News and Insights of 3D Printing and Manufacturing
3D Systems (NYSE: DDD) entered into an agreement to acquire Kumovis, a Munich, Germany-based additive manufacturing solutions provider for personalized healthcare applications. Kumovis’ solutions are built upon their unique extrusion technology specifically developed for precision printing of medical-grade, high-performance polymers such as PEEK (polyether ether ketone).
Osseus, an innovative spinal solutions company, obtained FDA 510(k) clearance and launch of the Pisces-SA Standalone ALIF Interbody System. The Pisces-SA interbody can be used with both bone screws and alternative fixation bone anchors allowing for increased intraoperative flexibility.
Skåne University Hospital is the first hospital in the world to 3D print a PEEK cranioplasty implant on site for it to be successfully received by a patient. The implant, based on Evonik‘s VESTAKEEP PEEK biomaterial filament, was 3D printed using the ApiumM220 3D printer from the German company Apium. While this is the first reported case of an implant to be 3D printed and implanted in the same hospital location, other companies, such as Lima Corporate, are currently developing on-site 3D printing capabilities for metal implants.
The medical 3D printing industry marked an exciting milestone in Canada this week: Health Canada (a government department tasked with national health policies) has approved a 3D printed medical implant made by LARA 3D in Quebec City. The 3D printed device, a patient-specific mandibular plate, is the first made by a Canadian manufacturer to be granted authorization for implantation.
Incredible AM (aka 3D Incredible) has been one of the pioneers in India for metal 3D printing with a state-of-the-art AM plant located in Pune. The company has now reported that it has produced over 600 3D printed implants and medical devices, making it one of the largest and most advanced such service providers in the world.
Stryker, a major adopter of AM for implants production is establishing a new medical R&D Lab in Queensland, Australia that builds on existing partnerships with hospitals, researchers, universities and local governments to drive the transformation of research into viable, commercially available precision medical device technology.
Bioprinting company T&R Biofab and B Braun, a major healthcare solutions provider, held a joint presentation to launch T&R’s new 3D printed PCL Craniofacial bone implants products. The event, hosted by B Braun Korea was held at the Dragon City Hotel in Seoul.
A 3D printed orthosis capable of counteracting the negative effects of hypertonia in children with cerebral palsy has won a national James Dyson Award.
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.
Tailor-made orthopedic footwear typically takes several weeks to manufacture – particularly because traditional shoe lasts still need to be made from wood, which is a fairly time-consuming process. PROTIQ demonstrated how this can be done faster: with the help of additive manufacturing. Custom shoe lasts can now be virtually printed overnight and are available on the production bench within a few days. This offer is completed by a free online shoe last configurator that drastically simplifies the design of 3D data and seamlessly integrates it into the ordering process. The web application is built on the parameter software system from trinckle.
Materials manufacturer Covestro and orthopedic service provider GeBioM, based in Münster, Germany, are expanding their cooperation in the field of orthopedic footwear. In addition to producing lasts and trial shoes, they now support orthopedic shoemakers in the production of custom insoles using 3D printing. A new Addigy FPU 79A thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) from Covestro is used in the form of filaments. Together with Danish printer partner Create it REAL, the companies offer a novel and sustainable solution for the digital production of shoe insoles.
LimaCorporate installed the first EOS metal LPBF (DMLS) 3D printers to the new ProMade PoC Center for Complex Orthopedic Solutions at HSS in New York City. The ProMade PoC Center will also host EBM printers when it will be officially inaugurated later this year.
New York City’s Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) and implant manufacturer, LimaCorporate unveiled the first provider-based 3D design and printing facility for custom complex joint replacement solutions.
The FDA has approved its first 3D printed talus metal implant designed to replace the main bone in the ankle joint connecting the leg to the foot. The agency issued a green light to New Jersey-based Additive Orthopaedics under humanitarian use for the treatment of avascular necrosis, a progressive condition that can lead to the death of bone tissue following a sudden injury that cuts off blood flow, such as a broken bone or dislocation.
Thrive Orthopedics, a distribution enterprise founded in 2017, debuted its very own product line with 3D-printed orthoses called the Balance 3D+ Brace, an ankle foot orthoses (AFO). The brace reduces postural sway and increases postural stability. This relative newcomer to the AM scene has created an orthotic that lines the sole of one’s foot while also bracing the heel and calf for additional support. The company prides itself on the elegance and aesthetically pleasing look of its product. It also projects product prices in line with industry standards.
Once thought destined mainly for prototyping, additive manufacturing is now increasingly employed in the development of spare parts, small series production and tooling in forward-thinking manufacturing industries such as aerospace, electronics, automotive and medical devices. Among industries at the forefront of innovative manufacturing, the medical sector has emerged as a major segment driving the growth of additive manufacturing: France’s 3D MedLab operates at the forefront of this segment
Swiss medical company Medacta officially initiated the commercial use of 3DMetal Femoral Cones for revision knee arthroplasty after successfully receiving clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and CE marking.
Using 3D printers, researchers have collaborated from around the globe to develop nanoclay-based 3D bioprinted scaffolds which could be used to aid skeletal regeneration.