3D printing can provide an exact replica of a body part. But the printing process is not building or molding the model in traditional ways. The technology creates a solid 3D object by taking thin imaging slices from computer files. Mayo Clinic has been working with 3D printing for at least 16 years, applying it to clinical and surgical areas.

"And one of the many benefits we have from 3D printing is the ability to inform the patient," says Dr. Jonathan Morris, a Mayo Clinic neuroradiologist.

In this Mayo Clinic Q&A podcast, Dr. Morris explains how 3D printing works and how medical teams have used it during the COVID-19 pandemic.