- Title
- The futures of orthopedic implants through 3D printing technology for South Africa
- Creator
- Davids, Craig Nolan
- Subject
- Medical innovations -- Economic aspects -- South Africa
- Subject
- Three-dimensional printing Three-dimensional imaging Orthopedics
- Date Issued
- 2019
- Date
- 2019
- Type
- Thesis
- Type
- Masters
- Type
- MBA
- Identifier
- http://hdl.handle.net/10948/39381
- Identifier
- vital:35238
- Description
- 3D printing is one of the most disruptive technologies that truly has the potential to change medicine and healthcare by making care affordable, accessible and personalized. It can bring a new era if printers become more sophisticated, printing biomaterials gets safely regulated and the public acquires a common sense about how 3D printing works. An understanding and appreciation of the possible futures of 3D printing technology will be of great value to various stakeholders within the country. This research will identify and describe current drivers that should be appreciated for the government, business communities, academic institutions, healthcare provider’s policy makers and the society at large to make intelligent decisions about the future of 3D printing in medical devices. This study is aimed at identifying the possible futures of 3D printing in orthopaedic devices in South Africa. Causal Layered Analysis (CLA) and the Six Pillars of Futures were identified as the preferred methodologies to be utilised to respond to the research objectives of this study. A detailed literature study was undertaken to evaluate the existing body of knowledge on the research topic. The literature study revealed that several factors needs to be addressed before 3D printing is completely integrated into everyday joint reconstruction surgery. Having already made a big impact in the medical sector, three-dimensional printing (3DP) technology continues to push the boundaries of cost efficiency, convenience, and customization. It has transformed some aspects of medical device production. To date, 3D printing has been employed predominantly by hobbyists, product designers and a few select industrial applications, but the performance of additive manufacturing equipment is quickly evolving, the choice of materials is increasing, and prices of both materials and printers are falling rapidly, all factors through which 3D printing is swiftly progressing to attain wider consumer acceptance and a greater number of manufacturing uses.
- Format
- x, 127 leaves
- Format
- Publisher
- Nelson Mandela University
- Publisher
- Faculty of Business and Economic Sciences
- Language
- English
- Rights
- Nelson Mandela University
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| Thumbnail | File | Description | Size | Format | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| View Details Download | SOURCE1 | CRAIG NOLAN DAVIDS.pdf | 1 MB | Adobe Acrobat PDF | View Details Download |