According to DNP, the procedure allows doctors to produce human organ models in a format that makes internal structures, such as blood vessels or tumours easier to see without having to reconstruct the entire organ. This is said to allow doctors to simulate their operations, reducing surgery time and helps patients better understand their medical condition.
Traditional organ models can cost in the range of hundreds to thousands of pounds due to the cost of the resin material used. The DNP/Tsukuba method cuts costs by using less material as only the internal structure of the organ is being recreated, rather than the entire organ that would require complex transparent resins and a multi-material 3D printer.
It is expected that the new technique will become commercially available later in 2016.
