It has been two decades since the introduction of 3D printing technology and made significant contributions in architecture, automobile, aerospace technology, and smart healthcare. In the sector of smart healthcare, the 3D Printing Medical Research Center (3DP MRC) at CMUH is leading the industry.
The 3D MRC is the world's first institute to hold the entire chain from the development of fundamental research to clinical applications. It has several extraordinary "firsts", including the first medical 3D printing center established in a hospital; the first international collaborative research center to work with Georgia Institute of Technology; and the first in performance in Taiwan, including nearly 400 surgeries. The 3DP MRC conducts research in regenerative medicine and is the leader in Taiwan in the number of papers published and patents obtained in the field of medical 3D printing.
The 3DP MRC provides the complete medical 3D printing service from medical image simulation to design analysis and manufacturing of customized medical devices by the 3D printing. These include allowing multiple simulations to optimize preoperative surgerical planning, reducing medical costs, minimizing wounds, shortening recovery time, significantly decreasing surgery duration, and improving the safety of surgery. 3D printed organs can better meet the requirements of the body, e.g. the micropore surface of a 3D-printed bone allows osteocytes to adhere, join, and heal better, providing an improvement over the smooth metal surface implants used in the past.
In 2017, the 3DP MRC received Taiwan's Symbol of National Quality certification for "Interdisciplinary Frontier 3D Printing Medical Development and Clinic Applications."
The 3DP MRC has been awarded the 14th and 15th National Innovation Award in two consecutive years in the Academic Research Category by the Institute for Biotechnology and Medicine Industry for their research in "Developing the screw placement simulation and planning system for bone fusion clinical use" and “3D cell spheres with the printable neural conduit for innovative medical device”, respectively