Earlier this month, the 3DHeals community joined the staff of the Design Museum of Boston for a tour of their current exhibit: Bespoke Bodies: The Design and Craft of Prosthetics (https://designmuseumfoundation.org/boston/blog/2019/01/24/bespoke-bodies-design-craft-prosthetics-boston/), on view at the Prudential Center through the end of August. We learned about the prosthetics for different parts of the body and their related challenges, how prosthetics design has advanced from passive to body-powered to electric, and the process that each amputee goes through to have a prosthetics fitted. A timeline showed the history of prosthetic design from ancient Egypt through the Civil War and into today. Hanger Clinic Manager Maggie Baumer generously showed us her prosthetic, which had been painted to match her other hand by one of the artists featured in the exhibit.

The prosthetics on display ranged from fashion pieces to high-performance devices used by Olympic athletes. Of particular interest to our group were several displays on the use of 3D scanning and printing, which allow for the creation of low-cost prosthetics for underserved populations such as children and the developing world.

At the end of the tour, attendees were able to experience MiGO, a new virtual reality experience by Hanger Clinic which immerses viewers in the lives of people with limb loss. For those who already possess VR goggles, MiGo is available to download. (http://hangerclinic.com/new-patient/Pages/GetMigo.aspx)

Related Articles:

3D Scanning and 3D Printing for Creating Affordable Prostheses

A Helping Hand to Those in Need—Improving the World with 3D Printing

3D Scanning for Prostheses

Interview: Mr. Jerry Evans, CEO of Nia Technologies Inc.

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3D Printed prenatal spina bifida model by Dr. Albert Woo

On July 26th, concurrent with MIT Short Course on Additive Manufacturing, 3DHEALS hosted its annual Boston community event, which was supported by GE Ventures. The event was very well attended, again gathering a mixed audience with backgrounds ranging from engineering, medicine, dentistry, to venture capitalists, corporate representatives, and media. Speaker information can be found on this post. 
 

Jessica Zeaske’s introduction to GE Ventures

Everyone brought their curiosity, passion, and questions about bioprinting and 3D printing to the event, making the networking experience and presentations incomparable to any other typical meetups. The event follows the typical fast pace, engagement-focused 3DHEALS event template. The highlights of the presentations are below. Thanks to JOMI, the event was professionally recorded and can be found on the 3DHEALS channel.

• The event started with Jessica Zeaske’s introduction to GE Ventures healthcare division’s investment activities. Her most notable advice to the startup founders was, “How are you going through regulatory and reimbursement pathway?” Not an easy question, but worth investing time in.
• Gideon Balloch who is the dental product lead from Formlabs emphasized on the importance of developing an easy-to-learn and use digital workflow in the progress of 3D printing adoption in digital dentistry as well as medicine Dental 3D printing. It is already a reality that older dental lab technicians can now easily learn the new 3D printing workflow that was not previously available at an affordable price range.   
• Derek Morris,Project Lead and a founder of the Organ Manufacturing Group at United Therapeutics, focused on the importance of advancing material sciences in making organ printing a reality. We have already made major advances in stem cell, 3D printing, and material sciences, but ultimately “Materials defines the 3D printer” (quote Chuck Hull) and cells will define materials.
• Albert S. Woo, MD, FACS, who is a board-certified plastic and reconstructive surgeon who specializes in the treatment of cleft and craniofacial anomalies, gave us a variety of user cases of how 3D printing can be an instrumental new tool from craniofacial reconstruction to educating clinicians more efficiently, to educating patients on difficult subjects such as fetal defects. The point Dr. Woo made about lowering the learning curve for younger doctors (or less experienced or skillful healthcare providers) can be very disruptive to the healthcare industry, but beneficial to humanity as a whole.  
• Gray Chynoweth who is the current Chief Membership Officer for ARMI | BioFabUSA gave the audience an overview about ARMI|BioFabUSA and that it is an agnostic organization who is on the constant lookout for innovations that will achieve the ultimate goal in regenerative medicine, bioprinting or not. Gray emphasize the availability of funding and networking opportunties provided by ARMI.

