The three-dimensional printing in the medical industry has significantly transformed health practice by making it possible for medical practitioners and patients to customize health care solutions. The 3D additive manufacturing model was first developed in the 1980s. 3D bioprinting technology is a process that enables medical practitioners to generate a 3D object of any shape (Aimar, Palermo, & Innocenti, 2019). 3D bioprinting follows five technical steps in printing the desired model. First, medical practitioners have to select an anatomical target area. The second step involves developing a 3D geometry by processing images obtained from a MRI or CT scan. Thirdly, a medical practitioner is required to optimize the file needed to physically print the desired model (Aimar, Palermo, & Innocenti, 2019). The fourth and last step involves selecting of the appropriate 3D printer and needed materials, respectively.
3D bioprinting has not only been used extensively in prototyping and medical research, but also in areas such as surgical preparation, medication dosage, and pharmacology, manufacturing of medical tools, and in prostheses (Ventola, 2014). The invention of 3D bioprinting has also enabled pharmaceutical companies to rapidly medical implants and shaped the way surgeons plan surgical procedures. Through time and investment, medical 3D bioprinting has evolved from an ambitious pipe dream into a reality.
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Once a digital blueprint of a patient-specific model is obtained, the “sliced” design is then transferred to a 3D printer to manufacture the model. Once the materials needed for printing have been acquired, three-dimensional object has been secured, manufacturing starts at the base. Successive layers are then printed on top of the object until the version of the object if finally built. Medical pundits argue that 3D bioprinting is revolutionizing medicine compare to medical procedures, such as CT scans and MRIs. By using 3D bioprinting, medical practitioners are in a position to replicate patient-specific organs used for practice prep before the actual surgical operations are conducted. Application of 3D bioprinting has, therefore, led to far much better and accurate medical procedures that have significantly helped minimize patient trauma (Ventola, 2014).
Ethical Questions on 3D bioprinting
Some of the ethical issues voiced by people about 3D bioprinting include whether the technology will lead to the emergence of social stratification of biofabrication, be used for human enhancement, and is safe for human use.
Will 3D Printing Treatments be Safe?
People are concerned about how 3D treatments can be tested to ensure their effectiveness and safety before being offered as a clinical treatment. Like any other new treatment, people are suspicious of whether the materials used to manufacture the replica of a patient’s organ will ensure the long-term health of a patient to creating additional health risks. 3D bioprinting is uses living cells placed in the human body. The potential risks and side effects that emerge from the use of such a treatment is, therefore, irreversible (Vermeulen et al., 2017).
Will 3D Bioprinting lead to the Social Stratification of Biofabrication?
The promise and hype of print one's organs propelled by 3D bioprinting treatments are likely to benefit only a few individuals in the society. 3D bioprinting is an expensive medical technology that will benefit only high-income earners. 3D bioprinting is, therefore, not a game-changer for everyone because most people from middle-income countries will have difficulty accessing the expensive treatment. As a result, the “social stratification of biofabrication” will emerge as accessibility to 3D bioprinting will be limited to the individual who can afford to pay for their “own” organs (Vermeulen et al., 2017).
Will 3D Bioprinting be used for Human Enhancement?
People are most concerned that the success of 3D bioprinting technology in successfully replicating the organs can be used in developing human capacities beyond what is considered normal (Vermeulen et al., 2017). For instance, replacing existing body tissues with artificial ones that are more resilient, or implanting a new set of lungs less likely to become fatigued when oxygenating blood. People are, therefore, in constant fear that such enhancement can lead to a new kind of arms race and increase the destructive power of human beings when used in the military.
Social Impact of 3D Bioprinting
3D bioprinting is likely to become a leading segment in the medical field in the future, primarily when it is used together with a person’s stem cell-derived cell lines. The risk associated with donor organs or rejection will be avoided, thus making 3D bioprinting safer. With the rise of demand for transplants continuing every year compared to the number of donors and transplants, 3D bioprinting seems to be the only potential solution in the future (Ventola, 2014). Researchers in the medical field are working round the clock to develop 3D bioprinting that will personalize medicine that will enable doctors to tailor treatment according to the need of patients.
New questions on 3D bioprinting continue to emerge. 3D bioprinting presents a new set of questions in the legal offering. The main legal question revolves around the claim of ownership rights, responsibilities, and values of the printed products among the different interested parties (Vermeulen et al., 2017). Failure to resolve such legal issues is likely to lead to the development of new forms of exploitation through the creation of a black marker for biofabricated organs. Another question is concerned with how the 3D bioprinting technology will be governed and regulated in the future. People are constantly asking whether the government should fund 3D bioprinting projects to ensure and maintain close regulation.
Conclusion
3D bioprinting is already revolutionizing medicine and is thus holds the promise of developing better treatment methods for the health challenges faced by the human race. The future of 3D bioprinting, however, relies on the adoption of swift measures to address the emerging ethical issues. By using 3D bioprinting, medical practitioners and pharmaceutical companies have an opportunity to create more specific drugs and increase the ability to visualize the patient-specific anatomical models.
References
Aimar, A., Palermo, A., & Innocenti, B. (2019). The Role of 3D Printing in Medical Applications: A State of the Art. Journal of healthcare engineering , 2019 .
Ventola, C. L. (2014). Medical applications for 3D printing: current and projected uses. Pharmacy and Therapeutics , 39 (10), 704.
Vermeulen, N., Haddow, G., Seymour, T., Faulkner-Jones, A., & Shu, W. (2017). 3D bioprint me: a socioethical view of bioprinting human organs and tissues. Journal of Medical Ethics , 43 (9), 618-624.
