Flight medical teams won't be stymied by inadequate supplies anymore

Jul 17, 2014 12:54 GMT  ·  By

Space isn't the best place to conduct a surgery, with the zero gravity and everything, but sometimes it can't be helped if there is no other way to save the life or health of a crew member. 3D printing technology is now helping to make surgeries easier.

If you were paying attention to the 3D printing industry last month, you probably know that there is now a 3D printer that can be used successfully in space, despite the lack of gravity there.

You might also know that there are plans to establish an orbital manufacturing facility on the International Space Station.

What was not altogether clear was what 3D printing technology would actually be used for up there. After all, it's not like we're anywhere near the stage where we can put together space ships in that environment.

We now know at least one project that could have an impact on space operations in the near future: 3D printed surgical tools.

You see, there are many different scalpels, scissors and forceps that can be useful in specific situations, but totally useless or even harmful in others.

Transportation is a problem, because the ride up into orbit isn't exactly smooth, and you can't exactly stuff a shuttle full of metal instruments. There are weight restrictions to consider, and the cargo hold isn't exactly huge.

In a way, it is odd that a small kit of tools would be seen as a troublesome addition to a supply run. Nevertheless, there are plenty of people who want to reduce the preparatory supplies that need to be loaded before each space mission.

Dr. Julielynn Y. Wong from the Center for Innovative Technologies and Public Health in Toronto and Dr. Andreas C. Pfahnl of Devicix, LLC in Eden Parie claim that 3D printed surgical instruments are the answer.

They have spent quite a bit of time testing and adjusting their designs so that the scissors, forceps and hemostats do their job despite being made of ABS plastic instead of metal. In the end, though, they did it, made 10 surgical instruments and reached the conclusion that they could definitely be made in space on an as-needed basis.

A Dimension Elite 3D printer created the objects, using Stratasys CatalystEX 4.0.1 3D printing software. Actual surgeons were asked to test them and found that the bending parts had to be printed a bit thicker, but otherwise the tools worked. Moreover, they can be redesigned to fit left-handed doctors easily.

The sterility and sterilization of 3D printed ABS surgical tools still need to be gauged, however, before anyone even thinks of declaring them standard issue for the International Space Station.