The recapitualtion of 3 d printing in pharamceutical epoch

7/4/2021
SHIPRA RATH (rathshipra2703@gmail.com)
1
The Recapitulation of 3D Printing in Pharmaceutical Epoch
Presented by
Shipra Rath
2nd Sem F.Y.M.Pharm 2020-2021
(rathshipra2703@gmail.com)
Course code: MPH
SSR College of Pharmacy , Silvassa
(NBA Accredited B.Pharm . Program for 2019-2022)
(Affiliated to Savitribai Phule Pune University ,
Approved by AICTE & PCI)
U.T Of Dadra Nagar Haveli, Daman & Diu-396230

Contents:
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 Definition of 3D Printing.
 Introduction of 3D printing technology .
 History of 3D printing in Pharmaceutical industry.
 3D Techniques: commonly used methods.
 3D Printing of Drug Delivery System.
 Challenges & Future of 3D Printing in Pharmaceutical
Sector.
 Revolutionary Medical Cost Implementations of 3D
Printing.
 Overall Advantages of 3D Printing in Medical Costs.
 Application of 3D Printing Technology in COVID-19
 Key Issues Related to 3D Printing.
 List of References.

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 3D Printing(3DP) is a fabrication process in
which sequential layers are usually added on
top of each other to form a variety of
geometric shapes. This is a common printing
process known as additive manufacturing
(AM) and is a form of rapid prototyping, also
known as solid freeform fabrication(SFF).
 3D printers are controlled by a computer that
reads digital model data given by computer-aided
design (CAD) software or a computed
tomography (CT) scanner.

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 During years of drug therapy, patients were fitted to
the manufacturer ́s dose advice instead of fitting the
dose to the needs of the patients.
 Various pharmaceutical technologies were presented
in the past to adapt the dosage of active
pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) to the needs of the
patient. In 2011, Stoltenberg et al. introduced the
production of orally disintegrating mini-tablets
(ODMTs) as a suitable drug delivery system (DDS)
for pediatrics. The development of ODMTs allows
administering low doses of APIs with regard to the
physical condition of the patients. ODMTs combine
advantages of solids regarding stability and of liquids
regarding individual dose adaption .

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 Another dosage form of interest is orodispersible
films (ODFs).Drug-loaded ODFs produced via
solvent casting can be cut into different sizes, which
allows an individual dose adaption.
 Sandler et al. were able to develop the concept
further towards individualized dosing by implementing
inkjet printing of APIs onto different substrates,
including ODFs.
 Recent developments in the field of 3D printing (3DP)
have led scientists to experiment with, and assess the
usability of, this technology within the Medicinal field.
This includes rapidly advancing areas, such as drug
delivery system ‘s, tissue engineering, tissue and
organ models, prosthetics and replicafabrication,
implants, and many more.

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 Charles Hull is considered the pioneer of 3D
printing, as he developed, patented and
commercialized the first apparatus for the 3D
printing of objects in the mid 1980s, as well as
developed the STL file format that interfaced with
existing CAD software. Hull’s technique,
stereolithography (SL), consists of a laser that
moves across the surface of a liquid resin, curing
the resin, before the stage is again submerged to
allow for the curing of another layer; this process
is repeated layer by layer until the desired
geometry is printed.

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 At the same time, parallel work was on-going at the
University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin),
Massachusetts Institute of Technology(MIT),
Stratasy’s, Ltd. and other companies to develop other
additive manufacturing techniques. The same year that
Hull filed a patent for his stereolithography apparatus, a
researcher and his advisor from UT Austin filed a patent
for selective laser sintering, a process whereby a laser
beam is scanned over a powder bed to sinter or fuse the
powder; the powder bed is then lowered, fresh powder is
spread and the process is repeated to produce a solid
object.
 Professors at MIT were credited with first using the
term ‘‘3D printer’’ with their invention of a layering
technique using a standard inkjet print head to deposit
‘‘ink’’ or a binder solution onto a powder bed to bind
powder, again repeating this process layer-by-layer to
produce a desired geometry. The un-bonded or loose
powder, which acts as a support during processing, is then
removed. The structure can be further treated, for example

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 In 1989, Scott Crump, co-founder of Stratasy’s,
Ltd., filed a patent on fused deposition modeling
(FDM). This technique fabricates an object by
depositing layers of solidifying material until the
desired shape is formed.
 In 1996, inventors at Helisy’s, now Cubic
Technologies, developed a laminated object
manufacturing technique consisting of the shaping
(usually by lasers) and stacking of sheets of defined
materials, with adjacent layers bonded by adhesives
or welding.