Event Videos: 

 



3DHEALS Boston 2018: Bioprinting Lungs, Project Lead and founder of the Organ Manufacturing Group at United Therapeutics from 3DHEALS on Vimeo.


3DHEALS Boston 2018: Gray Chynoweth, Chief Membership Officer for ARMI | BioFabUSA from 3DHEALS on Vimeo.

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“Personally, I’d like to give it more of my time. Sometimes I wish it were my full-time job. But ultimately, I’d like to see it be a self-sustaining, inclusive community that brings together the brightest technical minds with the brightest creative minds and marketing minds to not only create something new but also to inform the greater Boston and global community on our message.”

 
 
 
 
Community: Boston

3DHEALS members can get in touch with: Samantha Lindsay here 

Jenny: Tell us, what is one quote that represents you?
Sam: “We haven’t located us yet.”  
Jenny: Tell us a little about yourself. (Where are you from originally? Where are you located? What are you working on?)
Sam: I’m originally from Carson City, NV and spent about 12 years in Reno. I’ve been living with my husband, Cory, in Providence, RI for the past seven years. I work at a software company – Dassault Systemes – where I’m a partner manager. I’ve been working here for about six and a half years. Currently, I’m working on earning an MBA which will be completed in April 2019.
Jenny: What made you decide to become a 3DHEALS community manager?
Sam: I ended up working closely with our additive manufacturing team at work to manage our first ever additive manufacturing symposium. It was held in Chicago in May of 2017. First, I loved working with the team. They were so excited about what they were working on and how Dassault Systemes was going to help push additive manufacturing into the mainstream from prototype part to production part. After this event was over I went back to my normal “day job” and the additive manufacturing team director tagged me in a LinkedIn post that Jenny had written looking for community managers. I messaged her on LinkedIn and had a phone call with her shortly thereafter. After our conversation, I was convinced I wanted to become a member of the organization in order to help cultivate the 3DHEALS community in Boston.
Jenny: If you have already organized a 3DHEALS event, what were your experiences like? (Photos?) Anything unexpected happened?
Sam: I’ve been a part of two 3DHEALS events now. The first one was back in July 2017. It was great working with Jenny as she already knew many people in Boston so she was able to get the speakers there. I worked with the law firm who was hosting us and worked on logistics for the event. On the day of the event, I got a chance to finally meet Jenny in person which, by the way, was probably one of the best parts because could she be any cooler? Then during the event, I realized that the caliber of people she had presenting was astounding. I knew right then I was where I needed to be. I was working with a community whose vision I loved and appreciated. These were (and are) the people that are going to change the face of healthcare.
The second event I organized was Pitch 3D. This was essentially Shark Tank for 3D printing in healthcare. Again, being around these types of people is inspiring. They made me realize that even if I’m not a doctor or engineer I can see be a part of the community simply by helping bring it together.
Jenny: What do you think of innovations in healthcare 3D printing or bioprinting? What do you hope to see in the next five years? 10 years?
Sam: I hope to see 3D printing and bioprinting as the go-to treatment in personalized medicine. I hope that it becomes the standard or norm for treatment and for guidance for physicians working on complicated cases.
Jenny: Most of our community managers are entrepreneurial and adventurous, what risks/adventures have you taken that you’d like to share with us? Any hopes or regrets?
Sam: I moved across the country to a place I’d never been without a job prospect just to try something different. I wanted to be out of Nevada before I turned 30. I got here about two weeks before my 30th birthday and I haven’t looked back. I’ve created a life for myself that I never thought was possible. I’ve gone into a field that I would never have dreamed of if I didn’t leave Nevada. I’ve become much more confident and independent as a result.
Jenny: Who would you like to find and to include in the 3DHEALS community you are building?
Sam: Personally, I’d like to give it more of my time. Sometimes I wish it were my full-time job. But ultimately, I’d like to see it be a self-sustaining, inclusive community that brings together the brightest technical minds with the brightest creative minds and marketing minds to not only create something new but also to inform the greater Boston and global community on our message.
Jenny: What would you like to accomplish with this new 3DHEALS community in the future?
Sam: Not sure – it seems the sky is the limit.
Jenny: What do you think about the innovation environment (for health tech or for general technology) in your city? What can be done to improve it?

