Pune: In the future, 3D printing is expected to play an important role in personalised medicine, through its use in customizing nutritional products, organs and drugs, stated Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University Lucknow's Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences head, Dr Shubhini Saraf.
Saraf was talking in a webinar on '3D printing and its relevance in the post COVID era', which was organised by Maharashtra Cosmopolitan Education Society's Allana College of Pharmacy.
More than 90 professors, researchers and representatives of the pharma sector participated in the webinar.
Saraf explained the importance of 3D printing in medical applications such as medical devices, biologics and drugs. She also talked about the importance of 3D printing in bioprinting tissues and organs.
Host principal Prof Kiran Bhise convened and Dr Kanchan Chauhan, Dr Rani Potawale, Amruta Yadav and Rajat Sayyed coordinated the event.
Relevance during pandemic
Saraf said, "Extraordinary circumstances like COVID-19 demand extraordinary solutions. One such solution is 3D printing which has come to be very useful in the current COVID-19 pandemic."
During the pandemic, the 3D printing community, of the country, responded with face masks, face shields, personal protection kits, ventilator splitters, all of which have helped in protecting the frontline corona warriors.
Worldwide, numerous hubs of 3D printing have been set up, which are coming up with quick solutions for the shortage in ventilators and ventilator parts, stated Saraf.
"The printers are not complex equipment and engineers, pharmaceutical industry and doctors can come together for rapid prototyping, testing and production of medical devices through these printers. In the United States, one university has come up with a ventilator which just requires an oxygen cylinder and does not require electricity," she said.
"It is priced at 10 dollars and its inventors are willing to share the know-how with the 3D printing community free of charge. The pharmacy and engineering colleges of the country should come together and respond to the situation which has been created by the pandemic," Saraf added.
