The reproduction of human pathology specimens using three-dimensional (3D) printing technology for teaching purposes

Abstract

The teaching of medical pathology has undergone significant change in the last 30-40 years, especially in the context of employing bottled specimens or 'pots' in classroom settings. The reduction in post-mortem based teaching in medical training programs has resulted in less focus being placed on the ability of students to describe the gross anatomical pathology of specimens. Financial considerations involved in employing staff to maintain bottled specimens, space constraints and concerns with health and safety of staff and student laboratories have meant that many institutions have decommissioned their pathology collections. This report details how fullcolour surface scanning coupled with CT scanning and 3 D printing allows the digital archiving of gross pathological specimens and the production of reproductions or replicas of preserved human anatomical pathology specimens that obviates many of the above issues. With modern UV curable resin printing technology, it is possible to achieve photographic quality accurate replicas comparable to the original specimens in many aspects except haptic quality. Accurate 3 D reproductions of human pathology specimens offer many advantages over traditional bottled specimens including the capacity to generate multiple copies and their use in any educational setting giving access to a broader range of potential learners and users.

Applications of 3D printed bone tissue engineering scaffolds in the stem cell field

“…After medium and long-term follow-up, CT bones morphology were maintained in good condition, and good bone replacement obtained a good prognosis [ 60 ]. In addition to bone defect repair and transplantation, this technology is also widely used in clinical teaching [ 61 , 62 ], preoperative simulation [ 63 ], intraoperative navigation [ 64 ], stomatology [ 65 , 66 ], and other aspects, with great application prospect and market value.…”

Development and implementation of a three‐dimensional (3D) printing elective course for health science students

“…There has been a simultaneous increase in adoption and interest in 3D printing, specifically within health science disciplines (McMenamin et al, 2014; Tenewitz et al, 2021). Advances in healthcare have led to a need for health science professionals to become familiar with these technologies for patient care simulation, organ printing, procedural planning for surgeries, orthopedics, interventional radiology, pathology, and patient education (Biglino et al, 2015, 2017; Milano et al, 2019; McMenamin et al, 2021; Tenewitz et al, 2021). The quality of 3D printing materials has improved dramatically; in fact, some institutions have supplemented cadaveric laboratory teaching with 3D printed anatomical models (McMenamin et al, 2014; Tanner et al, 2020) and have created archives of 3D printed pathologic specimens for education (McMenamin et al, 2021).…”

Utility of 3D Printed Models Versus Cadaveric Pathology for Learning: Challenging Stated Preferences

“…Current educational practices that involve cadaveric samples enable students to make spatial connections between relevant structures and gain understanding of pathological processes [ 1 ]. However, cadaveric samples are limited resources that pose financial costs for storage and maintenance [ 2 – 4 ], health concerns risks from contact with embalming fluids [ 5 ], and potential ethical and psychological challenges for students [ 3 , 5 ]. As medical programs move from large cities to multiple locations across regional and rural settings, cadaveric samples may not be available, raising equity issues.…”

“…3D printed models are becoming increasingly prominent in medical education, with applications at every stage of training, including anatomy, pathology, simulation, and pre-surgical planning [ 4 , 6 , 7 ]. Many have reported on methods of producing such models [ 2 , 8 , 9 ], and demonstrated the short-term educational benefits of 3D printed anatomical models in teaching [ 7 , 10 ].…”