Sam: For Boston – I think it’s got a very healthy innovative environment. It cultivates innovation and forward thinking. It’s got the brightest of the bright in the city. Something that could make it even better it to help make the city more affordable to live in, however, I highly doubt that will happen in my lifetime.
Jenny: What are you most proud of about your city?
Sam: I’m proud of the legacy and history of Boston. I’m proud that it’s a technology and scientific hub. I’m proud that it fosters business and inclusion.
Jenny: What do you think are the top priorities in healthcare innovations for your city/community?
Sam: Continuing to improve upon and learn from research and innovation. Creating partnerships between business and universities.
Jenny: What do you hope to accomplish through your role as the 3DHEALS community manager?
Sam: I hope to build a community that sustains itself that can be easily passed from one community manager to the next. I also hope to build my own professional network so that I can learn from everyone I get to meet.
Jenny: What do you do for fun?
Sam: I spend time with my husband doing things like traveling, going out and meeting new people in our community, CrossFit, walking my dog, hanging out with my dog, going to the beach, reading, snowboarding, cooking and binge-watching Netflix.
Jenny: Anything else?
Sam: I’m really proud to be a part of 3DHEALS. It’s one of my favorite things to talk about.  
 

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“I am very interested in the intersection between bio fabrication, bioprinting, and 3D printing. Joining 3DHEALS is an opportunity to create a local community around those topics, meet some interesting people, and learn a lot.”

 
 
 
 
 
Community: Boston, MA

3DHEALS members can get in touch with Jess Charlap here 

Jenny: Tell us, what is one quote that represents you?
Jess: “To be outstanding, get comfortable with being uncomfortable.”
Jenny: Tell us a little about yourself. (Where are you from originally? Where are you located? What are you working on?)
Jess: I’m originally from Princeton, New Jersey. I came to the Boston area to go to Wellesley College. I studied architecture and computer science and now work in architecture marketing. My personal passion is advocacy for design and innovation. Besides 3DHEALS, I work with local organizations such as AIGA and the Design Museum to develop partnerships and programming.
Jenny: What made you decide to become a 3DHEALS community manager?
Jess: I am very interested in the intersection between bio fabrication, bioprinting, and 3D printing. Joining 3DHEALS is an opportunity to create a local community around those topics, meet some interesting people, and learn a lot.
Jenny: If you have already organized a 3DHEALS event, what were your experiences like? (Photos?) Anything unexpected happened?
Jess: I helped with June’s Pitch3D competition. I enjoyed reaching out to startups and inviting them to participate. I was not expecting the variety of technologies being pitched, but clearly, the judges were, because they had some great questions.
Jenny: What do you think of innovations in healthcare 3D printing or bioprinting? What do you hope to see in the next five years? 10 years?
Jess: I am particularly hopeful about the bioprinting of organs. There are a lot of problems to solve, but if all of the technology advances at the current rate, we could solve a major health care crisis in the next decade. I follow several companies working on this problem, including United Therapeutics and BIOLIFE4D.
Jenny: If you have done 3D printing before, what have you made/designed? (Photos if available, preferably in healthcare application)
Jess: I have experimented with sending some files to Shapeways, but my interest in 3D printing is mostly theoretical at this point.
Jenny: Who would you like to find and to include in the 3DHEALS community you are building?
Jess: Biofabrication researchers and their suppliers. I think innovation will happen faster if the more members of the supply chain are part of the conversation.
Jenny: What would you like to accomplish with this new 3DHEALS community in the future?
Jess: I want to see Boston have more meetups and events. I think the best connections happen face to face.
Jenny: What do you think about the innovation environment (for health tech or for general technology) in your city? What can be done to improve it?
Jess: The research and innovation landscape is incredibly rich from all of our universities and hospitals, but many groups are siloed. What’s great about 3DHEALS is that it can build community across different areas of interest.
Jenny: What are you most proud of about your city?
Jess: The World Economic Forum recently released a report on the 30 cities best placed for long-term success, and Boston rang in at #5! The ranking was based on the City Momentum Index, which accounts for strength in infrastructure, innovation capability, tech firms, environmental quality, and several other factors.
Jenny: What are you most proud of about the innovation community in your city?
Jess: Boston is one of the best city nationwide for social entrepreneurship. Our innovators tend to be very idealistic. Sure, everyone wants to do well financially, but there’s a lot of focus and support on solving big questions and benefitting society.
Jenny: What do you think are the top priorities in healthcare innovations for your city/community?
Jess: I’d say the top two priorities are learning more about the human bodies and disease in order to efficiently develop cures, and looking to nature for inspiration. One of the biggest local companies is Vertex, which one of the first biotech firms to use an explicit strategy of rational drug design rather than combinatorial chemistry. One the academic side, Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard has a lot of success using a cross-disciplinary approach to develop new bioinspired materials and devices for applications in healthcare, manufacturing, robotics, energy, and sustainable architecture.
Jenny: What do you hope to accomplish through your role as the 3DHEALS community manager?
Jess: I want to build and strengthen partnerships between 3DHEALS and other organizations with overlapping missions. I’ve started by brokering a media partnership between 3DHEALSand New Harvest, a cellular agriculture research institute, and advocacy organization. Look for my upcoming blog post about attending their yearly conference.
Jenny: What do you do for fun?
Jess: I’m an amateur baker, and I read several books a week, both fiction and non-fiction.
 
