures director and radiologist at the VA Puget Sound Health Care System, said she and her colleagues are working to create 3D-printed living bones and get them into clinics in the next three to five years.
- Ripley said 3D printing allows healthcare providers to fabricate small-batch products in hospitals, such as special braces, hearing aids and models of individual patients’ organs, which help inform treatment options.
- She said collaboration with the private sector is important for accelerating technology development.
Read More: Department of Veterans Affairs could get 3D-printed living bone to clinics in