Oct 31, 2024 
Drew Meyer, MSPO, CPO, has eight years of experience in clinical orthotics and prosthetics and four years in medical device design, underpinned by a background in biomedical engineering. He holds degrees from the Colorado School of Mines and Baylor College of Medicine. Throughout his career in the O&P industry, Drew has held various roles, from staff practitioner, to clinic manager, and now developing and selling software solutions that enhance the designs and efficiency of orthotic and prosthetic care. Outside of his professional life, Drew is dedicated to his family. He has been married for 11 years and is actively involved in raising their four beautiful children. This balance of a demanding family life and a professional career in orthotics and prosthetics highlights his commitment to both personal and professional growth, and underscores his dedication to enhancing patient outcomes through innovative technology. Drew will be speaking at the upcoming virtual event, focusing on the same subject.
When was the first encounter you had with 3D printing?
Drew: In 2010 I started working for Medical Modeling which ended up being acquired by 3D systems
in 2014. I was a BioMedical Engineer responsible for Processing DICOM data sets to create
virtual anatomical models from CT scans. Some of these virtual models were further
manipulated for virtual surgical planning, and others were immediately printed using SLA. They
had an SLA350 that would take 28hrs to print a complete skull with two colors, and I’ll never forget my
first time watching a build platform rise up out of the tank to slowly reveal a complete skull, and
resin was oozing out of the eye sockets. I thought it was the most amazing thing ever to build
such a complex structure with a tiny laser beam.
What inspired you to start your journey?
Drew: Having a few years of professional experience at a company that was utilizing 3D printing as a
business model was very foundational for my future career in clinical Orthotics and Prosthetics.
When I went through grad school for O&P, I remember feeling distinctly let down to find out
the fabrication processes largely hadn’t changed since the ’60s, and didn’t involve 3DP. Since a
large percentage of work in O&P is highly custom, it made sense that 3D printing would
eventually have a place, but I didn’t see much of it around me, so I started exploring on my own.
Who inspired you the most along this journey ?
Drew: One of the earliest times I saw 3D printing in O&P was when I stumbled across the Cyborg Beast
from E-nable in 2013 on Google+, and I reached out to learn more and spoke with Jon Schull. It
was really inspiring to see him and many others taking a humanitarian engineering approach to
create functional prostheses for kids with partial hand amputations. They were using a hive-
design approach with people pitching in from all over the world to problem solve, design, print,
and assemble these devices.
What motivates you the most for your work?
Drew: Few things are more satisfying than when someone rolls into an appointment and then walks
out! Or when someone says “Hey, I can walk and it doesn’t hurt” or “I feel so much safer”. All
these types of feedback are the dopamine hit for orthotists and prosthetists.
What is/are the biggest obstacle(s) in your line of work? If you have conquered them, what were your solutions?
Drew: Sadly, insurance documentation and reimbursements take a lot of the wind out of my sails! So
much unnecessary time and energy is spent justifying and defending our clinical decision-making
to the likes of UHC and BCBS. Also, obscure rules from insurance carriers prevent people from
getting the equipment they need to be successful, and it’s a crying shame to watch it happen or
be the bearer of bad news.
What do you think is (are) the biggest challenge(s) in 3D Printing/bio-printing? What do you think the potential solution(s) is (are)?
Drew: Overcoming the CAD hurdle, and making prints that are safe, functional, and considered
acceptable by the patient. It’s a classic engineering design triangle, you can usually only pick 2! If
it’s safe and functional, it’s likely too bulky for the patient. If the device is functional and used by
the patient, then I lose sleep wondering if/when it’s going to break. We have just scratched the
surface of CAD in O&P, and very few have ventured down the path of simulation, but I think
accurately constrained simulation will help us design safe AND functional devices.
If you are granted three wishes by a higher being, what would they be?
Drew: That there would be no more suffering on Earth, that my kids could be successful in all they do,
and that my wife and I could immediately retire on Kauai.
What advice would you give to a smart driven college student in the “real world”? What bad advices you heard should they ignore?
Drew: I always tell prospective engineering students that the best skill they can possess is the ability to
actually make functional prototypes. Whether that is via CAD and 3DP, or coding, or with a razor
and some foamboard, or with a breadboard and some resistors. Knowing how to take an idea
from thought to reality is where actual progress happens.
Bad advice to ignore is “Say yes to everything”.
What’s your favorite book you read this year and why? Alternatively, what’s your favorite book of all times you read and why?
Drew: My favorite book of all time is a toss-up between the Holy Bible and Calvin and Hobbes, clearly,
they serve two very different purposes! One is redemption and wisdom, and the other is
entertainment and an enduring reminder not to be too serious.
Related Links:
How AI and 3D Printing Enhance Crafting Custom Orthotics and Prosthetics
3D Printed Orthotics and Prosthetics (On Demand, 2021)
3D Printing for O&P (On Demand 2023)
Interview with Brent Wright: 3D Printed Orthotics and Prosthetics
Interview with Chris Baschuk: Partial Hand Prosthetics
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