News and Insights of 3D Printing and Manufacturing
UK-based metal AM company Renishaw revealed today it has been working in partnership with the University Dental Hospital of Wales (UDH) to 3D print custom maxillofacial implants and surgical guides. In the context of the hospital, Renishaw’s additive manufacturing technologies and services are helping UDH to overcome certain challenges surrounding surgical implants.
The days of weekly pill boxes and carefully planning dosages could soon be over thanks to a number of innovations brought about with 3D printing. The latest on this front comes from MIT, Draper and Brigham and Women’s Hospital, which have collectively developed a 3D printed ingestible capsule capable of personalized drug delivery and much more.
Treating cancer can be a challenging process that is often highly taxing on the patient being undergoing therapies. Because there is no way to know what types of therapy will be most effective for a given patient’s case, there is still an element of trial and error that comes into play—meaning that patients sometimes undergo various types of treatment before the most effective therapy is found. For obvious reasons, many biomedical researchers are looking for an alternative solution.
Researchers at the Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard University have created a novel 3D printing workflow that allows cardiologists to evaluate how different heart valve sizes will interact with each patient’s unique anatomy before the medical procedure is actually performed. The possibility of using material jetting 3D printing to produce more proficient implantable heart valves has been amply demonstrated. In this research project, the scientists also demonstrate that 3D printing can be used as a key tool to design even more accurate replacement valves, reducing time requirements on the operating table and improving the patient’s quality of life and recovery.
Researchers from Washington State University have developed a 3D printed biosensor for monitoring glucose. The innovative research could offer diabetes patients a more accessible and effective means on keeping track of their glucose levels.
We often talk about the potential of additive manufacturing to revolutionize the medical industry through implants, but there is one healthcare area where 3D printed implants are already having very real impacts: in the veterinary field.
3D Systems revealed this week that it has been working closely with nonprofit organization OpHeart over the past four years to provide 3D printed tools and devices to pediatric heart surgeons to help with surgical preparation. OpHeart is a U.S.-based organization dedicated to improving treatments for children born with life-threatening heart defects.
Belgian chemical company Solvay introduced three new medical grade additive manufacturing materials for the healthcare industry at Formnext last week. The new materials, KetaSpire PEEK (NT1 HC), KetaSpire PEEK (CF10 HC) and Radel PPSU (NT1 HC), are Solvay’s first high-performance filaments for medical use.
Yissum, a technology transfer company affiliated with the Hebrew University in Jerusalem, Israel, has developed a new 3D printing technique for producing drug capsules. The process, to be presented at the annual 3D Printing and Beyond conference today at the Hebrew University, utilizes custom 3D printed hydrogels with the capacity for delayed release for controlled drug dosage.
Stem cell research firm Celprogen Inc. has been working on something quite exciting for some time now, which has remained largely under the radar until very recently. The California-based company announced it has successfully 3D printed a human brain organelle using brain stem cells. The bioprinted brain could have applications in studying neurological diseases.