Rp refers to rapid prototyping technology, and medical application is an important application direction of rapid prototyping. In addition to the design and development of medical devices, rapid prototyping technology is also applied to the molding of organs (such as bones and hearts) and implants (such as artificial joints). Using CT, MRI, B-ultrasound and other technologies, the human body is scanned locally to obtain the sectional image, and then the computer three-dimensional modeling of the organ is carried out. These data are transmitted to the rapid prototyping system to build a solid organ model. These models help researchers, implant designers and surgeons to observe the patient's bone structure without surgery. Many specialties, such as skull surgery, bone surgery, neurosurgery, oral surgery, plastic surgery and head and neck surgery, have begun to apply rapid prototyping technology to help surgeons with teaching, diagnosis and operation planning.

Like other new technologies, RP is maturing in biomedicine, seeking its own position in medical application. Now it mainly includes the following three applications:

1. Manufacturing anatomical in vitro model (in vitro model)

2. Manufacture of biocompatible prosthesis (implant)

3. Fabrication of scaffold structure of tissue engineering cell carrier (human organ)