AM.NUS is multi-disciplinary in its set up, where professors across different disciplines (Medicine, Science, Engineering, Dentistry and Design & Environment) come together, forming five key thrusts.
5 Key Thrusts
The Centre focuses on five main areas of expertise
AM Enabled
Design & Environment
Led by the Division of Industrial Design, our designers and researchers create realistic, customisable, and reusable simulators and instruments to train and educate the next generations of doctors and simplify difficult clinical tasks. The team also has experience in designing functional prosthetics using 3D printing methods.
Biomedical Device
and Implant
Engineers at the Faculty of Engineering are at the forefront of engineering science, devising new 3D printing technologies and materials. Utilising the latest in ceramic and metal 3D printing materials and techniques, engineers are focused on bringing a new generation of implants to the markets.
AM for
Innovative Medicine
Additive manufacturing offers new opportunities for the novel formulation of drugs and precise control of dosage and release patterns for every individual. In the future, pharmacists will no longer need to dispense multiple drugs, but 3D print a custom tablet on the spot. Researchers at the Department of Pharmacy lead efforts in this area.
3D Bioprinting for
Tissue Repair
Every 10 minutes in the United States, a name is added to the transplant waiting list. 22 people die everyday while waiting unsuccessfully for a donor organ. 3D printing offers potential solutions for these patients. Using advanced materials and scaffold printing techniques, combined with cell and tissue engineering, will allow scientists and engineers at the School of Medicine to engineer new solutions to regenerate and replace damaged tissues.
AM Craniofacial
and Oral Applications
Everything about dentistry is customised and highly detailed - areas that 3D printing shines in. The Faculty of Dentistry is at the forefront of using 3D printing to improve patient outcomes of dental healthcare.
Case Studies
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Case Study 1
NUS Centre for Additive Manufacturing worked with the university dental cluster (NUH) to produce accurate 3D reconstructions and medals for patients with mandibular tumours and odontogenic tumours. This is a very serious condition that can result in very damaging bone loss in the jaw and very serious facial deformity. 3D printed models help surgeons to remove the tumor and also to reconstruct the patient's facial features to ensure minimal deformity.
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Case Study 2
NUS Centre for Additive Manufacturing worked with the NUH Department of Orthopedic to assist in the planning of complicated surgeries and revision procedures where implants have failed. 3D printed models ensure that the surgeons have a chance to rehearse their surgery before entering the operating theater and exercise multiple options available for the best outcome without time pressure.