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3D Printing
VAT
Polymerizatio
n
Powder Bed
Fusion
Material
Extrusion
Material
Jetting
Binder Jetting Direct Energy
Deposition
Sheet
Lamination
SLA
DLP
CLIP
SLS
SLM
EBM
FDM
SSE
MJ
DoD
CJP LENS
EBAM
UAM
Abbreviations : Stereolithography (SLA); digital light processing (DLP); continuous liquid interface
production (CLIP); selective laser sintering (SLS); selective laser melting (SLM); electron beam melting (EBM);
fused deposition modeling (FDM); semi-solid extrusion (SSE); material jetting (MJ); drop-on-demand (DoD); color
jet printing (CJP); laser engineered net shape (LENS); electron beam additive manufacture (EBAM); ultrasonic
additive manufacturing(UAM).

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Scheme of 3D printing process

Commonly used methods in 3D
printing
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1) Fused deposition modeling (FDM)
a. Technique: Material extrusion
b. Method: Melted thermoplastic deposited as layers on
top of each other. Each layer fuses to each other,
forming form a 3D object.
c. Use: -A delivery system for nanocapsule
-Formation of tablets
-Scaffold for bone tissue engineering
-Production of vaginal rings
-Intrauterine devices and subcutaneous rods
-Orodispersable film
-Micro needles
-Multi-compartment capsules in small batches
-Tablets

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d. Commonly used materials: Thermoplastic polymers, polylactic acid,
polylactide(PLA),polyvinyl alcohol(PVA), acrylonitrile butadiene
styrene(ABS).
e. Advantages: -Allows production of hollow objects and range of
polymers
-Allows creation of many geometric shapes and colors
-Easy to use Pharmaceutical-grade polymers developed for this
method
-Low cost, minimal size, widely available; could be easily
incorporated into healthcare system
- Compatible with FDA-approved thermoplastics, such as PLA,
polycaprolactone, and polyglycolic acid
-Highly adjustable, affordable, minimally sized
-Cost-effective, versatile flexible, allows production of complex
shapes, which in turn changes release characteristics, high
reproducibility .
f. Disadvantages : Resolution is lower than other methods, such as SLS
and SLA. Longer process time than injection moulding.

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 Process :
Spolls of filaments present in rollers
Pass through nozzle heated up to a high temperature
enough to melt filament
This melted filament is deposited on build platform
according to design created using software.
Nozzle(50-100um) moves horizontally and build
platform moves vertically downwards as process
continues.
After each layer, build platform moves down and
another layer is deposited on top of previous layer.
The melted fusion is added layer by layer and fused
together because layers are in molten state.

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Schematic representation of Fused deposition modelling

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2) Selective laser sintering (SLS):
a. Technique : Powder bed fusion
b. Method : Laser used to sinter and fuse layers of powder
materials together, forming 3D object generally in porous
structure with loosely bound particles.
c. Use : Drug-loaded products (e.g., tablets, multi-unit
dosage forms) with immediate and modifiedrelease
profiles with different drug loading capabilities.
d. Commonly used materials : Metal powder,
thermoplastic polymer, wax, ceramic, alloys.
e. Advantages : Solvent-free process , Fast compared with
other methods, One-step process , Produces higher
resolution objects.
f. Disadvantages :Sometimes high heat generated on
printing bed by laser-based fusion could cause drug
degradation especially if drug is thermolabile.

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 Process:
Laser is directed to draw a pattern into powder bed.
Object is built layer-by-layer.
Layer completed, roller distributes a new layer of
powder as top of previous one.
•SLS is mostly been used in formation of scaffolds in bioengineering with
proper biocompatible materials.
•There are very few formulations studied using SLS as 3D Printing.
- In 2017, immediate release and modified release formulations of
Paracetamol as model drug and Kollicoat immediate release or Eudragit
L100-55 as polymer were printed using SLS technology.

