Nick Dechev received his Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Toronto, Canada, in 2004, and joined the University of Victoria in 2005.  He is currently an Associate Professor in the Faculty of Engineering and is presently Director of the Biomedical Engineering Program. Dr. Dechev’s research program involves biomedical system design with application areas centered on advanced hand prosthesis and bio-sensor design.  These areas include 3D printing of hand prosthesis, implantable sensor design for the acquisition of bio-signals, and wireless power transfer technology for implantable sensors. These projects aim at developing better methods for the control of advanced hand prosthesis.  He is also the Executive Director of the Victoria Hand Project, a non-profit dedicated to providing hand prostheses to amputees in need in developing countries. Dr. Dechev will be a speaker at the #3DHEALS2020.

Jenny: When was the first encounter you had with 3D printing? What was that experience like?

Nick: First encounter was 16 years ago with a stereolithography system. It was a huge machine, and cost around half a million dollars! It made an impressive prototype part about the size of a cup made of polycarbonate, but it was expensive. The more recent encounter was with FDM (Fused Deposition Modelling) about 7 years ago in the laboratories at the University of Victoria. The FDM system really amazed me, since the machine was only around $6000, and even though the parts produced were very coarse (thick layers) and brittle, I saw the potential given the low cost.

Jenny: What inspired you to start your journey in 3D printing ?

Nick: The journey for the Victoria Hand Project started as a research project. That research project, in turn, was started by my personal motivation to help create technologies for people with health and disability issues.

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.
Nick: My inspiration comes from various people I work with, who push the edge of technological advancement, including many colleagues at the University of Victoria. As well, the incredibly talented and dedicated team of Range of Motion Project, headed by David Krupa, CPO, and Eric Neufeld, CPO.

Jenny: What motivates you the most for your work?
Nick: As a design engineer, I enjoy cross-mixing technologies, to enable/create new possibilities. Technologies all build upon each other, like a set of inter-linked pieces. Connecting these together, and sometimes creating new technology from scratch, is exciting and drives my work and research.

Jenny: What is/are the biggest obstacle(s) in your line of work? If you have conquered them, what were your solutions?
Nick: Finding enough talented and motivated people! Since Victoria Hand Project is a non-profit, this task is even more challenging. Monetary incentives are not the motivation for recruitment, which is a hurdle.  Solutions for this are various.  Finding people who will donate their time and experience may mean: alignment of mutual interests, providing knowledge, training, and experience to them, providing recognition of their efforts, or various other means.

Jenny: 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)?
Nick: Materials, Materials, Materials! The robotics and machinery of 3D printers are well developed and are already phenomenally low cost. Its time for major advances in the materials used for 3D printing, to improve strength, durability, and other properties.  Also, its time to move beyond just 3D prototyping, into limited-run (low batch) fabrication of end-use products.  That’s exactly what the medical industry needs.

Jenny: If you are granted three wishes by a higher being, what would they be?
Nick:
a. A sustainable world, with food, water, and resources for everyone
b. World peace
c. A seat on a mission to Mars 🙂

Jenny: What advice would you give to a smart driven college student in the “real world”? What bad advice you heard should they ignore?
Nick:
a.Take many calculated risks early on in your career, when you have little to lose.
b.Share your ideas with others to get valuable feedback. There is way more to gain by getting early feedback on your idea, than worrying about someone stealing the idea.

Jenny: What were/was the best investment you made in 3D printing/bio-printing/bio-fabrication?
Nick: FDM printing technology. Its low-cost, durable, easily serviceable hardware, works under various conditions and produces field ready parts.

Jenny: What was/is the biggest risk you took in your career?
Nick: Branching into new areas of research where I previously have zero experience. This has led to some of my biggest successes.

Jenny: What do you enjoy in your spare time? What are you passionate about outside of your work/3d printing?
Nick: Technology design and creation. Its blend of my work and personal interests.

Jenny: What is your favorite quote? Why?

Nick: “Just do it” by Nike. With so many daily tasks, there are 100 reasons not to do something important that needs to be done. Find your priority and “just do it!”

Jenny: What does the word “3DHEALS” mean to you? =)

Nick: 3D printing enabling healthcare and medicine.

The post Interview: Dr. Nick Dechev, Associate Professor in the Faculty of Engineering, and is presently Director of the Biomedical Engineering Program appeared first on 3DHeals.

Justin Baker, 3DHEALS Community Manager, Cleveland. Dr. Justin Baker graduated magna cum laude and with university honors in mechanical engineering from Brigham Young University. “I am originally from Idaho Falls, Idaho. I did all my university level schooling in Utah and came out to Cleveland for a post-doctoral fellowship at the Cleveland Clinic. From there, I have worked in the medical device industry for the past 6 years. Currently, I am working on bioprinting and bio-ink (particularly collagen-based) development. (Viscus Biologics) “

Jenny: What made you decide to become a 3DHEALS community manager?

Justin: I’m working in 3D bioprinting and bio-ink development and it makes sense to expand my network and influence in this area. Cleveland is also a growing medical device hub.

Jenny: What do you think of innovations in healthcare 3D printing or bioprinting?

Justin: Recent innovations include proof of concept bioprinting of the cornea. In the next five years, I would love to see bioprinting of acellular scaffolds for wounds and patient-specific surgical applications. In the next 10 years, we have the potential to start getting into cellular-loaded bioprinting applications for volumetric muscle loss and tissue regeneration.

I have previously worked for an orthopedic software company where we 3D printed patient-specific bone models for preoperative planning of total shoulder arthroplasty operations.

Jenny: What are some of the risks or adventures you have taken?

Justin: Soon after I turned 19 years old, I served as a missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for two years. I served in Washington, D.C. speaking Spanish to the Spanish-speaking community there. That was certainly an adventure that shaped my life. Hopes or regrets? I hope one day to write a book or get more into art or painting.

Jenny: Who would you like to find and to include in the 3DHEALS community you are building?

Justin: Cleveland has a good Additive Manufacturing Cluster, and I would like to especially reach out to that group and involve members of that cluster that are looking to include the healthcare space.

