News and Insights of 3D Printing and Manufacturing
Cresent, an Indian hornbill at ZooTampa in Florida, USA, has become the first bird to receive restorative surgery after developing a life-threatening tumor. The tumor was located under Crecent’s casque, without which her sinuses would be left exposed. The surgery saw her casque being replaced using biocompatible 3D printing technology.
Automated post-processing systems manufacturer Additive Manufacturing Technologies (AMT) has deployed its PostPro chemical vapor smoothing technology to improve the surface finish, comfort, and durability of 3D printed prosthetics.
A Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust patient was the first person in the world to be supplied solely with a fully digital 3D printed prosthetic eye on 25 November 2021. He first tried his eye on 11 November alongside a traditional acrylic prosthetic. By going home on 25 November with just his printed eye, he is the first patient to use a 3D printed eye as their sole prosthetic.
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).
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.
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.
A mechanical engineering student at TU Delft has designed a prosthetic upper-limb socket that can be 3D printed using an everyday FDM system for only €30.
Advanced Development of Additive Manufacturing (A.D.A.M.) is on the cusp of releasing 3D-printed bioresorbable bone implants. The implants would, if successful, be completely absorbed by the body. Recovery times would improve; patients would undergo fewer surgeries; the implant is personalized to each patient.
Austrian startup Luxinergy developed a new material and a fast DLP 3D printer addressing two major challenges in the field of orthotics: comfort and speed. This innovation was made possible through advancements in materials science and DLP technology.