 

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Sanjay Prabhu is a Staff Pediatric Neuroradiologist at Boston Children’s Hospital and Assistant Professor of Radiology at the Harvard Medical School. He is the founding Director of the Advanced Image Analysis Lab at Boston Children’s Hospital and Clinical Director of the SIMPeds3D print program. His current clinical research interests include 3D printing, imaging of pediatric epilepsy, use of augmented reality, clinical decision support, and machine learning in radiology. He has authored more than 100 peer-reviewed papers and 18 book chapters.
As the Clinical Director of the SIMPeds3D print program, he oversees the creation of bespoke patient-specific 3D printed models and virtual surgical procedures. He also provides support to the engineering teams in the areas of simulation using virtual reality, augmented and mixed reality and in rapid prototyping for pediatric surgical simulation and education. Over the last 4 years, the SIMPeds3D print team has created more than 500 bespoke 3D patient-specific models to help clinicians from various subspecialties in Boston and other parts of the world. Dr. Sanjay Prabhu will be a speaker at the #3DHEALS2018 conference on April 20-21st, 2018. 

Jenny: When was the first encounter you had with 3D printing? What was that experience like? What were you thinking at that moment?
Sanjay: My first encounter with 3D printing was when I saw a 3D printed model of my brain given to me when I volunteered as a subject during a functional MRI course in Boston in late 2009. I thought it was really cool that they could do this, and I mentioned this to one of my colleagues in radiology that this could be an interesting game-changing development in the future, and he thought I was crazy!
Jenny: What inspired you to start your journey in 3D printing (bio-fabrication/bio-printing)?
Sanjay: I had seen early reports of 3D printed models playing a role in surgical planning beyond the realm of craniofacial surgery from the work of pioneers like Shi-Joon Yoo in Toronto.  Then I was asked to help print a tiny hypoplastic mandible in a young infant at Boston Children’s in 2013 by Peter Weinstock, who had bought a 3D printer and printed a few trial models and some. The model played an important role in the surgical plan and made me realize the potential that this technology had to benefit some of our most challenging patients.  
Jenny: Who inspired you the most along this journey in 3D printing (bio-printing/bio-fabrication)? This can be a mentor, a patient, a celebrity, anyone basically. You can name more than one as well.
Sanjay: My friend and mentor, Peter Weinstock, Director of the Simulator Program at Boston Children’s Hospital showed me some of the prototype models that he had created when he invited me to help create bespoke models for surgical planning. His infectious enthusiasm rubbed off on me and as I worked alongside him, I became even more convinced as I heard from clinicians of how the models were benefiting their work and I saw the almost immediate impact our work was having on the outcome of surgical procedures in our hospital.
Jenny: What motivates you the most for your work?
Sanjay: As a radiologist and physician-scientist at Boston Children’s Hospital, I have the unique opportunity to test out and refine cutting-edge technologies to solve problems that clinicians and patients face every day.  When I feel I have had a really hard day at work, I go out to the lobby of the hospital and see the faces of patients. The thought that my work plays a role in improving their lives makes me forget my sense of fatigue and inspires me to think of new ways that I can help them and the clinicians who take care of them.
Jenny: What is/are the biggest obstacle(s) in your line of work? If you have conquered them, what were your solutions?