Jenny: What would you like to accomplish with this new 3DHEALS community in the future?

Justin: I am hoping to increase the visibility of 3D Bioprinting in Cleveland.

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?

Justin: Cleveland is a growing city in terms of investment. Cleveland has advantages in that there is a strong gathering of manufacturing capability nearby and it has the benefit of also having strong healthcare/hospital partners nearby in Cleveland Clinic, University Hospitals, and MetroHealth. From what I have heard, Cleveland could benefit by having a stronger VC, Angel Investor, and CEO-talent base.

Jenny: What are you most proud of about your city?

Justin: Cleveland is a wonderful and affordable place to live and raise a family. Cleveland is so close to everything – forests, parks, lakes, city dining, professional sports, Broadway-level theatre, Amish country, you name it—and we don’t have bad traffic. It’s the best-kept secret in the country.

Jenny: What are you most proud of about the innovation community in your city?

Justin: Cleveland and Ohio, in general, are like “Everyman USA”. Cleveland isn’t the most flashy, but we get things done and often do it better than others and without pomp and circumstance. Cleveland is becoming a medical device and additive manufacturing hub. It makes sense to leverage that with bioprinting and 3DHeals.

Jenny: What do you think are the top priorities in healthcare innovations for your city/community?

Justin: This depends on your perspective. I would say that politically that Ohio has been hit hard by the opioid epidemic and that solving that crisis is in need of healthcare innovation. From other perspectives, the start-up environment in Ohio is healthy – particularly from spin-offs from the hospitals and universities.

Jenny: What do you do for fun?

Justin: Husband and father to 5 kids. I am active in my church. I enjoy going on dates with my wife, watching movies, eating out, ice cream and donuts—and exercising, to make sure that the ice cream and donuts don’t stick around. 😊

I also enjoy gardening. Growing fruit trees and keeping chickens and a dog.

Jenny: What is your favorite quote? 

Justin:

“The more we serve our fellow men in appropriate ways, the more substance there is to our souls. We become more substantive as we serve others—indeed, it’s easier to find ourselves because there’s so much more of us to find.” – D. Todd Cristofferson

https://3dheals.com/3dheals-community-manager-interview-benjamin-holmes-washington-d-c/

https://3dheals.com/3dheals-influencer-interview-adam-jakus-ph-d-chief-technology-of-dimension-inx-llc/

The post Interview: Justin Baker, Cleveland, Ohio appeared first on 3DHeals.

Yi Arnold, Ph.D. is the Director of Business Development and R&D of Theradaptive. Theradaptive is a regenerative medicine startup that has developed a platform for targeted delivery of potent regenerative therapeutics for tissue regeneration. Theradaptive is combining the latest 3D printing technology with its biologic delivery platform to design implants mimicking the native ECM for better and faster tissue repair and regeneration. Current programs include long bone repair, spine fusion, dental & CMF repair, and osteochondral repair. Prior to Theradaptive, Yi was a VP at Esco Venture, a Singapore-based Venture Capital group and a Director at Osiris Therapeutics, managing their wound care portfolio. Yi started her industry career at Kinetic Concepts, Inc. and has since developed and brought to market 3 human tissue-based products for wound repair, estimated at over $100 million yearly revenue. Yi holds a BS in Mechanical Engineering, a Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering and received her postdoc training at Yale and Columbia University. Yi currently resides in Ellicott City, MD with her husband and two girls. She loves to run marathons in her spare time and is excited to be running the BMW Berlin Marathon in 2019! Yi will be speaking at our upcoming DC event. 

Jenny: When was the first encounter you had with 3D printing? What was that experience like? What were you thinking at that moment?

Yi Arnold: I think it was a couple of years ago, I saw a news story on TV mentioning a father who bought a 3D printer at home to print different kinds of prosthetic arms and hands for his child who lost his arm in a car accident. The printer was only a couple of hundred dollars. He even printed out a Spiderman design – I remembered. It melted my heart and I thought that was really cool. It also got me wondering: when can the printer print something sterile and biological so we could use it inside a human being?   

Jenny: What inspired you to start your journey in 3D printing (bio-fabrication/bio-printing)?

Yi Arnold: My colleague Dr. Todd Heil is the 3d printing guru on the team, from whom I learn a little bit about 3D printing every day. My current company, Theradaptive, is using 3D printing to enable highly targeted biologic delivery to create scaffolds for protein and cell delivery for orthopedic regeneration and sports medicine. Our current product development focuses on 3D printed bioactive tissue substitutes that are custom-designed, have mechanical and physical properties similar to native tissue, and can safely deliver the most potent growth factors and cells, for tissue repair and regeneration.

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.

Yi Arnold: Patients. Our ultimate goal is to 3D print a tissue patch, or a filler, or a structure that custom fits a patient’s defect area perfectly.

Jenny: What motivates you the most for your work?

Yi Arnold: My previous job at Osiris allowed me to visit the OR and physician’s offices where patients undergo treatment and follow-ups. It was very rewarding to hear a story of a 68-year-old veteran who was finally able to walk because our product helped to heal a 49-year-old wound on his leg.

Jenny: What is/are the biggest obstacle(s) in your line of work? If you have conquered them, what were your solutions?

Yi Arnold: We have to overcome the challenges that small companies face when raising capital and navigating the FDA regulatory landscape.

Jenny: 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)?

Yi Arnold: A universal bioink development for various therapeutic areas and its readiness for mass production.

Theradaptive’s focus is to develop print cassettes with nano-particle bioactivity additives of a large variety of growth factors, known for their tissue repair and regeneration capacity. The content of these cassettes are scale-up ready, bioprintable, and remain bioactive after printing.

Jenny: If you are granted three wishes by a higher being, what would they be? 

Yi Arnold:  

• • I wish nobody ever needs to go to the hospital.

• • I wish there were a switch in the brain that could easily switch the mind between work and life when needed.
  • I wish people could be transported to their destinations in seconds.

Jenny: What advice would you give to a smart driven college student in the “real world”? What bad advice you heard should they ignore?

