David Chow: Challenges and the Future of 3-D Printing in Medicine

With medical equipment being universal in operating rooms everywhere having the tools personalized for surgeons could be somewhat of an uphill battle depending on how popular the idea becomes.

One of the reasons for the universal nature of surgical tools today is that they are made by many of the same manufacturers. However, David Chow, MD, from the University of Toronto said that could change in the future. As designers become more comfortable marketing their wares through any number of channels Chow said the larger companies could be cut out of the equation as 3-D printers become a viable option for the production of these tools. Chow discussed this topic during the annual meeting of the American Society of Retina Specialists in San Francisco.