MSF Gaza teams are utilizing digital imaging and 3-D printing to create custom prosthetic masks.
It is not uncommon for many Gazan children to have lived through wars in the short time they’ve been alive, and sometimes even more than once. For those left with facial burns as a result of the violence, the scars—both physical and emotional—can last a lifetime.
Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) teams provide specialized treatment for children suffering from facial burns at our hospital in Gaza. Using a 3D printer, we create a mould of the patient’s face, which is then used to produce a clear protective mask. These masks protect the skin and help scars heal without covering up the child’s face like bandages or dressings would.
The cost of off-the shelf prosthetics is prohibitive and often they are one-size fits all. But no two patients are alike—from lifestyle to skin tone to aspirations, each has different needs when it comes to the prosthetic design that will benefit them most. Using digital imaging techniques and a combination of plastics, 3D printers fabricate modular prosthetics tailored to a patient’s anatomy and needs.
Originally established in 2006 to treat victims of the Iraq war, MSF’s reconstructive surgery program now provides care to war-wounded patients from across the region.
Make 3D-printed Masks