Yi Arnold: I would advise them to be patient and to constantly seek learning opportunities from others.

Bad advice I heard was to encourage young kids to jump between jobs every 6 months.

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?

Yi Arnold: 3D printing and bio-fabrication will play a significant role in ending human suffering due to disease and injury.

Jenny: What were/was the best investment you made in 3D printing/bio-printing/bio-fabrication?

Yi Arnold: Hiring the best talent we could find in 3D printing.

Jenny: What were/was the worst investment you made in 3D printing/bio-printing/bio-fabrication?

Yi Arnold: Not moving fast enough to adopt 3D printing. 

Jenny: What was/is the biggest risk you took in your career?

Yi Arnold: I switched my major from mechanical engineering to biomedical engineering when I came to the US for grad school. Learning a brand new field in a different country, and speaking an entirely different language was not that easy in the beginning. But it turned out to be the best decision I’ve ever made in my life.

Jenny: What do you enjoy in your spare time? What are you passionate about outside of your work/3d printing?

Yi Arnold: Enjoy spending time with my two girls and doing long runs with friends. I have run 5 marathons so far and am going to run the BMW Berlin Marathon this year.  I am passionate about coaching runners and helping them to reach their goals.

Jenny: What is your favorite quote? Why?

Yi Arnold: Know thyself. How I switched my career from ME to BME, from China to the US, from basic science to industry has a bit of serendipity, but mostly through a process of self-reflection, to know what motivates me the most and keeps going at it.

Jenny: What does the word “3DHEALS” mean to you?  =)

Yi Arnold:  Use 3D printing technology to “heal” patients!

The post Interview: Yi Arnold, Theradaptive appeared first on 3DHeals.

Gabe Linke has been in the imaging profession for over 10 years as a technologist in MRI. He received his Bachelors in Radiation Sciences from the University of Nebraska Medical Center. 2 years ago he became the Cardiac Imaging & 3D Printing Coordinator for Children’s Hospital and Medical Center in Omaha Nebraska. His original duties involved overseeing Cardiac CT and MRI and starting their 3D printing program. This program started with 3D printing cardiac models for presurgical planning. It has since grown outside of cardiology and is hospital-wide serving multiple subspecialties with presurgical planning, educational modeling, and numerous research applications. Gabe will also be a speaker for our upcoming 3DHEALS OMAHA: AdvancedTek, Healthcare 3D Printing event.

Jenny: When was the first encounter you had with 3D printing? What was that experience like? What were you thinking at that moment?

Gabe: I experienced 3D printing for the first time when I accepted my position at Omaha Children’s Hospital. I was in my second interview for a cardiac imaging coordinator position and Dr. Scott Fletcher handed me a printed heart from a case they had done.  It blew me away to hold the replica of the child’s heart in my hand and I immediately could see the potential this technology would have to impact healthcare.

Jenny: What inspired you to start your journey in 3D printing (bio-fabrication/bio-printing)?

Gabe: After accepting the job at Omaha Children’s I was shown the printer that we had received as a gift to start our own in-house 3D printing program. The program started in Cardiology, but as I saw the way these 3D Models impacted the way our Cardio-thoracic surgeons I knew we had to do more. Seeing the impact in the first few cases inspired me to go to my directors and expand the program to a hospital-wide 3D printing service.

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.

Gabe: I think I would have to say Dr. Scott Fletcher after my answer earlier right? Scott gave me the gift of this job and I will forever be grateful to him. He has taught me so much about congenital cardiology and has supported me every step of the way as this program continues to grow.

Dr. Jorge Zuniga has taught me so much about the technology of 3D printing and the global impact we can have using this technology together. I very early on adopted his vision for open collaboration is paramount in a successful program. I am honored to call him a personal friend and colleague.

Jenny: What motivates you the most for your work?

Gabe: Our patients, period. I joined the medical profession for one reason and that was to help people. Seeing a child set down an iPad to better understand why he’s having an operation, hearing a surgeon speak on how they did a better procedure or operation due to a 3D model, or hearing how much better a nurse can do her job because she was handed a 3D model of a patient’s heart. All of these are helping a patient through one means or another to have better care.

Jenny: What is/are the biggest obstacle(s) in your line of work? If you have conquered them, what were your solutions?

Gabe: One of the biggest obstacles, was growing our program outside of Cardiology. My solution was easy:  Dr. Lincoln Wong. Dr. Wong, one of our radiologists, adopted this technology and showed it to everyone. He would be reading a case and see where the application could help a surgeon and would have a model made. He would take these models to the surgeons and that was it. Our hospital now prints for multiple subspecialties and we continue to grow. Dr. Wong’s passion for 3D printing has been paramount in the expansion of our program.

Jenny: 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)?

Gabe: I have to admit that I have to answer this from a perspective that I do not personally know. Omaha Children’s has been very supportive of its 3D Printing Program, but in general, I think that funding for these programs is the biggest challenge. This will take care of itself in time, as I believe that reimbursement is inevitable based on the positive impacts 3D models are having on patient care.

Jenny: If you are granted three wishes by a higher being, what would they be?

Gabe:

1. A life full of love: it is the single most powerful thing in the universe and can overcome anything put in its way.
2. The cure for mental illness/addiction.
3. The Flashes Speed ( had to lighten the mood a little)

Jenny: What advice would you give to a smart driven college student in the “real world”? What bad advice you heard should they ignore?

Gabe: Find something that you’re passionate about and you enjoy doing and figure out how to turn it into your job.

Bad advice: Do a job just for the money.

The post Interview: Gabe Linke, 3D Printing Coordinator, Omaha Children’s Hospital 🗓 appeared first on 3DHeals.

BIOLIFE4D Founder and CEO Steven Morris possess more than 20 years of extensive experience in precision manufacturing, including 15 years serving as President of privately-held Inland Midwest Corporation (IMC) where he led the company’s transformation into a premier, state-of-the-art facility catering exclusively to the medical technologies industry. After several years of high profitability, Steven negotiated a successful exit strategy and sold the company in 2011.  After remaining on as President for over two years, he left and started BIOLIFE4D, an emerging biotech company working on the technology to bioengineer a human heart viable for transplantation using a patient’s own cells. His diverse and comprehensive knowledge of medical devices, processes optimization, and medical technologies will be extremely beneficial to the success of BIOLIFE4D.

