Additive Manufacturing, better known as 3D printing (3DP), is increasingly being used in healthcare applications. 3D Printing utilizes a variety of methods and materials to convert digital files into 3D objects one layer at a time. Over the last several years, the use of 3DP in health care has expanded dramatically to include anatomical modeling, medical device development, personalized implants, and most recently even 3D bio-printing. The Ochsner BioDesign Lab has developed and integrated anatomical 3DP modeling into a variety of clinical fields including complex spine disease, vascular neurosurgery, and congenital cardiac disease.
Medical extended reality (MXR) is an emerging field at the intersection of health care and immersive technologies like virtual, augmented, and mixed reality. MXR is an evolving field that encompasses: (1) technological integration and innovation; (2) design, development, and deployment; (3) clinical and therapeutic applications; (4) education, training, and communication; and (5) ethical, regulatory, and socioeconomic considerations. The American Medical Extended Reality Association (AMXRA), a professional organization for MXR, and its associated peer-reviewed journal, The Journal of Medical Extended Reality (JMXR), have been launched to further facilitate the growth, impact, and validation of MXR. The Ochsner BioDesign Lab is exploring the use of MXR in a wide range of applications including clinical simulation, procedural planning, and neurorehabilitation.
Salmi, M., Additive Manufacturing Processes in Medical Applications. Materials (Basel), 2021. 14(1).
Chepelev, L., N. Wake, J. Ryan, W. Althobaity, A. Gupta, E. Arribas, L. Santiago, D.H. Ballard, K.C. Wang, W. Weadock, C.N. Ionita, D. Mitsouras, J. Morris, J. Matsumoto, A. Christensen, P. Liacouras, F.J. Rybicki, and A. Sheikh. Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) 3D printing Special Interest Group (SIG): guidelines for medical 3D printing and appropriateness for clinical scenarios. 3D Print Med, 2018. 4(1): p. 11.
Spiegel B, Rizzo A., Persky S, Liran O, Wiederhold B, Woods S, Donovan K, Sarkar K, Xiang H, Joo S, Jotwani R, Lang M, Paul M, Senter-Zapata M, Widmeier K, and Zhang H. What Is Medical Extended Reality? A Taxonomy Defining the Current Breadth and Depth of an Evolving Field. Journal of Medical Extended Reality, 2024. 1(1): p. 4-12.
