Thanks to the work of 3D4MD, a company specialized in 3D printing of medical devices based in Toronto, Canada, astronauts working on the International Space Station will be able to manufacture their own medical products such as splints and surgical devices thanks to 3D printing instead of having to wait for them resupply missions are carried out. This program will be tested on the International Space Station itself from the end of January 2017.
As reported, this whole idea came from Dr. Julie Lynn Wong, founder of 3D4MD who, upon learning that NASA had sent a 3D printer to the International Space Station, decided to contact the agency to be able to collaborate jointly in the development and design of medical tools that could be manufactured, thanks to this printing technology. three-dimensional.
Thanks to the work of 3D4MD, astronauts on the International Space Station will be able to print their own medical supplies.
After a long time of hard work, finally the company and especially Dr. Julie Lynn Wong will see the fruits of all this effort since, as the doctor herself has commented:
This same month we will be doing medical history with 3D printing of the first medical tools in space.
At this point we must bear in mind that it is not only to send a sketch and print it but we are talking about material that is fully customized. We have a clear example in the manufacture of finger splints, each astronaut must have theirs and the solution is as simple as using a laser scanner, sending the measurements to the company's laboratories where the splint will be designed for it later. , be manufactured in space.
In addition to products such as fully customized finger splints for each astronaut, the company showed a new 3 in 1 dental tool that could help in the replacement of any filling as well as a model capable of sensory evaluation able to determine the condition of an astronaut in case of injury.