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3) Selective laser melting(SLM):
a. Technique: powder bed fusion.
b. Method: High-power laser used to melt and fuse
metallic powder together.
c. Use: Intervertebral implants.
d. Commonly used materials: Metal powder,
thermoplastic polymer, wax, ceramic, alloys.
e. Advantages: Consolidate biocompatible alloy
powders.
f. Disadvantages: Drug degradation owing to high
temperature generated by high power laser.

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Powder bed fusion

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4) Stereolithography apparatus (SLA):
a. Technique: VAT polymerization.
b. Method: Solidification of liquid resin by photo
polymerization.
c. Use: prinlets, masks, microneedles, polypills, COVID-19
testing kit.
d. Commonly used materials: Metal powder,
thermoplastic polymer, wax, ceramic, alloys. Liquid photo
polymers, polymer- ceramics, resins, hydrogels, etc.
e. Advantages: Faster disintegration of materials than
FDM, Higher drug loading capacity, Higher resolution, No
drug degradation except for light-sensitive drugs, Can
use with more thermally unstable drugs because of
localized heating being minimized.
f. Disadvantages: Generally not recognized as safe,
although there are a few medical grade polymers
available -Only liquid resins with stringent materials

SLA with its components
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Stereolithography process in 3D printing

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5) Gel extrusion:
a. Technique: material extrusion.
b. Method: Extrusion of inks comprising pastes or gels
layer upon layer to form 3D object.
c. Use: Controlled-release bilayer tablets & 5 in 1 dose
polypill.
d. Commonly used materials: polymers.
e. Advantages: Can use inexpensive desktop 3D
printer, Can deliver drugs with different release
profiles successfully, improving adherence for
patients taking multiple pills daily.
f. Disadvantages: Compatibility between homogenous
hydrogel-forming materials, Interaction between
crosslinker and hydrogel additives.

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6) Inkjet:
a. Technique: binder jetting.
b. Method: Involves modifying normal ink cartridges to
carry aqueous drug solutions.
c. Use: spritam, tablets, oral wafers, implants, preparation
of inhalant.
d. Commonly used materials: Polymer powder, liquid
binder, etc.
e. Advantages: Allows use of very small volumes of
solution, Can be scaled up easily with additional printer
systems or larger printer heads, Can increase dissolution
rate for poorly soluble drugs, Able to produce medicines
for instant consumption without post curing as in SLA or
SLS.
f. Disadvantages: Only small volumes of solution can be
used, causing scale-up problems.

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 Different types of Inkjet printing:
A) Continuous Inkjet Printing B) Drop on demand
a) Based on print head
-piezoelectric inkjet
-thermal inkjet
b) Based on substrate
-drop on solid
-drop on drop

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Schematic representation of Drop on
demand 3D printing

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Inkjet printing

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7) Material jetting:
a. Technique: material jetting
b. It differs substantially from binder jetting.
c. Advantage of material jetting over binder jetting and
other methods is resolution; inkjet droplets are about
100mm in diameter and layer thickness for material
jetting are smaller then the droplet diameter.
d. Commonly used jetted materials include molten
polymers nad waxes, UV curable resins solutions,
suspensions and complex multicomponent fluids.

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Schematic representation of material jetting process

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8) Color jet 3D printing
9) Electron beam melting
printing

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 The range of dosage forms prepared using 3D printing
technologies, over the last 10 years..
A) Implants and prosthetics:
Implants and prosthetics are required to meet individual
patient’s needs and are reliant on their unique anatomy
and pathology. Conventional wrought/casting methods
require additional equipment or tools that have inherent
limitations concerning implant fabrication, such as
insufficient biomechanical joint reconstruction and
inaccurate joint fixation. As a result, more than a quarter
of hip implant revisions are re-revisions and offers
solutions to these problems by using a patient’s
biometric scans to create highly specific CAD models,
printing with high geometric accuracy, and the ability to
customize the surface to further suit the function (e.g.,
antibacterial properties). In this case, a 3D acetabular
implant is fabricated using EBM technology in a
specific manner to create a porous posterior surface.
This structure resembles the natural properties of bone.

