date-created: '2016-12-06'
date-updated: '2024-06-18'
manifest-author:
    name: Appropedia
    email: admin@appropedia.org
title: '3D printed surgical retractors'
description: 'In many developing nations, there is a constant demand for medical supplies, which are not only sometimes small in quantity but are often hard to transport to small, isolated communities in remote areas.  A lot of donated materials through humanitarian organizations consist of small-scale medical supplies that are frequently used in pediatrics and general care, however surgical equipment is is far and in-between. As a result many surgeries are performed with single-use and outdated equipment past their expiration date, which as a result can not only become a large biohazard to the patient, but risk breakage during use.  One of the Requests for 3-D printable open source appropriate technology requests was for single-use surgical retractors. Surgical retractors are traditionally made out of metal, which are not only expensive but are heavy, and as a result hard to transport.'
keywords:
    - '3D printing'
    - osat
    - 'surgical tools'
    - retractor
    - plastic
project-link: 'https://www.appropedia.org/3D_printed_surgical_retractors'
contact:
    name: 'User:Chrissy Kaub'
    social:
        platform: Appropedia
        user-handle: 'User:Chrissy Kaub'
version: 100
made: false
image: 'https://www.appropedia.org/w/images/thumb/d/da/Surgical_retractors.jpg/1280px-Surgical_retractors.jpg'
variant-of:
    title: 'Surgical reactors'
    web: 'https://www.appropedia.org/Surgical_reactors'
license:
    documentation: CC-BY-SA-3.0
licensor:
    name: 'User:Chrissy Kaub'
    affliation: 'Category:MOST'
    contact: 'https://www.appropedia.org/User:Chrissy_Kaub'
documentation-home: 'https://www.appropedia.org/3D_printed_surgical_retractors'
documentation-language: en