Mr. Steven Morris will be a speaker at our Chicago Event.

Jenny: When was the first encounter you had with 3D printing? What was that experience like? What were you thinking at that moment?
Steven: My first experience with 3D printing was in 2014 when I explored its potential as a rapid prototyping tool for medical devices.  It was apparent that it was going to be an effective tool with many different applications, from rapid prototyping to custom instrumentation and implants.  It was after that when I discovered the potential applications of 3D bioprinting, a specialized subset of 3D printing, and its potential to be an absolute game-changer in the healthcare space. 

Jenny: What inspired you to start your journey in bioprinting?
Steven: After I sold the last company I was planning to start a 3D printing rapid prototype engineering company.  It was when I was learning about 3D printing applications when I first learned about 3D bioprinting, its applications, and potential.  Knowing that cardiovascular disease takes the lives of 1 out of every 3 people in every developed country in the world and that we are on the precipice of the bioprinting technology which could directly address this situation, I knew that putting together a company consisting of pre-eminent leaders in the associated technologies needed was imperative.

Jenny: Who inspired you the most along this journey in 3D printing (bio-printing/bio-fabrication)?  

Steven: Our Chief Medical Officer, who is a heart transplant surgeon, was one of my initial inspirations.  I asked him one day how incredible he felt about saving so many lives and he told me that he thinks more about all of the individuals he couldn’t help, primarily as a result of the incredible lack of supply of human donor organs. After that, it was all of the emails I have received from so many people letting me know about their circumstances and that they or their family member is in critical need of this technology.

Jenny: What motivates you the most for your work?

Steven: Knowing that the technology we are working on can improve the quality of life and /or save the lives of countless people around the world, and knowing the scale of impact we can have on all humanity.

Jenny: What is/are the biggest obstacle(s) in your line of work? If you have conquered them, what were your solutions?

Steven: Our biggest obstacles are individual steps of the science related to the process we are working on and in particular I would say it is the vascularization challenges we face.  It is a tremendously complex system and without this vascularization network, our bio printed organ will not be viable in the long term.

Jenny: 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)?

Steven: 3D bioprinting has a few challenges, in our case probably the biggest of which is the ability to integrate the different specific capabilities needed to effectively print the different components of the process.  Some bioprinters are better for printing with the cells, some are better with the scaffolding, some are better with vascularization, etc.

Jenny: If you are granted three wishes by a higher being, what would they be?
Steven: Good health, peace, and contentment.  

Jenny: What advice would you give to a smart driven college student in the “real world”? What bad advice you heard should they ignore?
Steven: Stick to your beliefs, pursue your dreams, and never give up.

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?
Steven: Let’s all just get along and be kind to each other.

Jenny: What were/was the best investment you made in 3D printing/bio-printing/bio-fabrication?
Steven: In the incredible team we have assembled. Our strength is in our team, the bioprinters are merely tools.

Jenny: What were/was the worst investment you made in 3D printing/bio-printing/bio-fabrication?
Steven: Have not regretted any as of yet.

Jenny: What was/is the biggest risk you took in your career?
Steven: Financially it was just leaving my previous company.

Jenny: What do you enjoy in your spare time? What are you passionate about outside of your work/3d printing?
Steven: Spending time with my children, outdoor sports, my dogs, family.

Jenny: What is your favorite quote? Why?
Steven: By JFK, it speaks for itself: There are those that look at things the way they are and ask why I dream of things that never were and ask why not.

Jenny: What does the word “3DHEALS” mean to you?  =)
Steven: To me it represents the opportunities which are presented to us to provide translational healing benefit to humanity using 3D  printing technologies.

The post Interview: Mr. Steven Morris, Founder & CEO of BIOLIFE4D appeared first on 3DHeals.

Daisy Zhu是3D Science Valley的联合创始人，这是一个专注于增材制造的评论媒体平台。她负责在牙科行业，整形外科行业以及康复器具行业出版3D打印白皮书。她是“汽车工业技术与发展报告中的3D打印”和“3D打印与工业制造”一书的作者之一。她曾在多个医学论坛，创业沙龙和科普活动中担任主讲人。
Daisy Zhu is a co-founder of 3D Science Valley, a commentary media platform focusing on additive manufacturing. She is responsible for the publication of a white paper of 3D printing in the dental industry, orthopedic industry as well as rehabilitation appliances industry. She is one of the authors of the book ‘ 3D Printing in Automotive Industry Technology and Development Report’and ‘3D Printing and Industrial Manufacturing’. She has been the keynote speaker at several medical forums, entrepreneurship salons, and popular science activities.

Daisy Zhu will be a speaker at our upcoming Shanghai Event!