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An acetabular implant for hip prosthetics

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 Over the last 10 years, 3D printing has been utilized for
the fabrication of implantable dosage forms, as well as
the treatment of implantable devices. In 2007, Huang et al.
fabricated monolithic implants of levofloxacin (LVX) for
comparison with implants with compression, as well as
implants with complex architecture for pulsed and bimodal
release. The printed implants showed more porous
infrastructure than those prepared by compression; thus,
the drug release from the printed implant showed faster
and slightly higher burst release than the compressed
dosage form.
 Another type of implant are bioceramic implants, which
are fabricated via inkjet printing to guide angiogenesis.
 Osteoid casts have also been developed via 3DP. The
designer of this cast improves the patient’s comfort and
reduce the time needed for the bones to heal by improving
ventilation, which could prevent skin irritation and smell. In
addition, the osteoid cast can be easily used with an
ultrasound system, which would dramatically increase the
bone-healing process.

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3D printed Osteocoid with an ultrasound system

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B) Wound dressings: Wound dressings have an
important role in helping wound healing and reducing
infection that could lead to other complications. 3DP
has been used to produce wound dressings that are
patient specific and antimicrobial. Muwaffak et al.
fabricated an antimicrobial wound dressing that
can be personalized via 3DP and is capable of
preventing wound infections. This was achieved by
coupling HME with the printing process, which allowed
the incorporation of silver (Ag), copper (Cu), and zinc
(Zn). These metals are antimicrobial, enhance wound
healing, and have fast release and then slow-release
properties.

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 3D scan of a patient’s nose followed by the dressing
produced using 3D printing of Cu-polycaprolactone (PCL).
C) 3D printing of tablets: Early work with 3D printing of
tablet dosage forms was conducted using 3D powder bed
printing. Katstra et al. highlighted the ability to achieve
appreciably low drug deposition, measuring 10-12moles
or 0.34 ug per droplet, using a 10.6 mg/mL active solution.
He also conducted physical characterization of the
resulting tablets showing the ability to obtain comparable
hardness and friability to compressed dosage forms by
increasing polymer/binder concentrations. 3D inkjet
printing generally produces more porous and therefore
more friable tablets that those prepared by compression.
The increased porosity with 3D inkjet printing has been
attributed to incomplete interaction with the printed binder
solution, leading to areas of ‘‘unbound’’ particles.

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 Aprecia Pharmaceuticals took advantage of this
increased porosity to create orodispersible tablets
that rapidly dissolve (10 s) with very small amounts of
water (15 mL or less). Their patented ZipDose
technology is adapted from the powder bed printing
technology developed at MIT and boasts the ability to
support drug loading upto 1000 mg.
 Rowe et al. emphasized the ability of 3D fabrication
to produce complex dosage forms by producing tablets
with IR and extended release (ER) components,
delayed release, pulsatory drug release, inclusion of
multiple APIs, and breakaway tablets that generate
smaller fixed geometries with tailored erosion rates.
 Using this flexibility for the printing of geometries that
are not readily prepared through tablet compression,
Yu et al. prepared tablets in a doughnut shape to
produce zero-order release by controlling surface area
during erosion.

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 Yu et al. made a structure with the top and bottom
layers comprised ethylcellulose (EC) to produce
impermeable layers; the inner core was prepared
using an active blend of acetaminophen (APAP) with
the binder used for the outer surface consisting of 2%
EC to create a slower release rate from the outer
surface.

Summary of studies for the fabrication of tablets using 3D
printing
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Dosage form API 3D technique Summary
1. Tablet, ER Acetaminophen Powder bed inkjet(Fochif
Co.)
Fabricated tablets using
radial gradients of
different rate controlling
excipients and
impermeable EC top and
bottom to produce near
zero-order release.
2. ODT Levetiracetam Powder bed inkjet Prepared rapidly
dissolving (510 s) ODT
that requires little water
(515 mL) with up to 1000
mg drug loading of water
soluble API. Higher printer
fluid saturation used on
outer edges and top and
bottom to increase
hardness of overall ODT.
3. Tablet , IR/ER
BILAYER
Guaifensin FDM (Fab@home) Pastes of IR and ER
formulations extruded into
bilayer tablets; lower
hardness, friability and
slightly faster
release profiles were
seen when compared to
the commercial tablet.

