Affordable and accessible 3D printed models of the liver to support medical education

Three-dimensional (3D) printing (also termed additive manufacturing) has been on the rise across industries and application areas. Advances in materials, printing technologies and affordability have sparked substantial activity in the healthcare and medical education domains, ranging from highly realistic 3D anatomical models for teaching and procedure rehearsal, as well as personalised implants and sophisticated MedTech devices. 3D printing is known for its ability to make people understand complex physical structures and produce difficult to obtain models. Our aim is to explore the use of low-cost SLA and FDM 3D printers to produce realistic anatomical models. Working closely with clinicians from Duke-NUS Medical School and Singapore General Hospital, a use case of the liver was chosen for anatomy teaching and simulation-based skills training, making use of a range of resins and multi-materials.The liver was selected as a good example of a solid organ with internal anatomical detail. In this paper, we will share our progress in 3D-printing liver models from both SLA and FDM printers, as well as the challenges, advantages, and disadvantages of using each of these technologies