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Selected On-Demand Medical Applications of 3D-Printing for Long-Duration Manned Space Missions
Marshall Space Flight Center Faculty Fellowship Program
  • Andres L Carrano, Georgia Southern University
Document Type
Research Paper
Publication Date
3-1-2017
Abstract

Recent technological advances in the area of Additive Manufacturing (i.e. 3D printing) allow for exploration of their use within long-duration manned space missions. Among the many potential application domains, medical and dental fabrication in support of crew health is of interest to NASA’s Advanced Exploration Systems directorate. A classification of medical events with their associated response timeline discern between those applications where current 3D printing technologies can provide adequate support. Products and devices that require on-demand fabrication (due to the high level of personal customization) but that can wait for a reasonable (e.g. few hours) fabrication time are the most promising areas. Among these non-emergency, on-demand applications, two were identified for further investigation: dental health and pharmaceutical drugs. A discussion on the challenges presented by a microgravity operational environment on these technologies is provided.

Comments

NASA/TM—2017–218234

Citation Information
Andres L Carrano. "Selected On-Demand Medical Applications of 3D-Printing for Long-Duration Manned Space Missions" Marshall Space Flight Center Faculty Fellowship Program (2017) p. 52 - 61
Available at: http://works.bepress.com/andres-carrano/82/