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D) 3D printing of transdermal delivery systems:
 Transdermal delivery systems can be advantageous to
avoid first pass metabolism and/or pH mediated
degradation or to allow for ease of administration for
patients with chronic illnesses, such as diabetes.
 The layer-by-layer 3D printing techniques could
readily be utilized for the preparation of multilayered
transdermal patches of films; however, 3D technology
offers a unique advantage for the printing of drug-
loaded microneedles for transdermal delivery.
 Microneedles are generally less than 500 mm in
height and are meant to penetrate the stratum
corneum (10–15 mm) to deliver active agents.

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 Boehm et al. utilized two additive manufacturing
processes to prepare drug-loaded microneedles. SLA was
used to prepare microneedles of poly(methyl vinyl ether-
alt-maleic anhydride), a biodegradable polymer, and inkjet
printing was used to coat the needles with quantum dot as
a model active agent. These microneedles were shown to
have good mechanical strength for transdermal
administration and Boehm et al. later applied the
stereolitrography and inkjet techniques to produce
microneedles with antimicrobial properties, coated with
amphotericin B and loaded with miconazole.
 The micro-needles coated with quantum dot and
amphotericin B solutions showed some changes to the
microneedle surface and geometry, attributed to the wetting
of microneedle surface by the printing ink. The studies with
the miconazole show less of an effect on the structure of
the microneedle, as the deposition was concentrated at the
top of the needle versus coating the surface of the needle.

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E) Alternative applications of printing technologies:
 One of the more unique potentials of the use of 3D
printing techniques in pharmaceuticals is the ability to
prepare dosage forms at the point of care. The ability
to print dosage forms at the point of care would allow
for flexible and individualized dose strengths without
the prerequisite of a long shelf-life (years),thus
increasing the therapeutic options available to
patients.
 Inkjet technology is also an attractive technique for the
preparation of monodisperse particles.
 Drop on demand print heads can be used to
dispense polymer-API solutions into a solvent
extraction media or crosslinking solution to prepare
uniform drug encapsulated microspheres, allowing for
more particle size control than standard manufacturing
methods, such as double emulsion solvent
evaporation or spray drying.

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 What 3D printing can bring to tablet
manufacturing ?
1. Tailored dose:3D printing is highly flexible and it is
relatively simple to change the shape and size of the
dosage form in response to patient or clinicians’
needs compared to traditional manufacturing
techniques. This is particularly important for pediatric
doses where wide range of doses are frequently
requested. Such flexibly enables the shape of the
tablet to be made to suit a particular patient with
swallowing difficulties .Various studies elucidated the
flexibility of these technologies in fabricating bilayer
tablets e.g. chlorpheniramine maleate and diclofenac
acetaminophen and caffeine.

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 Khaled et al. (2015)demonstrated the feasibility of
extrusion based 3D printing for the fabrication of a
polypill containing the drugs hydrochlothiazide,
ramipril, aspirin, pravastatin and atenolol. Hence,
highlighting the potential of 3D printing technologies in
individualizing the ‘polypill’ concept.
2. Mini-disposer unit:3D printers require minimal space
(e.g. FDM or SLA)allowing them to fit in any
environment. They are affordable and can be remotely
controlled using computer software and network. 3D
printing technologies allow not only small batches but
individual items to be fabricated within a single
manufacturing run. These characteristics allows 3D
printer to function as a mini-dispenser to potentially
bring tablet manufacturing closer to patients.

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3. Integrated with healthcare network: 3D printers are
computerized fabricators that can produce complex 3D
objects using data generated by computer software.
Physicians and pharmacists will be able to modify the
next dose or drug combinations according to patient’s
changing needs reflected by the transmitted data. As
3D printers can be remotely controlled, 3D printing of a
dose will take place in the most accessible location to
the patients. Such a dispensing system offers a clear
advantage of shortening the time of a clinical response
to patient’s needs and improving patient’s compliance
by offering a seam-less experience.