Jenny: 你第一次遇到3D打印的時候是什麼時候？那是什麼經歷？那一刻你在想什麼？
Jenny: When was the first encounter you had with 3D printing? What was that experience like? What were you thinking at that moment?
Daisy: 初次接触3D打印是在2013年，那时我还在德国机床企业DMG 工作，当时在媒体上看到对3D打印的报道，仅是一台工业级3D打印设备就可以直接制造出塑料零件。这对于在机械加工行业工作的我来说触动很深，因为在传统制造中，需要通过复杂的模具制造以及注塑生产才能够制造出塑料零件或产品。而3D打印技术无需通过模具，就可以进行直接制造，无疑是具有颠覆性的。这引起了我对3D打印技术与其应用的兴趣。
Daisy: My first encounter with 3D printing was in 2013 when I was working at the German machine tool company DMG. That’s when I saw reports on 3D printing in the media, and only one industrial-grade 3D printing device could directly manufacture plastic parts. This was very exciting news for the machining industry because, in traditional manufacturing, complex plastic parts or products can be manufactured using complex tooling and injection molding process. However, 3D printing technology can be directly manufactured without going through the mold injection method, which is undoubtedly disruptive. This has piqued my interest in 3D printing technology and its applications.
Jenny:是什麼促使您開始3D打印（生物製造/生物打印）的旅程/公司/職業/研究？
What inspired you to start your journey in 3D printing (bio-fabrication/bio-printing)?
Daisy: 2014年，我跟随3D科学谷的创始人Kitty Wang 一起运营3D科学谷。3D科学谷专注于工业3D打印/增材制造，专注于对增材技术及其产业化应用的洞察。在这个愿景的基础上，我们通过发布应用白皮书与专业评论性文章来跟踪增材制造技术的应用发展，医疗行业是3D科学谷关注的重点应用领域之一，也刚好是我工作中主要负责研究的领域。
医疗行业为增材制造技术提供了产业化的应用土壤，其中骨科植入物、牙科的隐形矫正器都是已经实现商业化的3D打印应用，相信未来，无论是康复辅助器械，还是组织工程领域还会出现更多有产业化潜力的3D打印应用。
Daisy: In 2014, I co-founded 3D Science Valley with Kitty Wang. 3D Science Valley specializes in industrial 3D printing/additive manufacturing, focusing on insights into additive technology and its industrial applications. Based on this vision, we track the application development of additive manufacturing technology by publishing application white papers and professional articles. The medical industry is one of the key application areas of 3D Science Valley, and it is also the main research responsibility in my work.

The medical industry provides solid ground for the industrialized application using additive manufacturing technology. Among them, orthopedic implants and dental Invisalign appliances are successful commercial 3D printing applications, and in the future, rehabilitation aids or tissue engineering. There will also be more and more 3D printing applications with large industrial potential.
Jenny: 誰在3D打印的這一旅程中為您帶來了最大的靈感？這可以是導師，病人，名人，基本上任何人。您也可以命名多個。
Who inspired you the most along this journey in 3D printing? This can be a mentor, a patient, a celebrity, anyone basically. You can name more than one as well.
Daisy: 3D科学谷的创始人Kitty Wang, 和她一起探索3D打印技术的发展，是一件非常酷的事情，她对于增材制造和商业总有独到而令人意想不到的见解。
Kitty Wang, the founder of 3D Science Valley. She is very passionate about exploring the development of 3D printing technology. She has unique insights into additive manufacturing and commerce.
Jenny: 你工作的最大動力是什麼？
What motivates you the most for your work?
Daisy: 我工作的动力来自多方面，比如说通过对3D打印医疗应用发展的观察，我能切身感受到这个领域在不断的发展，在3D打印技术支持下，骨科、牙科等医学学科的的治疗方式会越来越个性化、精准化，能够切身感受到这些发展是令人兴奋的。而我的一些工作成果，比如说白皮书、文章、书籍等等，对于推动3D打印技术在制造中的应用是出了一份力量的，也受到了应用端读者的认可，这是一件有成就感的事情。
Daisy: The motivation behind my work comes from many aspects. For example, through the observation of the past development of 3D printing medical applications, I can feel there is large potential future development of this field. With the support of 3D printing technology, the treatment methods of orthopedics, dentistry and other medical disciplines will be more and more personalized and precise. It is exciting to be able to feel these developments. Some of my past works, such as white papers, articles, books, etc., have contributed to the application of 3D printing technology in manufacturing, and have been recognized by the application readers. This makes me feel I have achieved something meaningful. 
Jenny:你工作中最大的障礙是什麼？如果你已經征服了他們，你的解決方案是什麼？
What is/are the biggest obstacle(s) in your line of work? If you have conquered them, what were your solutions?
Daisy: 希望能够更好的协调各项工作的安排，未来与医院、医疗器械制造商等3D打印潜在用户进行更多的互动与沟通。
Daisy: I hope that I can multitask better. In the future, I hope I will have more engagements with potential users of 3D printing such as hospitals and medical device manufacturers.

Jenny: 您認為3D打印/生物打印的最大挑戰是什麼？您認為潛在的解決方案是什麼？
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)?
Daisy: 中国并不缺乏具有医疗器械增材制造能力的企业，但是3D打印医疗器械产业化的难点在于如何能够申请到增材制造医疗器械的注册证。CFDA 已经在完善增材制造医疗器械审批指导原则了，相信监管审批方面会越来越成熟。但对于企业来说，特别是研发骨科植入物这样的三类器械的企业来说，如何满足CFDA 对报批器械的documentation 的要求是具有难度的，这一点国外的先进企业借助了生产过程执行管理软件（MES）的力量，对于增材制造这一面向规模化定制的数字化技术来说，利用好MES 软件则更为重要，这一点可为国内企业所借鉴。
Daisy: China does not lack enterprises with the ability to manufacture medical devices. However, the difficulty in industrializing 3D printed medical devices is how to apply for the registration of medical devices for additive manufacturing. CFDA has already improved the guidelines for the approval of medical devices for additive manufacturing and believes that future regulatory approvals will become more mature. However, for enterprises, especially those who develop instruments such as orthopedic implants, it is challenging to meet the CFDA’s requirements. Foreign companies have done better, relying on the advanced companies. The power of software (MES, Manufacturing Execution System). For scalable digital/additive manufacturing, the use of good MES software is very important. I think domestic (Chinese) enterprises can also use this strategy.
Jenny:如果你被授予三個願望，他們會是什麼？
If you are granted three wishes by a higher being, what would they be?  
Daisy: 获得更多时间去充电、学习；在工作中遇到更多有能力、有趣的人；多和孩子分享我在工作中所获得的对于科技、社会发展的认识。
Daisy: Having more time to recharge and learn; Meeting more capable and interesting people at work; Sharing more of my insights on technology and social development with my child.

