TABLE 2.
Summary of cost reports in 3D printing applications in radiation oncology.
| Device | Source | Material | Cost | Print time | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bolus | |||||
| Breast | Park et al. 60 | PLA | – | 6 h | Based on six patients |
| Breast | Park et al. 61 | PLA | $30/bolus | 12 h | Able to make two 5 mm thick boluses with 1 kg of PLA |
| Chest wall | Hou et al. 62 | Silicone, PLA | – | 8.5–12 h | |
| Chest wall | Robar et al. 63 | PLA | $10/bolus | 7–28 h, median 10.8 h, mean 12.6 h | No irregularities detected during QA |
| Ear | Zou et al. 64 | PLA | Depend on the printing size | 6–9 h | |
| Eye canthi | Lukowiak et al. 65 | PLA | – | 0.5–5 h | |
| Head & neck | Chiu et al. 48 | Silicone | $7.75–$28.41 per material | 4–6 h | Bolus volume varying from 98 to 557 mL; mold weight varying from 81 to 228 g |
| Nose | Albantow et al. 59 | PLA | $16.61 (low infill)–$17.98/23.84 (high infill) | 8.82 (low)–12.45 min (high) | Low infill = 18%, high infill = 100% |
| Nose | Canters et al. 66 | PLA | $30/patient (including material, print, and labor cost) | 5–10 (4‐h reduction compared to conventional method) | 28 euros per patient; 5 from material cost, 13 from depreciation cost, rest from printer maintenance |
| Nose | Kim et al. 13 | ABS‐M30 | – | 3–4.5 h | |
| Nose, scalp | Burleson et al. 12 | ABS, PLA | <$3,000 per printer | 4–6 h | |
|
Scalp, nose, chin, ear |
Park et al. 16 | Silicone | – | 3–32 h | Mold casting method for silicone rubber (Dragon skin) and urethane liquid rubber (Clear Flex 30); direct printing method for ninjaflex |
| Scalp | Baltz et al. 67 | Agilus‐60 | $2,381.50 per material and labor | 40 h | |
| Brachytherapy | |||||
| Eye, nose | Arenas et al. 21 | PLA | $9–$11.11 | 6.25 h | Failed molds cost $1.2–1.5; each mold printed at 90% infill and weighing 94 g |
| Facial skin | Bieleda et al. 22 | PLA | 8–15 h | ||
| Phantom | |||||
|
Sagittal‐sliced, Full‐scale Upper body |
Craft et al. 37 | PLA | $524 in raw materials; <$15 000 in fixed cost (software, hardware, etc.), which is about 25% cheaper than the traditional method | 267.5 h | 11‐slice phantom, print time will be lower if multiple printers are used simultaneously |
|
Chest, variable Density |
Choi et al. 68 | PLA | – | 19–50 h | Mold weight varying from 329 to 975 g |
|
Torso, variable Density |
Mille et al. 26 | PLA | $160 (material) | 15–24 h for each block | Printed in multiple blocks, total weight 2.4 kg |
| Femur bone | Tino et al. 69 | PLA | $10 per phantom | 10 h | 30 g of Fe‐PLA and 130 g of standard PLA |
| Prostate | Chiu et al. 68 | Silicone, PVC | $23.98 per phantom | 1.5–2 h | Coflex 00−30 silicone, emulsion silicone with 20% or 50% mineral oil, and regular or supersoft polyvinyl chloride (PVC). Commercial prostate phantom costs $300–$500. |