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4. Accelerated disintegration: One significant
difference in 3D printing compared to powder
compression is the pattern of powder aggregation
within the tablet structure. In some examples of
Powder bed 3D printing, powder binding was confined
to the periphery of the tablet design leaving a ‘loose’
powder in the centre. Such a design proved to be
instrumental in development of faster disintegrating
tablets. Aprecia's Zip Dose® demonstrated the
capability in disintegrating in less than 10 seconds
containing a high dose of piracetam (1000 mg).

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Schematic
diagram of
different
steps
involved in
tablet
manufacturin
g 3D printing
can delay the
last
manufacturin
g step and
bring it
closer to
patients.

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a) Cost implications of customized implantable 3D
printing :
-Since the development of 3DP technology, various
interests in implantable delivery systems have taken
great application, such as thermos-sensitive, pH-
responsive, redox reactive macro and nano devices,
using various thermoplastic materials.
1. Upgrade in mechanical properties: Compared to
conventional production procedures such as
casting, greater mechanical properties can be
achieved. The ALM procedure involves specific
metallurgical aspects and produces one-of-a-kind
microstructures. The parts are lighter with the
section thickness slightly reduced, thereby easing
administration and patient compliance.

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2. Biocompatible metal powders: In the stipulations of surgical
implants, acquiring surfaces that bring about properties of
biocompatibility is essential. For implants to be manufactured, pure
titanium and Ti6A14V alloy are preferably utilized. Pure titanium is
considered the most biocompatible metal and possess a higher
resistance to Corrosion. Stainless steel 316L and cobalt-chrome alloys
are other biocompatible materials that are available in powder form.
The extremely controlled ALM atmosphere - restricted oxygen and
neutral gas – guarantees significant quality of the products produced.
3. Cheaper “once-off” and metal implants: Bone is organic matter. It is
complex element. It comprises of trabecular and cortical bone. Bone
has the ability to heal and remodel. It will respond to trauma, such as a
break or rupture. Autografts (using the patient’s bone) or allografts (a
donated bone) are common processes by which the bone is repaired.
Some limitations to these current practices are limited material from the
donor site, the risk of transmitted diseases and the need for further
surgery. Metal, polymer, ceramic and composites are presently being
utilized as artificial replacements to surpass these constraints. It is
imperative that the implant design take into account the mechanical
properties, biocompatibility, cost effectiveness and a precise size that
results in negligible or no excision of good bone. Moreover, the bone

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 the most exciting development in this regard is that
3DP is set to change the way pharmaceutical industry
undertakes its core business. For decades
pharmaceutical companies have produced tablets in
large manufacturing plants with controlled
environments and distributed products to patients via
wholesalers and retail pharmacies. With the advent of
3DP tablets, pharmaceutical companies can now shift
from mass production of pharmaceutical dosage forms
to personalized production for the patient.
 This may translate to a significant reduction in product
manufacturing costs and more ‘greener’ distribution.
This would produce a real change in terms of
pharmaceutical production and distribution costing as
well as the retail pharmacy business model.
Pharmaceutical products that move closer to the

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 The concept of in-house pharmaceutical compounding
still has its roots firmly planted as more inexpensive
way of producing a final product formulation for the
patient.
 This idea still remains, except that a 3DP machine
produces the final product instead of a qualified
pharmacist which may imply a reduction in production
costs. 3DP will allow us to live in a world where
pharmaceutical products and medical devices can be
produced on demand.
 Prescriptions from medical doctors could soon be a
CAD blueprint for patients to print at their nearest 3DP
pharmacy.

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b) Cost implications of 3D printing anatomical models for surgical
practice:
 3DP of anatomical models is apt owing to the complexity of the
human body and individual variances. These models can be
tangibly studied by physicians and enable simulation of surgery,
as opposed to 2D visualization on MRI and CT scans. There are
also advantages of 3D-printed models over training on cadavers,
as these models have definite cost and availability advantages.
Cost savings can also be observed in the materials which can
be effectively employed for creating 3D-models.
 For example, 3D-printed models may be employed to obtain an
understanding of patient-specific anatomy preceding a medical
procedure [3,9]. This is largely still at the experimental stages.
3D-printed models have been utilized in planning liver
transplantations, for identification of the preferred approach for
carving the donor liver with minimal tissue loss but best fit within
the abdomen of the recipient, as pioneered by surgeons at Kobe
University in Japan.
 Notably, the models are constructed from acrylic resin or
polyvinyl alcohol, which are low cost materials, possessing a
high water content and tissue-like texture, which surgical blades