Jenny: 您對“現實世界”中聰明的大學生有什麼建議？你聽到了什麼不好的建議他們應該忽略？
What advice would you give to a smart driven college student in the “real world”? What bad advice you heard should they ignore?
Daisy: 建议大学生朋友们除了专业方面的学习，还可以多涉猎一些商业、科技发展趋势方面的知识，成为一名跨界人才。此外，无论是在学习中还是未来工作中，始终与卓越的人同行。
Daisy: I would recommend the college students that, in addition to professional studies, they should also learn more about the business and technology development trends, and look to becoming a cross-border talent. In addition, either in the process of learning or at work, try to always stay close with outstanding people.

Jenny: 如果你有一個巨大的廣告牌來向我們社區中的數百萬甚至數十億人宣傳信息（即醫療保健3D打印和生物製造），那會是什麼信息？
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?
Daisy: 3D打印和数字化技术为医疗带来更加个性化、便捷的制造解决方案，使得治疗更精准，生命更有尊严，在世界范围内需要增强医生、3D打印硬件、软件商、服务商的交流，以推动技术的发展和商业化进程行业。
Daisy: 3D printing and digital technology bring more personalized and convenient manufacturing solutions for medical treatment, making treatment more precise and life more dignified. It is necessary to enhance the communication between doctors, 3D printing hardware, software vendors and service providers worldwide. Promote the development of technology and the process of commercialization.
Jenny: 您在3D打印/生物打印/生物製造方面的最佳投資是什麼？
What were/was the best investment you made in 3D printing/bio-printing/bio-fabrication?
Daisy: 在医疗3D打印领域我做的最好的投入是花了大量精力去跟踪这一技术的应用发展。
Daisy: The best investment I have made in the field of medical 3D printing is to spend a lot of energy to track the application development of this technology.
Jenny: 你在業餘時間享受什麼？你對工作/ 3d打印的熱情是什麼？
What do you enjoy in your spare time? What are you passionate about outside of your work/3d printing?
Daisy: 在工作之余与家人在一起健身、读书、旅游，分享快乐。
Daisy: Stay fit, study, travel and share happiness with family after work.
Jenny: “3DHEALS”這個詞對你意味著什麼？
What does the word “3DHEALS” mean to you?  =)
Daisy: 3DHEALS是一个非常有活力的国际化3D打印医疗社区，在3DHEALS，任何对于3D打印医疗技术感兴趣的企业、个人都可以在这里获得前沿的信息，寻找志同道合的伙伴。
Daisy: 3DHEALS is a very dynamic international 3D printing medical community. In 3DHEALS, any company or individual interested in 3D printing medical technology can get cutting-edge information and find like-minded partners.

The post Interview: Daisy Zhu, Co-founder of 3D Science Valley appeared first on 3DHeals.

“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.
 
 

The post Interview: Jess Charlap, Boston, MA appeared first on 3DHeals.

“The “wow” moment for me was when we did the first surgery with a Formlabs printed guide. I had flown down to see the process start-to-finish with a good friend, Dr. Daniel Whitley. The surgery itself was something I had at that point seen dozens of times online. But when the patient sat down in the chair, and Dr. Whitley put the guide in and was about to start drilling, it really hit home: these are people’s lives and health that are being impacted. It’s incredible not just to be working on something that seems like it has an impact, but also to see it first hand. I was also really happy that the surgery went smoothly!”

Gideon Balloch is the dental product lead at Formlabs, the pioneer and industry leader in professional desktop 3D printing. Balloch drives the company’s dental product development efforts, opening up use in hundreds of thousands of treatments, with over 1 million dental appliances produced on Formlabs printers to date. Previously, Balloch spearheaded the launch of Formlabs products in international markets including China and Japan. Balloch holds a degree in mechanical engineering from McGill University.

Mr. Gideon Balloch will be presenting at our upcoming 3DHEALS Boston event.

Jenny: What inspired you to start your work in medical 3D printing?
Gideon: As with so many developments, it was learning from our users that led us to the opportunity in medical and dental 3D printing. A handful of Form 1+ users were dental customers who were using crazy amounts of resin, and the more we dug into what they were doing with the printers, the more potential there seemed to be. When we launched the Form 2 we knew we finally had a printer that was ready for the dental market, and so we invested a lot of time and energy into dental materials, applications, and market development.
Fast forward three years and I think it’s fair to say that this has not just taken off for us, but also helped make dental 3D printing mainstream, industry-wide. It’s really humbling to know that our printers have been used to make over 1 million dental appliances, and be used in hundreds of thousands of treatments.
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.
Gideon: The “wow” moment for me was when we did the first surgery with a Formlabs printed guide. I had flown down to see the process start-to-finish with a good friend, Dr. Daniel Whitley. The surgery itself was something I had at that point seen dozens of times online. But when the patient sat down in the chair, and Dr. Whitley put the guide in and was about to start drilling, it really hit home: these are people’s lives and health that are being impacted. It’s incredible not just to be working on something that seems like it has an impact, but also to see it first hand. I was also really happy that the surgery went smoothly!
Jenny: What motivates you the most for your work?
Gideon: There are two important areas: (i) the right conditions, (ii) the right problem space. At Formlabs, the conditions are really remarkable – we’re constantly working to apply technology on tangible problems. The fact that it’s a hardware, software and materials product makes for a fantastic array of things to learn and do with a diverse, intelligent group of people. On top of that, to be working on opening up applications that are changing the way people practice medicine has been particular tangible and rewarding.
Jenny: 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)?
Gideon: A major challenge for the industry is that users need end-to-end digital workflows, which require a broad set of currently disparate technologies that don’t necessarily connect well together. In general, the workflow is (a) scan, (b) design treatments and prosthetics in CAD software, (c) 3D print or CNC mill, (d) post-process.
As a 3D printer and materials company, we offer an important, but limited, part of that whole workflow. Scanning and software are major barriers to the adoption of our technology. To combat this, we’ve built close relationships with several dental-specific scanning and CAD manufacturers, as well as a distribution network that effectively delivers these end-to-end solutions to our customers. On top of this, we’re lucky that those dental CAD and scanning companies have been making deep investments in pushing the industry towards digital solutions for much longer than Formlabs has been involved. This has helped us drive mass adoption of dental 3D printing applications.

