It's time to 3D print your treatment

Dubai - By the end of this year, patients in Dubai will be able to use teeth, hearing aids, medical devices, casts and artificial limbs - all printed using the 3D technology.

Keeping pace with the world's technological advancements in healthcare, Dubai too, is writing its own story in 3D.
By the end of this year, patients in Dubai will be able to use teeth, hearing aids, medical devices, casts and artificial limbs - all printed using the 3D technology. With this revolutionary technology, patients will benefit from shorter waiting times and cheaper treatment options.
Dubai will also be prepped to print vital body organs such as kidneys, whenever the time comes in the future.
From clinical simulations and training for future doctors to artificial limbs for less than Dh400, the emirate's healthcare is about to witness a sea change in the coming years.
In an exclusive roundtable interview, the team working to bring Dubai's 3D medical dream to reality gives Khaleej Times a sneak peek into what is expected until 2030 which is also Dubai's 3D Printing Strategy deadline as announced by His Highness Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai.
In May, the Dubai Health Authority (DHA) announced that it had begun creating a 3D strategy for medical services based on benchmarks that are well known in the field of technology internationally.
"It's a two-fold story," said Dr Mohammad Al Redha, Director, The Executive Office for Organisational Transformation.
"One that Dubai has its own printing strategy, the other is for healthcare."
Introduction of the innovative technology is part of DHA Strategy 2021. "So we are not only talking about 3D printing but other technologies as well," he said.
"We have places for new technologies in our strategy so whenever there is a new introduction, we can budget for it and prove to the government that this is required."
Currently, the authority is developing regulations for 3D which should be ready before the services are rolled out. "Whenever a new technology is introduced, it needs to be properly regulated."
Prices announced earlier were based on benchmarks taken from experiences of people who have already invested in 3D. "Today, these prices are scientific and tomorrow we could add a mark up on it," he added.
Explaining how 3D works, he said: "The dentist takes an impression of a tooth, which then goes to a technician. It can take a week to two when it is all handmade - from the structure of the tooth to the carving. Besides, it is made of an inert material that people are used. Also, due to the process, the cost is high."
"So, we now want to do something faster for the patient."
"When we talk about printing a 3D tooth, the impressions are already there. We run a software, design it and put a small cube of material which is then carved by a machine. This cube is cut out in the exact shape of the patient's tooth just within 20 minutes."
"The whole process takes two hours instead of two weeks. And it is cheaper because of less manpower, cheaper material and much cheaper technology," he said.
Benchmarks
"A number of cities have been used as a benchmark. We usually look at cities that are advanced in innovations. We also look at cities that are the same size as Dubai with similar and unique challenges. We will not have a city that has a 100 per cent match but we look for a similar market. For 3D printing, we have taken models from Stockholm, Boston and Singapore specifically since they are advanced in innovation," he explained.
Today, the public and private sector is alike in Dubai. "If someone picks it up before the DHA, we will support it. We also understand it is a new technology and investment is required and that is why we are not forcing the private sector.
"One area which I would personally like to explore is the casts which are currently being made of gypsum. "When children wear a cast made of plaster of Paris, it is very heavy and uncomfortable. It also heats up after six hours. If you don't have the right measurements, it may also block blood flow to the arm. In 3D, the material being used is cheap and durable plastic. strength-wise it is very strong."
So when are we having this in Dubai?
"When we started the process of making hospitals paperless in 2010, it took us five years to change perceptions."
"The city is moving in such a way and patients want hospitals that use the latest technology. If hospitals do not catch up, all technology will become obsolete. At the end of the day, we, as suppliers and providers of healthcare, have to work and move accordingly."
For patients, waiting time will be reduced and there will be faster and better treatment. "Take the example of the cost of the cast which is much less, and much faster while the chances of it going wrong are lesser.
Printing organs in the future?
Not yet. "We are dreaming large and acting as fast as we can but we will start small."
Dr Redha said: "Imagine that the ink in the ink-jet printer are tissue cells and can be printed in whatever shape you want. These tissue cells can be stem cells which are given the instructions to become kidney cells - this is currently being researched in the world. So imagine that you print a kidney exact for the patient's size from the patient's tissue. The rejection is zero. Waiting time is phenomenal. You don't have to wait for a donor. The cost is also under control.
"Building a kidney is a dream for us.if we can do this then we are definitely making patients happier," he added.
The 3D strategy
The 3D strategy is expected to be ready before 2021 which is the deadline for DHA's strategy.
"We would like a clinic or two to start before this. We have a few surprises in store which we will announce later," he said.
The strategy is divided into programmes, the first one being care model innovation. Leaders have been chosen to implement the strategy on immediate, medium and long term plans. They are knowledgeable and talented - dreamers and doers at the same time, said Dr Redha.
Fifteen programme leaders have been chosen. The first being the care model innovation which has nine initiatives.
The committee that oversees innovation, future and happiness is led by Chairman of DHA Humaid Obaid Al Qattami.
asmaalizain@khaleejtimes.com