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c) Cost implications of 3D bioprinting of tissues and
organs:
 Currently, treatment of tissue or organ failure is based
on organ transplants from living or diseased donors, of
which there is a chronic shortage. Besides the issue of
finding a tissue-match donor, the costs implicated in
transplant surgery and follow-up are also very high.
 Construction of tissues and organs for medical
research is currently a point of focus for biotech
companies. Rapid screening of novel therapeutic
agents on the tissue of interest is thus enabled, which
significantly reduces research costs Printing an organ
employing patient-specific stem cells would ascertain
drug efficacy within that individual, which would also
reduce the test costs involved in more traditional
approaches.

Overall advantages of 3D printing on
medical costs.
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 The overriding advantage of 3D printers to
produce customized/ personalized medical
devices and equipment brings notable cost-
saving advantages. Customized implants and
prosthetics hold significant value for the physician
and the patient.
 Surgical time, surgical tool availability, medical
device or surgical success, and patient recovery
time, may all be improved through the ability to
create custom-made devices and surgical tools.
 These advantages in turn would decrease the
length of the patient’s stay in hospital, surgical
tool costs, and treatment failure costs.

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 3DP has been proffered for its cost efficiency owing to
its potential for low cost production of items. While
large scale production is still cheaper via traditional
manufacturing approaches, 3DP costs are becoming
increasingly competitive for small production runs,
specifically for small-sized standard implants and
prosthetics.
 Manufacturing costs may also be lowered through a
reduction in the institution of unnecessary materials,
e.g. custom-printing a pharmaceutical tablet which
initially weighted 1000mg as a 100mg system.
 Further, a dosage form can be created in which a drug
is printed for enabling easier and more cost-effective
administration to the patient. The speed at which 3DP
can be undertaken also enables more rapid production
of medical products (e.g. prosthetics and implants)

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56
 Masks:
-Three-dimensional printing can be used to produce
tailored seal designs for improving mask comfort and
fit. To customize face mask seals, 3D laser scanning
can be implemented to scan exact facial parameters,
with a tailored and customized face seal N95 template
Anthropometric data of the chin arc, jawline, face and
nose lengths, and nose protrusion measurements can
be taken into account with this customized seal.
-In a study using face seal prototypes with Acrylonitrile
Butadiene Styrene plastic using a Fused Deposition
Modeling 3D printer, 3 subjects showed improved
contact pressure compared with use of 3M 8210 N95
FFR respirator masks.

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57
-Material extrusion 3D printing was used to design a 3D
printable thermoplastic elastomeric material from a
blend of PP and styrene-(ethylene-butylene)-
styrene(SEBS).5 This blend provides better printability
and flexibility for N95 mask design Thus, 3D printing
procedures may allow for the creation of stable and
biocompatible N95 masks that are comparable to
industrial manufacturing brands.
FDA approved 1st 3D- printed
masks for COVID-19 support.

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 Face shields:
-Polycarbonate and polyester, polyvinyl chloride, and
other synthetic polymers are commonly used to make
surgical face shields. These biomaterials are
transparent, lightweight, and provide high-optical
clarity. The polymers can easily be printed using 3D
technology.
 COVID-19 specimen collection kit:
-Creating 3D printed test swabs would help increase
COVID-19 testing capacity. Nasopharyngeal and
oropharyngeal swabs can be made from a flexible
polymer, using polystyrene for the shaft. The tip can
be tailored to be micro-fine using computer-aided
design software. Thereafter, swab bud lattice fibers
can be made from calcium alginate using hydrogels
using 3D tissue engineering.

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-the collaboration between the USF Health and
Northwell Health to develop a 3D-printed (3DP)
alternative NP swab.

