The 3D printing center of Tan Tock Seng Hospital started a new printing project this year, printing fingers, noses and skull protection covers, and the printing cost is several hundred yuan. The picture shows Deputy Consultant Wang Qihui (left) and Orthopedic Surgeon Yang Guijie of the Hand and Microsurgery Group of Tan Tock Seng Hospital. (Photo by Chen Yuanzhuang)
Lianhe Zaobao (14 April 2023)
The 3D printing center of Tan Tock Seng Hospital has so far printed a nose for one patient, printed fingers for two patients, and five others wore skull protection covers. Patients do not need surgery, and the average printing cost is only a few hundred yuan . The center mainly prints out tailor-made models for patients based on their computerized tomography scans and measurements.
Losing a single finger can cost patients as much as 30 percent of their grip strength, making them wobbly to type on a mobile phone. The 3D Printing Center of Tan Tock Seng Hospital has successfully printed movable fingers. After wearing them, the patient puts on a wristband connected to the fingers, and can control the fingers through wrist movements, regaining most of the hand functions.
The Tan Tock Seng Hospital 3D Printing Center, which opened in 2019, launched three new printing projects earlier this year, including the first local 3D printed nose, movable fingers, and a cranial protective cover to help patients recover from craniotomy surgery.
So far, the center has printed noses for one patient, printed fingers for two patients, and five others wore skull shields. Patients do not need surgery, and the average printing cost is only a few hundred yuan. The center mainly prints out tailor- made models for patients based on their computerized tomography scans (CT scans) and measurements.
Wang Qihui, deputy consultant doctor of the hand and microsurgery group of Tan Tock Seng Hospital, said at a media conference on Thursday (April 13) that in the past, patients who lost their fingers either chose to install artificial fingers to improve the appearance of their hands, but the fingers could not. Activities, or it will cost about a thousand dollars to install a prosthetic finger that uses myoelectric signals to restore finger function.
"Most of the patients who lost their fingers due to some kind of accident are construction workers. We try to help them get their fingers back, but if they can't get them back, they have to amputate... This will not only affect the shape of the patient's hand, but also Make them lose a lot of hand function, like not being able to hold a hammer or a large object."
3D printed skull shield allows patients to recover with peace of mind
The 3D printed skull shield can protect the head of patients after craniotomy, allowing them to recover with peace of mind.
These patients may have had one-third to one-half of their skull removed due to a severe stroke or serious head injury. They must wear a device similar to a bicycle or football helmet to protect their head while waiting for cranioplastic surgery for a month to a year. department.
However, these helmets weigh about 300 to 400 grams, and many patients have to wear them all day, which makes them feel hot and stuffy in the hot local climate. If patients choose not to wear them, they risk re-injury to the head , and fatal incidents have occurred in the past.
In contrast, the 3D printed plastic resin skull shield weighs only about 60 to 100 grams and can be worn with one hand. In 2020, the hospital gave 10 patients a try on the customized protective cover, and about 85% of the patients gave a high evaluation, saying that the wearing process was quite comfortable.
The 3D printed nose is designed to improve the appearance of patients and restore their confidence. Since last year, the center has signed a cooperation agreement with the Eastern District College of Technical Education, allowing the college to handle the appearance of the 3D-printed prostheses . The cooperation starts with the prosthetic nose.
Wu Chuyi, director of the beauty and health department of the Eastern College of Technical Education, said in an interview that the team spent six weeks in the whole process from planning to letting patients try on the prosthetic nose in order to color it to match the skin color of the user.
The 3D printing center currently has nine printers. Last year, it printed about 250 models. It takes an average of several hours to print a model, mainly depending on the size of the model.
Yang Guijie, an orthopedic surgeon at Tan Tock Seng Hospital who is in charge of leading the center, said in an interview that this printing technology is a big step towards precision medicine for the hospital. He hopes to continue to expand the printing project to benefit more patients, including the development of 3D implantable printing device.
21-year-old Gu Liangyu aspired to become an engineer, but unfortunately encountered a traffic accident in October last year and lost his right little finger. After he recovered, he found that the strength of his right hand was greatly reduced. In addition to Being unable to lift heavy objects, his ability to type and use tools was affected.
Under the introduction of an occupational therapist, he participated in the project of 3D printing fingers and is currently debugging and assembling. He said: "I'm looking forward to being able to go about my daily activities again with the prosthetic finger on. Also hope that this project will benefit people who have suffered similar injuries like me and help them get back to normal."