As we look to new applications, different types of users, and particularly the broader set of medical applications, this is definitely a continuing challenge. There is a lot of development that still needs to happen to get most of the medical workflows to the level of usability required to become the standard of care. 3D printing and material development are rapidly changing, and this will drive adoption, but I would say that currently, the scanning and CAD software challenges are probably paramount.
Jenny: If you are granted three wishes by a higher being, what would they be?  
Gideon: The cultural representation of these types of grant-wishing beings, or genies, is comically variable. In many places, these are beings to fear, who grant wishes literally but by interpreting them in negative ways. I’d decline.
Jenny: What advice would you give to a smart driven college student in the “real world”? What bad advice you heard should they ignore?
Gideon: There are too many people peddling clichéd commentary that is often more self-assurance than it is outwardly useful advice. You’re better off thinking through your specific situation, motivations, and problems on a first principles basis.
If you must, find some people who seem like they are on paths that you could see yourself on, and don’t ask them for advice. Ask them about their perspective heading into various points in their lives, and how this differed from how things actually unfolded. And discount everything by what seems like post-hoc fallacy or survivorship bias.

The post Interview: Gideon Balloch, Dental Product Lead at Formlabs appeared first on 3DHeals.

 Shannon Walters is an innovation enabler and workflow optimization enthusiast. At Stanford 3D and Quantitative Imaging Lab, Shannon works closely with healthcare providers, researchers, and educators to enable effective health visualization. Recent innovations are of particular interest to Shannon such as 3D Printing, immersive volumetric visualization, and concise reporting of changes over time. Mr. Walters will be a speaker at the upcoming 3DHEALS2020.

Jenny: When was the first encounter you had with 3D printing? What was that experience like? What were you thinking at that moment?
Shannon: The first encounter I remember is coaching a college intern through the requirements we might have in healthcare for 3D Printing. At that point, I was unaware that other hospitals were systematically providing 3D Prints, and the process to convert DICOM images to STL was not well defined. This intern was able to help determine a pathway and we used the process about 8 months later for our first 3D Print.
Jenny: What inspired you to start your journey/company/career/research in 3D printing (bio-fabrication/bio-printing)?
Shannon: Our medical director saw this trend coming down the pipeline and he mentioned that we need to basically catch that wave before it passes. Since then I have been evaluating the landscape and determining which elements are critical, optional, unnecessary and have been iterating toward an ever-more-efficient 3D printing process for medical models.
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.
Shannon: Dominik Fleischmann, Medical Director at Stanford 3DQ Lab.

3D Printed Brain & Electrodes
Jenny: What motivates you the most for your work?
Shannon: The ability to help make things better for the most amount of people.
Jenny: What is/are the biggest obstacle(s) in your line of work? If you have conquered them, what were your solutions?
Shannon: The current obstacles are staffing and space requirements. In the past, I have conquered these by demonstrating the trajectory of 3DP volume growth and demonstrating the amount of space and staff I would need to meet future demands. This problem will continue to present itself until there are cyclic funding and justification to feel secure in larger investments.
Jenny: 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)?
Shannon: The costs will remain high if physicians continue to drive the majority of the efforts. I think the challenge is to define efficient workflows and offload these to professionals with lower salaries than physicians (technologists, biomedical engineers, etc..). This is a control and paradigm shift that might be difficult to accept, which is why I think it’s the biggest challenge. Failure to do this will keep the costs of 3DP high, and reduce the chances that insurance or patients will pay for the service.
Jenny: If you are granted three wishes by a higher being, what would they be?
Shannon: In regards to 3D Printing…
1. Clear flexible resin with multiple colors and other rigidities. 
2. A software that can truly send a DICOM segmentation object to a printer and colorize it based on intensities 
3. Swift completion and validation of all the official 3DP research so that Medicare, FDA, and insurance companies will all be onboard with the new technology.
Jenny: What advice would you give to a smart driven college student in the “real world”? What bad advice you heard should they ignore?
Shannon: Focus on what you provide to other people rather than how well you perform the job description. Many others around you are also doing well, usually in a different way than you, but depending on the situation it may be more valuable. Constantly seeking how your abilities can positively impact others will promote success and become your safety net in case of failure.
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?
Shannon: It starts with the imaging, high-quality 3D printing or any derivation thereof, requires quality input. Ensure CT and MR scans are generating quality data, reduce motion and other artifacts, plan to image with 3D Printing in mind.

Jenny: What do you enjoy in your spare time? What are you passionate about outside of your work/3d printing?
Shannon: Steadily increasing my personal time with exercise, spending time as a Scout volunteer with my children, camping, and hiking or other outdoor activities.
Jenny: What does the word “3DHEALS” mean to you?
Shannon: To me it represents my life, I have been working in 3D/Advanced visualization since 2007 and it’s an honor to analyze patient information to provide a complete dataset to those interested in providing care. Many people likely think 3D Heals is an overstatement, but I see it completely the other way. Rather than the 3-5 minutes per CT or MR scan, providing 3D analysis give patients individualized attention and the data is scrutinized much more carefully for details that can ultimately lead to a better plan, improved, surgery, or even reversal of diagnosis at times.
 
 
 
 
 

The post Interview: Shannon Walters, Executive Manager @ Stanford 3D and Quantitative Imaging Lab appeared first on 3DHeals.

Dr. Jesse Courtier is an Associate Professor of pediatric radiology at the UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital and founder of HoloSurg3D. He has co-developed the medical imaging augmented radiology application RadHA for the Microsoft HoloLens. His interests lie in use of imaging technology for medical education and improved patient care. Dr. Courtier 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?
Jesse: I’d heard buzz about the potential of 3D printing from news articles, but I first really encountered 3D printing at the Radiologic Society of North America national meeting two years ago. I was really excited and immediately saw the value of using 3D imaging to bridge the “2D-3D gap” in communication between radiologists and surgeons that I’d noted in my day to day work as a pediatric radiologist.
Jenny: What inspired you to start your journey/company/career/research in 3D printing (bio-fabrication/bio-printing)?
Jesse: My earlier research involved diffusion tensor imaging of renal transplants, and from that research, I generated some beautiful tractography images. After RSNA, I was wondering if I could 3D print these fiber tracts. I learned a lot through the process of trying to print these, which I was able to do successfully using the Carbon printer working together with Sculpteo here in the Bay Area.   (below is my first 3d print of renal medullary pyramids derived from an MR diffusion tensor imaging scan).