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 Biomedical scientists in collaboration with CAD designers have produced
innovative products that can improve the quality of life of patients suffering from
various debilitating diseases and disorders.
 The freedom to produce specific geometries using 3DP in comparison to the
restrictions of traditional tableting via powder compression can be used to
separate incompatible substances and to enable different release rates using
shape and size as well as excipient manipulation.
 3DP has been embraced by several leading research institutes that recognize its
power to print the future of medicine. However, unsurprisingly there are some
concerns, as with all historical technology revolutions.
 3D printed organs and tissues that are customized for patients have the potential
to eliminate the costs associated with the donation process and ensure every
transplant is accepted by the patient’s body.
 It is important to note that the urgency of healthcare ideas being 3D printed into
reality is still in its infancy. 3DP technology will accelerate further when medical
students are trained in the use of 3DP technology and consider as an option for
diagnosis and treatment.
 In addition to the above cost concerns, there has been exaggeration by media,
governments and by some researchers of the current impact of 3DP. This
provides unrealistic expectations of immediate decreases in medical costs.

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1) Goole Jonathan, Amighi Karimi ; 3D Printing in pharmaceuticals: A New
Tool for designing customized drug delivery system ; International Journal
of Pharmaceutics, 2015 ; Laboratory of Pharmaceuticals &
Biopharmaceuticals faculty of pharmacy, Universite libre de Bruxelles
(ULB), Brussels, Belgium.
2) Yahya .E. Choonara, Lisa L. du Toit, Pradeep Kumar, Pieere P. Kondiah &
Viness Pilay(2016); 3D printing & effect on medical costs: a new era? ;
Expert Review of Pharmacoeconomics & Outcomes Research.
3) Monisha Bansal, Varun Sharma, Gurfateh Singh, S. L. Hari Kumari ; 3D
printing for future of Pharmaceuticals dosage forms ; International Journal
of Applied Pharmaceutics, vol. 30, issue 3,2018.
4) L. Srinivas, M. Jaswaitha, V. Manikanta, B. Bhavya, B. Deva Himavant ;
3D printing in Pharmaceutical Technology: A Review ; International
Research Journal of Pharmacy.
5) Essyrose Mathew, Giulia Pitzanti, Eneko Larraneta & Dimitrios A. Lamprou
; 3D Printing of Pharmaceuticals & Drug Delivery Devices ; 2020.

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63
6) Leena Kumari Prasad & Hugh Smyth (2016) ; 3D
printing Technologies for Drug Delivery ; Drug
Development & Industrial Pharmacy.
7) Ilias El Aita, Hanna Ponsar & Julian Quodbach ; A
Critical Review on 3D Printed Dosage Forms ;
Current Pharmaceutical Design ; 2018, 24, 2957-
2978.
8) A. Eswar Kumar, G. Chinna Devi & N. Sharada ; A
Review on Nobel Approach To Pharmaceutical Drug
Delivery: 3D printing ; International Journal of
Pharmaceutical Sciences & Research(2019) ; Vol.
10, issue 4.
9) N. Shahrubudin, T.C.Lee, R. Ramlan ; An Overview
on 3D Technology: Technological, materials, &
applications ; 2nd International Conference on
Sustainable Materials Processing &
Manufacturing(2019).

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10) Helena Dodzink ; Application of 3D Printing in
Healthcare ; Quality in Medicine, 2016 ; 13(3) ; 289-
293.
11) Grona Chen, Yihua Xu, Philip Chi Lip Kwok, Lifeng
Kang ; A Review on Pharmaceutical Application of
3D Printing ; Additive Manufacturing.
12) Beyong Ju Park, Ho Jai Choi, Sang Ji Moon, Seong
Jun Kim, Rajiv Bajracharya, Jeong Youn Min, Hyo-
Kyung Han ; Pharmaceutical Application of 3d
Printing : current understanding & future
perspectives ; Journal of Pharmaceutical
Investigation(2018).
13) Mohamed A. Alhnan, Tochukwu C. Okwuosa,
Muzna, Ka-WaiWan, Waqri Ahmed ; Emergence of
3D Printed Dosage Forms: opportunities &
challenges ; Pharma Res(2016).

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14) Cai M, Li H, Shen S, et al. Customized design and
3D printing of face seal for an N95 filtering facepiece
respirator. J Occup Environ Hyg 2018;15(3):226–34.
https://doi.org/10.1080/15459624.2017.1411598.

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