Medical Additive Manufacturing
The medical additive manufacturing sector (including dental AM) is today one of the largest adopters of 3D printing technologies for the production of consumer-targeted items, including prosthetics, implants, dental replacements and physical models.
The use of 3D printing technologies extends well beyond 3D printed implants. Surgical guides and presurgical models can in a way be compared to the widespread use of AM for prototyping and tooling in the industrial manufacturing arena. Leading AM hardware manufacturers, such as 3D Systems, EnvisionTEC, EOS and SLM Solutions – along with service providers like Materialise – are investing heavily to develop both medical and dental AM applications.
While the benefits of AM technologies for personalized medicine and more efficient surgical practices is well documented, several hurdles still exist that are limiting a widespread adoption of these key technologies in hospitals and medical practices. Several of these hurdles are inherent to the AM technologies and related material availability, however, the biggest challenges remain in a general lack of awareness and skepticism, resulting in a slow pace of adoption.
Today very significant strides have been made – mainly in the private segment – toward the development of advanced polymers, metals, and ceramics fit for implantation in humans. The private dental segment is going through a full-size boom in the adoption of AM technologies and processes. With this month’s Industry Focus we zoom in on the latest advancements and take a look at the upcoming opportunities for medical and dental AM.
Latest Medical and Dental AM news:
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Biomedical engineers from the University of Utah are pushing the envelope of 3D bioprinting with a new approach that could enable the printing of ligaments and tendons. The process, which has been in development for two years, was pioneered in collaboration with Carterra, Inc., a Salt Lake City microfluidic device…
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In a time where connected devices and IoT are becoming increasingly mainstream, the idea of an object that tracks information is not wholly surprising. If, however, I told you that the object tracking the information did not integrate any electronics or batteries, I’d certainly expect some quizzical looks. But that’s…
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A bioengineering PhD candidate from the University of Pittsburgh’s Swanson School of Engineering has been developing a 3D printed phantom head which so closely resembles a human head that it can be used to test the 7 Tesla magnetic resonance imager (7T MRI), one of the strongest clinical MRI devices…
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Resolution Medical, a Minneapolis-based company specializing in innovative solutions for the medical device industry, recently partnered with 3D printing company Carbon to adopt its AM technology. Through the agreement, Resolution Medical has become Carbon’s first production partner in the Midwest dedicated to the medical device market. At this stage in…
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Endocon GmbH, a German medical device company, has turned to additive manufacturing to improve hip and knee replacement surgeries. The company utilized metal AM technologies from GE Additive to create the endoCupcut, an innovative medical device that makes hip cup extraction easier, more cost effective and more reliable. In an increasingly…
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Johnson & Johnson Medical Devices Companies*, through its subsidiary Johnson & Johnson Medical GmbH, have acquired Emerging Implant Technologies GmbH (EIT), a privately held manufacturer of 3D-printed titanium interbody implants for spinal fusion surgery, based in Wurmlingen, Germany. The products in this portfolio leverage EIT’s proprietary advanced cellular titanium, which consists…
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UK-based medical 3D printing expert 3D LifePrints recently entered into a long-term agreement with the Alder Hey Children’s Hospital in Liverpool. Under the newly signed collaboration, 3D LifePrints will continue to supply the hospital with specialized 3D printing services, including the printing of medical models. I say continue because 3D…
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Researchers from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL) have leveraged Optomec’s LENS Hybrid Controlled Atmosphere system in the development of 3D printed dissolvable magnesium structures. The dissolvable components are being investigated for medical applications and, specifically, the production of patient-specific implants. The innovative research, which has utilized Optomec’s metal AM system—the…
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3D Systems today announced at IMTS 2018 that Align Technology, maker of the Invisalign system of clear aligners for straightening teeth, has increased its investment in 3D Systems’ SLA 3D printing technology as part of its continued operational expansion. The multi-year collaboration is part of Align’s highly customized additive manufacturing…
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Optomec, a leading global supplier of production-grade additive manufacturing systems for 3D printed metals, is introducing the new Optomec LENS 860 Hybrid Controlled Atmosphere (CA) System. This latest addition to the Optomec LENS Machine Tool Series has a larger build volume and supports higher laser power, providing more capabilities for…
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