As I progressed making other models, I started looking further into other 3D display methods and began my journey into the field of Augmented Reality. I found many of the skills I’d acquired in my 3D printing experience directly translated to creating these Augmented Reality models. I further explored the idea of commercialization of this concept through our UCSF Startup 101 course and the idea for HoloSurg3D was born! My co-founder Ben Laguna (a senior radiology resident at UCSF and UPenn Medicine graduate) were fortunate to be supported in our endeavors with excellent advice through UCSF QB3 and a UCSF Catalyst consultation award. We were also fortunate to be selected for the UC Hastings Startup Legal Garage which paired us with the law firm Kilpatrick and Townsend and allowed us to incorporate.

Our overall goal with HoloSurg3D is to improve pre-surgical planning by making patient-specific Augmented Reality models to allow surgeons think through a case 3-dimensionally before it ever happens. We’re effectively bridging the gap between the 2D world of radiology and the 3D real world of surgery.

Our application RadHA (Radiology with Holographic Augmentation) allows users to load 3D Augmented Reality models via the cloud, view and manipulate them using the Microsoft HoloLens platform. We offer an A.R. model creation service tailor-made for our software. We believe the use of this platform will reduce complications and decrease operating room time, letting surgeons plan more realistically and better anticipate potential problems.  We’ve been making our A.R. models here at UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital for our pediatric surgeons and pediatric neurosurgeons and plan to expand to adult services by the second quarter.

The portability of this solution allows users to use our solution in the reading room, in clinic, at or projected in a surgical planning conference room…really anywhere needed.

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.
Jesse: Really the inspiration was from the reactions of the clinicians I work with when I demonstrated these 3-dimensional models to them. I’d often noted that it wasn’t until I’d shown a 3D image of the anatomy that I would see the lightbulb go off. The “wow” reactions from surgeons when they immediately see the value of these models is very exciting and inspirational.
Jenny: What motivates you the most for your work?
Jesse: For one, I find a certain beauty in the anatomic structures and in creating these 3-dimensional models. I also, however, feel a sense of accomplishment when I can help to make difficult to understand anatomy clearer to those who need to have a strong grasp of it. Having a perfect 3-dimensional understanding of the anatomy in my head is only useful in as far as I’m able to convey that accurately to the surgeon. As a radiologist, 3D images be they 3d printed or Holographic Augmented Reality models are tools to help me do one of the most important things a radiologist needs to do and that communicates with clinicians
Jenny: What is/are the biggest obstacle(s) in your line of work? If you have conquered them, what were your solutions?
Jesse: In my area, it is finding the time and resources to fully develop my idea. I was fortunate to have great resources and advice from within my University here at UCSF including our QB3, Catalyst program, and Entrepreneurship Center to help take my idea from beyond the “idea stage” into reality.
Jenny: 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)?
Jesse: I think for 3D printing the challenge lies in overall scalability and the need to simplify the segmentation/post-processing of the models. This can be addressed as technology evolves to make these solutions cheaper, easier to use, and more widely available. It is also for this reason that I have pursued Augmented reality solutions as an extension of 3D printing that allows for a wider audience to have access to 3-dimensional models.
Jenny: If you are granted three wishes by a higher being, what would they be?
Jesse: Hmm…tough question. World peace, end to poverty, and an infinite number of additional wishes?
Jenny: What advice would you give to a smart driven college student in the “real world”? What bad advice you heard should they ignore?
Jesse: Would say pursue opportunities that are interesting to you and not overcommit to other things that are less interesting out of a sense of obligation. I think inspiration and motivation come from questions that arise from your own experiences. It is far less interesting and motivating to simply work on a project someone has given you because they think you’d be a good fit for it.
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?
Jesse: Continue to innovate, don’t be deterred by those who say you shouldn’t pursue your goals because it will be too difficult (aka naysayers).
Jenny: What were/was the best investment you made in 3D printing?
Jesse: Probably the grant money I used to create my first 3D printed renal tubule model as it led me on my wonderful journey through 3D printing and Augmented Reality.
Jenny: What were/was the worst investment you made in 3D printing/bio-printing/bio-fabrication?
Jesse: Hard to say, haven’t found a regrettable decision yet along this path, but will keep you updated!
Jenny: What was/is the biggest risk you took in your career?
Jesse: Departing from the usual academic path of pursuing research in a very small/obscure niche to instead explore what I truly found interesting and exciting.
Jenny: What do you enjoy in your spare time? What are you passionate about outside of your work/3d printing?
Jesse: I love to spend time with my wife and 5-year-old daughter and enjoying all the SF Bay Area has to offer. I have another soon-to-be-born daughter on the way at the end of this February! When I’m not spending time with them I enjoy practicing Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. It’s fun and a great way to exercise!
Jenny: What is your favorite quote? Why?
Jesse:
“If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too;” from Rudyard Kipling’s “If”.
I sometimes think of that when I have to make a tough call on a challenging radiology case, specifically if the clinicians aren’t completely convinced. It’s a gratifying feeling though when you get that call from the surgeon saying, “you were right, it was exactly like you said it would be”. In some ways, I’m hoping with 3D printing and Augmented Reality technologies we’ll be able to much more easily demonstrate what’s in our heads as radiologists so the convincing will be much more effortless!
Jenny: What does the word “3DHEALS” mean to you? =)
Jesse: I think it can mean a number of things but really for me, I think it’s about using 3-dimensional imaging for the better care of our patients. These technologies can help us to better do what we entered medicine to do and that is to help heal the sick.

The post Interview: Dr. Jesse Courtier, Improving Healthcare with 3D Printing and Augmented Reality appeared first on 3DHeals.