We’ve become very familiar with 3D printed organ models as an increasingly common tool for surgeons to practice procedures and for medical students to learn the anatomy of individual body parts. 3D printing a detailed, fully accurate replica of the entire human body, though, was a different challenge altogether, and one that took a lot of time to perfect. Professor Paul McMenamin, Director of the Centre for Human Anatomy Education at Monash, and his team used CT and laser scans of real human bodies to create the full-color replicas, which have garnered a great deal of interest from medical schools and institutions.
While the development process took two and a half years, things are moving much more quickly now that the 3D files are completed and readily available. 3D printing new models, however, still takes time. Each full-body replica consists of 57 parts, and larger components can take up to a week to 3D print. With the time and material required, the models are on the expensive side – each kit is valued at more than AUD $250,000.“We printed out the first replicas two-and-a-half years ago and finished the entire series only nine months ago,” Professor McMenamin said. “Since then, we are getting interest from all over the world as it is now a commercially available anatomical teaching tool. We are the leaders in this field.”
With a 3D printed anatomy kit, Churchill students can now learn much more without having to travel a long distance – an advantage that many other universities are likely to avail themselves of. Do you see these kits as a substantial benefit? Discuss further in the 3D Printed Anatomy Kits over at 3DPB.com.
[Source: Latrobe Valley Express]