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3D Printing for Personalized Medicine

3D printing has become a very useful tool for industry as well as for student projects at the high school and college level. The printer works by extruding heated plastic, which then builds layer upon layer to create three-dimensional objects.

In medicine, this has been used to create prosthetics and implants tailored to specific needs. However, one of the most exciting new medical developments involves 3D printing of personalized medicine for special needs patients. The University of Tartu Clinic in Estonia has recently acquired a 3D printer to make 3D-printed medicine tablets for children and individuals with swallowing disorders. Instead of using plastic to build layer by layer, a 3D-medicine printer uses "medicinal ink" consisting of various excipients (substances other than the active drug), to which the active medicine ingredient is added before printing.

3D printer lastefondile. Foto: SA Tartu Ülikooli Kliinikumi Lastefond

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