The government said it would seek to lead the international standardization of medical image-based 3D printing modeling.

The Ministry of Science and ICT’s National Radio Research Agency said it had submitted two standard proposals on medical image-based 3D printing modeling as new projects to the ISO/IEC JTC 1, a joint technical committee of the International Organization for Standardization and the International Electrotechnical Commission, in the 3D printing and scanning sector.

The ministry said that Korean experts will take the initiative to push for the international standardization of the medical image-based 3D printing through collaboration with foreign professionals and that the proposals might be established as international standards by 2022.

The two standard proposals describe procedures for creating a customized 3D printed prosthetic based on a patient's medical image.

If the proposals become international standards, they will be used for the manufacturing of products and devices using 3D models and 3D printers for medical purposes, the ministry said.

The establishment of a manufacturing process based on international standards will help physicians create and use patient-specific 3D printed medical products conveniently without a complicated manual process of manufacturing existing implants.

“The convergence of communications technology and other industries is generating innovations across the industries,” the science and ICT ministry said. “Based on the development of international standards in the field of 3D printing, we plan to provide policy support to expand and continue the convergence of healthcare and ICT.”

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