News and Insights of 3D Printing and Manufacturing
Stratasys, an expert in polymer 3D printing solutions, has signed an agreement with French med-tech start-up Bone 3D, designed to put Stratasys 3D printing technology directly into the hands of France’s front-line medical professionals.
PrinterPrezz, Inc. and Vertex Manufacturing have completed the merger between the companies, both active in the advanced manufacturing sector and specifically in advancing and evolving the AM workflow. Financial details of the transaction were not disclosed. The deal is significant as it marks one of the first times that a new entry AM software company (PrinterPrezz) has acquired a physical AM service provider (Vertex). Both companies are innovative in their approach to AM: PrinterPrezz in terms of its holistic approach to the AM workflow and Vertex, a new company founded by industry veterans, in terms of their adoption of new AM technologies such as those provided by Velo3D along with PrinterPrezz software.
Braskem, the largest polyolefins producer in the Americas, and DiveDesign partnered to develop a custom 3D printed K9 quad cart for rescue dog “Wobbly Hannah” (@wobblyhannahtotherescue).
SprintRay Inc., a global MedTech pioneer and industry leader in digital dentistry and 3D printing solutions, signed a five-year partnership with eight-time Olympic gold medalist, Usain Bolt. Bolt and SprintRay are also collaborating with the Jamaican Dental Association to invest in the launch of “Bolt Labs, powered by SprintRay” – an initiative with a mission to make world-class digital dental care accessible to Jamaica.
The PhonoGraft biomimetic hearing-restoration technology, advanced through a six-year effort by a multidisciplinary research team at the Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Harvard’s John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS), and Massachusetts Eye and Ear (MEE)/Mass General Brigham (MGB), has now entered commercial development. If successful, it could mitigate pain, drainage, and hearing loss associated with eardrum perforations that affect millions of individuals worldwide.
Medical device company MANTIZ has acquired an Eplus3D EP-M260 metallic 3D printer to additively manufacture cages in titanium for use in implant surgery. The entire process of shaping the company’s proprietary PANTHER spinal implants is now carried out internally by MANTIZ.
Additive manufacturing has been touted for its potential to have a major role in disrupting the traditional orthopedic industry for almost a decade. However, even in a sector that grapples with increasing costs for orthopedic specialists and demands for improved comfort, aesthetics, and quality of life, adoption of AM technologies has been slow. Much of it has to do with costs and quality of materials as well as the productivity rate of the machines. This is now changing as material giant BASF’s Forward AM is partnering with Belgian MedTech company Spentys to make these supports truly available, accessible, and viable.
restor3d merger with Kinos Medical, an expert total ankle replacement company. restor3d was founded with a mission to enable surgeons to repair and reconstruct the human body using 3D printing technologies, advanced biomaterials, and artificial intelligence. In 2018, the company invested in significant infrastructure and in-house manufacturing capabilities to expand its offering of implants in orthopedic and spine indications. With a robust pipeline of products slated for regulatory submission, recent FDA clearances include osteotomy wedges and cervical interbody fusion implants. The merger with Kinos Medical will accelerate restor3d’s expansion into the high-growth foot and ankle market in the U.S.
Desktop Health, a service recently launched by Desktop Metal, received the Conformité Européenne (CE) Mark certification for its Flexcera resin, a proprietary technology for use in 3D fabrication of high-quality dental prosthetics. The CE Mark affirms that Flexcera resins meet the requirements of the European Medical Devices Directive, paving the way for Desktop Health to launch Flexcera resins to dental professionals within the European Union (EU) and other CE Mark geographies. Flexcera Base, which recently received U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and Flexcera Smile are Desktop Health’s first formulated and optimized digital dental solutions.
BellaSeno GmbH, an ISO 13485-certified MedTech company developing absorbable scaffolds using additive manufacturing technologies, established a novel, leading-edge additive manufacturing facility for medical implants supported by the Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology IZI, Leipzig, Germany.