Medical Additive Manufacturing
The medical sector, which encompasses dental, 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.
Though the focus of much media coverage, the use of 3D printing technologies extends well beyond 3D printed implants. Surgical guides and pre-surgical models are widespread, so much so that they can, in a way, be compared to the broad adoption 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 are well documented, several hurdles still exist that are limiting a more widespread adoption of these key technologies in hospitals and medical practices. Several of these hurdles are inherent to AM technologies and related material availability, however, the biggest challenges result from a general lack of awareness and skepticism, resulting in a slow pace of adoption.
Today, significant strides are being taken—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 hone 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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UK-based metal AM company Renishaw collaborated with a Yorkshire dental laboratory to fully digitize the design and production of removable partial dentures (RPDs). Through the collaboration and the implementation of Renishaw’s metal 3D printing platform, the dental lab is achieving faster turnaround times and better quality RPDs. 3D printing in…
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An assistant professor in industrial systems and engineering from Virginia Tech and a team of undergraduate students are hoping to advance customized 3D printed prosthetics with the integration of electronic sensors. The project aims to make sophisticated, electric-powered prosthetics more accessible than existing state-of-the-art prosthetics. The research project, led by…
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SmarTech Analysis has published the fifth edition of its Additive Manufacturing in Dentistry report. The firm projects that the total market for AM in dentistry will surpass $2.7 billion (USD) in 2019 (hardware, services, materials and software). The report also says that by 2022 as many as 500 million dental devices and restorations…
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Though the rumoured alien origins of crystal skulls may be outlandish, there’s a new set of transparent skulls that could stir up innovations within the medical field. Researchers from the University of Minnesota have created 3D printed transparent skull implants for mice that can literally give more insight into how…
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A medical specialist from the University of Pretoria (UP) Faculty of Health Sciences has pioneered a new surgical procedure that uses 3D printed middle ear bones to treat conductive hearing loss. The innovative solution was recently demonstrated in the world’s first 3D printed middle ear transplant. Conductive hearing loss is…
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UNYQ, a company specializing in custom 3D printed medical wearables, has launched its latest product: the UNYQ Socket, a 3D printed prosthetic leg socket. The new medical device can be paired with UNYQ’s custom 3D printed prosthetic covers and integrates sensors for monitoring the wearer’s activity. The launch of the…
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HARZ Labs is a name almost unknown in Europe, but in Russia it is a promising startup and one of the few manufacturers of materials for professional additive manufacturing. Officially founded in 2017, after several years of research in the field of polymers (from 2013), it achieved the “Best Startup of…
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With the International Dental Show (IDS) well underway in Cologne, there hasn’t been a shortage of dentistry-related additive manufacturing news. Already, Prodways introduced a new modular solution for mass producing dental aligners and Carbon announced a partnership with Keystone Industries through which it will 3D print clear nightguards and splints.…
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The IDS show now underway in Cologne is ushering in a new era as 3D printing for the dental industry enters a new phase of industrialization. French 3D printer manufacturer Prodways is catering to these new demands by introducing a modular and highly automated dental aligner production solution. While several…
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The impact 3D printing is having on life-changing applications is truly something to behold. Though the technology is not yet living up to the much-hyped expectations of 3D printed organs, it is still being used in a variety of ways to innovate within the healthcare sector. Metal 3D printing, for…
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