The Future of Occupational Therapy is 3D-Printed

The hum of a 3D printer is the only thing piercing the air inside an otherwise quiet classroom on the University of New England’s Portland Campus for the Health Sciences — that is, until Gabriela Puentes and Jenny Frick cheer with delight that the pieces of their 3D-printed, portable medication pod fit together as designed. 

Puentes and Frick, both first-year students in UNE’s Master of Science in Occupational Therapy (M.S.O.T.) degree program, are part of a group of students creating solutions that could transform the lives of their future clients and driving innovation in the field of occupational therapy. For Puentes and Frick, the project meant designing a portable, 3D-printed pill container to help a client with multiple sclerosis (MS) remember his midday medication, an idea born from equal parts compassion and creativity.

“We wanted to make something that wasn’t just functional but also empowering,” Puentes said. “This project showed me how technology like 3D printing can unlock new possibilities for occupational therapists to meet each client’s unique needs.”

The assignment, part of their neuro-occupation coursework, challenged students to use cutting-edge technology to address specific adaptive needs in a case study. Puentes and Frick’s client, a 46-year-old man with MS, struggled with memory and fine motor skills, making a portable and easy-to-use device a practical and meaningful solution.

“This project definitely made me rethink the possibilities for adaptive equipment for people to use and benefit from,” Frick said. “Every person has their own specific needs, and with the 3D printer, we were able to find a product that fit the needs of our client.”

Left: Jenny Frick and Gabriela Puentes operate a 3D printer in their lab in Proctor Hall. Right: Puentes sends the team’s design to the 3D printer.

Innovation Beyond the Basics

While Puentes and Frick focused on medication management, the possibilities for 3D printing in occupational therapy extend far beyond. Their classmates explored solutions like feeding tools, home maintenance aids, and playtime devices. One group even developed an extender for a hairbrush, enabling easier use for people with limited hand mobility.

“Learning about the 3D printing process and the incredible opportunities it offers for creating assistive technology has been a truly rewarding experience,” said Evan Brohan, another first-year M.S.O.T. student. “Occupational therapists can utilize 3D printing to design complex and innovative solutions that might not be possible through traditional methods. 

“These tools can be tailored to meet each client’s unique needs, aligning perfectly with occupational therapy’s client-centered approach,” he added.

Puentes emphasized the versatility of 3D printing. “Although Jenny and I used the 3D printer to address medication management, we also found ways that the 3D printer could be used to create devices in areas like feeding and eating, energy conservation, and home maintenance with our case study,” she said. “This truly rounds out the versatility, creativity, and innovation that the future of occupational therapy will bring about into health care.”

Frick agreed, noting its potential for client education. 

“Education is an important part of our scope of practice, and some individuals are visual learners, so this could be beneficial and help individuals feel less overwhelmed when receiving a lot of information from health care providers,” she said.

Frick and Puentes discuss ways to improve their project, which resulted in the 3D-printed medication containers displayed on the right.

A Learning Environment That Inspires

By embedding cutting-edge technology into its curriculum, UNE, Maine’s leading health university, is giving its students a head start in a rapidly evolving health care landscape. For these aspiring occupational therapists, the future isn’t just about solving problems — it’s about designing solutions that transform lives.

“It has been wonderful to share my clinical background in 3D printing and the 3D printing solutions to promote positive change in the neurological population,” said Elise Ostensson, M.S., OTR/L, CSRS, assistant clinical professor in the Department of Occupational Therapy at UNE. “Exposure to 3D printing technology and its application to this patient population was the driver of this lab experience, and I was delighted to see the students dig in on this project and engineer creative solutions for their patients.”

Part of what makes this project so impactful, Frick said, is how it’s woven directly into the occupational therapy curriculum. The neuro-occupation class challenges students to apply what they’re learning in lectures to real-world scenarios, all within the supportive structure of UNE’s program.

“I think it was very beneficial to have this project embedded into our class,” she said. “Through trial and error, we identified and created a 3D-printed adaptive device for our client. This helped reinforce what we have been learning during lectures.

“It was also another opportunity to use hands-on practice to learn, which I value a lot as a student,” she added. 

Puentes agreed, saying, “This project has built another foundational step in our practice through the ability to use trial and error in the safety of a learning environment. This has been the best way to make students, like me, comfortable with the 3D printer and removes the barrier to access to such an important device in our practice.”

Both students pointed to UNE’s welcoming environment and innovative curriculum as reasons they chose the program. 

“I chose UNE for the M.S.O.T. program because of the welcoming nature of the faculty I spoke to and their mission to create innovative occupational therapists out of their program,” Puentes said, while Frick noted that she appreciated opportunities to incorporate patient simulation into her studies through UNE’s Interprofessional Simulation and Innovation Center.

Shaping the Future of Occupational Therapy

UNE’s M.S.O.T. program is preparing students to be innovators in their field, equipping them with the skills and creativity to tackle challenges in new ways. Frick and Puentes said the use of 3D printing in their project gave them new perspectives for their future practice by combining advanced technology with a deeply personal, client-centered approach to care.

“This project has shown another amazing way occupational therapists can use their creativity to make life-changing, innovative devices,” Puentes said. “I’m leaving this experience feeling inspired and ready to bring this kind of innovation into my practice.”