System Safety in Healthcare: Patient Safety from Advances in 3D Printing

Dev Raheja

doi:10.56094/jss.v53i1.98

Authors

Dev Raheja

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.56094/jss.v53i1.98

Keywords:

3D printing, patient safety, 3D model, case history

Abstract

A new technology, three-dimensional (3D) printing, has the potential to change the medical world. Objects are made by fusing or depositing materials, such as plastic, metal, powders, liquids or living cells, in layers to produce a 3D object. This technology started in manufacturing and was used to create spare parts for airplanes, eliminating the need for constructing manufacturing prototypes and producing new components within hours instead of weeks.

The application of this technology in healthcare is growing. It is now used in the creation of customized prosthetics, implants and anatomical models. Its usage is expanding rapidly in other areas of healthcare, including pharmaceutical research regarding drug dosage forms, delivery and discovery.

Author Biography

Dev Raheja

Mr. Dev Raheja has been a System Safety and System Reliability Engineering consultant for over 25 years. His range of consulting encompasses transportation systems, electric power systems, high tech industry, aerospace, defense systems, medical systems, and consumer products. He has conducted training in several countries including Sweden, Australia, Japan, UK, Turkey, Germany, Poland, Singapore, Brazil, South Africa, and Canada. He has done training and consulting work with NASA, U.S. Army, GM, Boeing, Eaton, Nissan Aerospace, Litton, General Dynamics, ITT, BAE Systems, Lockheed-Martin, Harley-Davidson, and United Technologies.

Prior to consulting, Mr. Raheja worked at General Electric, Cooper Industries, and at Booz-Allen & Hamilton. He is the author of several books including Assurance Technologies Principles and Practices (Second Edition, Wiley 2006), and Design for Reliability (Wiley, 2012). A Fellow of the System Safety Society, he has a received Scientific Achievement Award and the Educator-of the-Year Award from the society.

Mr. Raheja serves on the Patient and Families Advisory Council at Johns Hopkins Hospital as a patient safety advocate. He is Associate Editor for Healthcare Safety for The Journal of System Safety and an Associate Professor at University of Maryland where he teaches the “Design For Reliability” course which includes design for safety and trustworthiness.