Preface

Chapter 7 **3D Printing of Scaffolds for Tissue Engineering 137**

Chapter 8 **3D Printing Planning Stereotactic Radiosurgery in Uveal**

Chapter 9 **Three-Dimensional Printing and Navigation in Bone Tumor**

Alena Furdova, Adriana Furdova, Miron Sramka, Robert Furda and

Lucas E. Ritacco, Candelaria Mosquera, Ignacio Albergo, Domingo L. Muscolo, German L. Farfalli, Miguel A. Ayerza, Luis A. Aponte-Tinao

Jingyu Liu and Cheng Yan

**Melanoma Patients 155**

Gabriel Kralik

**VI** Contents

**Resection 173**

and Axel V. Mancino

Technology has influenced human history, probably more than any other field of exper‐ tise. Certain technologies have improved people's lives in different ways and have opened up new avenues and opportunities, but as usual, everything takes time, sometimes even decades before the real advantages of technology become apparent.

Various examples of technological creativity can be seen all around us. Inventions such as the phone, car, bicycle and any electrical appliance, did not occur accidentally, but were cre‐ ated as a result of someone's ideas. The final product has to pass through several stages from the development of the concept, design, technical documentation, through prototype and its testing, shift gaps and correction of errors, choice of production technology and, ulti‐ mately, making products. Reducing the time required for the realization from the idea to the final product, and therefore its cost, is one of the most important factors to respond to the needs of the market and to achieve competitiveness. A major step in this direction was made with the introduction of computer technology and Computer-Aided Design (CAD) tools in engineering and their development. The next major step is the development of 3D printing.

It is generally considered that 3D printing has the potential to become one of the technolo‐ gies that will significantly affect the life of people in general. Many scientists claim that 3D printing will completely replace the current traditional production and that its revolutionary design will affect geopolitical, social, demographic, security and all other aspects of man's daily life.

Like any other technology, 3D printing has its advantages and disadvantages. The advan‐ tages of 3D printing include various options of production, rapid prototyping and their pro‐ duction, reduction of costs, reduction of need for storage and advanced healthcare. One of the biggest advantages of 3D printing is the application of this technology in the medical sector. By creating flexible human organs or body parts, this technology has enabled more advanced healthcare than before. Thanks to the 3D printing of vital organs such as the liver, heart or kidney, many lives can be saved in the future. There will be no rejection of the do‐ nated organs, because the organs will be created by means of DNA and the unique charac‐ teristics of each patient.

Disadvantages of 3D printing are limited use of materials, creation of dangerous objects, limited size, reduction in production and the possibilities of plagiarism.

Recently, 3D printing has overcome industrial prototypes and manufacturing processes and, as a technology, has become available for small businesses and individuals. 3D printers have been in the domain of large multinational companies, and today smaller and weaker 3D printers can be purchased at low prices. Due to this fact, previously mentioned technology is available to many more people, which contributes to an increase and improvement of serv‐ ices, systems, materials and methods of usage.

This book, ''3D Printing'', is divided into two parts: the first part is devoted to the relation‐ ship between 3D printing and engineering, and the second part shows the impact of 3D printing on the medical sector in general. There are five sections in the first part (sections are dedicated to stereolithography, new techniques of high-resolution 3D printing, application of 3D printers in architecture and civil engineering, the additive production with the metal components and the management of production by using previously mentioned technology in more complex ways).

There are four chapters in the second part dedicated to medicine with the following topics: education of medical staff through surgical simulations, tissue engineering and potential ap‐ plications of 3D printing in ophthalmology and orthopedics.

I would like to express my sincere gratitude to all the authors and coauthors for their contri‐ butions. The successful completion of the book, "3D Printing", has been the result of the cooperation of many people. I would especially like to thank the Publishing Process Manag‐ er Ms. Danijela Sakić for her support during the publishing process.

> **Dragan Cvetković** Singidunum University Faculty of Informatics and Computing Belgrade, Republic of Serbia

**Section 1**

**3D Printing and Engineering**