Sanjay: In the first couple of years of my work in 3D printing, it was difficult to carve out time to carry out segmentation and learn the various technical aspects of this developing field. Once the impact of this work became more tangible, we were able to secure funding from the hospital via the Simulation program and grants to fund my time and also employ more engineers. Further, the engineers that I had trained to segment got exponentially better and were able to take over a lot of the initial segmentation. I still have to find the time to check segmentation, talk to clinical colleagues and engineers during busy clinical sessions as a neuroradiologist for urgent print requests.
Jenny: What do you think is (are) the biggest challenge(s) in 3D Printing? What do you think the potential solution(s) is (are)?
Sanjay: For 3D printing to become a standard of care and more widely accepted in the medical community, we need faster printers, improved segmentation tools that can handle multiple modalities probably using machine learning algorithms, better materials that can mimic human tissue and reimbursement for 3D print services. Also, the cost savings and reduction in risk resulting from 3D printing should be considered when hospitals fund and invest in 3D print services. This will require more published evidence for the value of 3D printing in surgical planning.
Jenny: If you are granted three wishes by a higher being, what would they be?
Sanjay: An ability to travel back in time at will so I can learn from others and rectify my mistakes, an ability to gather knowledge from books instantaneously and of course, a free refill of wishes for use in the future.
Jenny: What advice would you give to a smart driven college student in the “real world”? What bad advice you heard should they ignore?
Sanjay: Work hard at the basics. Be a sieve for knowledge and be ready to learn from every experience- good and bad. You may not always get to follow your passion, but you will develop a passion for new things once you get good at it. Learn to say “no”, if the answer is not a firm “yes”.  Always be on the lookout for new opportunities and learn about new technologies, but always be looking for solutions to problems, not try to find a nail for a hammer that you have.
Jenny: If you could have a giant billboard to promote a message to millions and even billions of people in our community (i.e. healthcare 3D printing and bio-fabrication), what message would that be?
Sanjay: Always be on the lookout for problems that need solving and apply the best technology for the purpose, even you have to disrupt yourself to do it. 
Jenny: What were/was the best investment you made in 3D printing/bio-printing/bio-fabrication?
Sanjay: Training my engineers in anatomy and accurate segmentation has paid exponential dividends over time.
Jenny: What were/was the worst investment you made in 3D printing/bio-printing/bio-fabrication?
Sanjay: Time and resources wasted trying to convince colleagues who dabbled in this field and then abandoned ship in the early days that 3D printing and related technologies are here to stay.
Jenny: What was/is the biggest risk you took in your career?
Sanjay: The biggest risk I took was to give up a comfortable private practice job after my first fellowship in Australia and uprooting my family to come to the United States in 2007. Deciding to take up a consultant position in the 3D print lab in 2014 without knowing where this technology would lead us (or me!) eventually comes a close second.
Jenny: What do you enjoy in your spare time? What are you passionate about outside of your work/3d printing?
Sanjay: In my spare time, I love playing with my kids and reading books, mostly non-fiction.  I am a productivity junkie and love to read about ways to hack my way to do more in less time while making a greater impact.
Jenny: What is your favorite quote? Why?
Sanjay: “You want to have a future where you’re expecting things to be better, not one where you’re expecting things to be worse.”- Elon Musk
Jenny: What does the word “3DHEALS” mean to you? =)
Sanjay: A closely knit group working towards creating a better world and improving health through the medium of 3D printing and strong collaborations between various entities in health, academia, industry, and philanthropy.
 
 
 

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