"61" children's Day eve, a "Henan no hand boy received gifts 3D printing machinery hand prosthesis" the news caused the attention of many people. May 28, Wuhan Union Hospital doctors using 3D printing technology, Henan Xinyang 6 year old palm boy made a strop prosthetics. This model is cool "manipulator" to take the cup to drink water, hold the handle of the bicycle, and the cost is only 600 yuan, less than one tenth of the cost of traditional prosthesis.

Wuhan local media reports, the "manipulator" called "the country's first 3D printing active prostheses". But in fact, as early as last year in September, Guangdong's Department of orthopedics doctor Xu Guisheng on a broken hand children to produce similar products. The end of March Guangzhou TV station, in early May, Guangdong Yangcheng Evening News, new express daily, Nanfang Dushi Bao, such as media of the prosthesis had reported. Today, the doctor has set up a team, gathered in the field of medical, mechanical design, computer programs and other professionals to explore 3D printing applications in the medical field."

At present, whether in Wuhan or in Guangdong case, 3D printing is still relatively simple artificial roughness, but its cost is low and can be customized production advantages have been revealed. In Xu Guisheng's view, even though there are many problems in the law and regulations, technology research and development, but he believes that the future of 3D printing prosthetic market. "This new technology to reduce medical costs, and promote medical technology innovation is very helpful." Southern Daily reporter Niu Siyuan Intern Tang Nenyu

Innovative Department of orthopedics doctor met 3D printing

In recent years, the application of 3D printing technology in the United States after the rise, quickly swept the world. In the professional medical field, 3D printing technology, new applications are emerging, only in the Department of orthopedics, the use of 3D printing human bone model, artificial joints have been precedent.

In China, there are a lot of people try to introduce 3D printing technology in the medical field, Xu Guisheng is such an early adopters. In 2002, Xu Guisheng graduate, after entering a hospital in Guangdong to do the Department of orthopedics doctor. But for the self proclaimed "idea more young people, step by step to boil qualifications and traditional doctor career path seem to lack the something.

In addition to the heavy work of doctors, Xu Guisheng once participated in the establishment of the inquiry website, provide online doctor inquiry service for patients. However, with the rapid rise of a wave of similar medical application software, Xu Guisheng found that the field to own such individual innovators have not been too large space. But soon, 3D printing technology to let him find another innovation direction.

That is in September 2012, Guangdong, a 5 year old boy accidentally cut meat grinder twisted his right hand, due to the severity of injury, surgery can not save the boy's right hand. Xu Guisheng is involved in the operation. After surgery, he has been to the little boy do follow-up treatment and follow up, pay attention to the little boy's postoperative recovery and growth. He found that the little boy's home is limited, can not afford expensive traditional artificial limb, but the physical disability makes the child's character more introverted.

"Traditional prosthesis, especially upper limb products highly differentiated - either the acts with shape and unable to move only decorative role, need only a few dozen yuan; either can make basic movements, but tens of million yuan or even hundreds of thousands of dollars of myoelectric prostheses." Xu Guisheng said.

In the exchange of a foreign exchange, Xu Guisheng learned to use 3D printing technology to produce artificial limb. The prosthesis can help finger prehension function recovery, and the cost is just the traditional prosthesis is one or even several dozens of, the fastest even need only 12 hours to complete the production.

"This is my case Wuhan tutor brother do." Xu Guisheng said that the Henan boy still retains half palm, Wuhan Union Hospital, doctors with foreign ready-made open source program design 3D printing prosthesis. But the whole of the boy's wrist in Guangdong was gone, so he had to redesign his artificial leg.

After repeated design and trial, Xu Guisheng successfully for the little boy to produce a tailored 3D for his leg. He combined with mechanical design and other related professional and technical personnel, through collecting children lack of wrist joint part of the information and data, computer design prosthesis with a 3D model, and then use the 3D printing components. After assembling the various components, a "private custom" version of the prosthesis is completed.

The aid of prostheses, some of the basic functions of the right hand of the little boy can be recovered, not only to grasp a certain weight of soft and hard materials, has been able to controlling the handle of the bicycle, the bicycle driving. And because the cost of 3D printing technology to produce artificial limb is more low, the future with the development of the young boy need to replace the cost of new artificial limb, but also greatly reduced.

Now, Xu Guisheng and several with partner in the mechanical design, software development professional background established the innovation team, specifically using 3D printing technology were designed and manufactured their bodily form, function to adapt to the customized prosthesis.

New technology or bring "medical revolution"

"A medical revolution caused by 3D printing has begun, compared to the industry is more obsessed with the traditional mode of production, the medical profession for 3D printing technology has a kind of innate kindness." Wang Chengtao, the engineering research center of Digital Medical Education Department of Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Professor, describes the relationship between the 3D printing technology and medical field.

Working with the general principle of the same printer, 3D printers in the rapid prototyping device with liquid or powder, etc.