News and Insights of 3D Printing and Manufacturing
French 4D bioprinting company Poietis has announced the commercialization of its Next Generation Bioprinting (NGB) systems. The bioprinting platform, which has been in development for the past four years, is designed for tissue engineering applications in research and development or for clinical batch production.
The CRIQ (also known as the “Centre de recherche industrielle du Québec”) is a research organization run by the Quebec government in Canada which undertakes over a thousand projects a year to push forward industrial innovation. In recent years, one of these projects has revolved around the adoption of additive manufacturing technologies for the development and production of next-gen implants and, specifically, lower jawbone implants.
In a time where connected devices and IoT are becoming increasingly mainstream, the idea of an object that tracks information is not wholly surprising. If, however, I told you that the object tracking the information did not integrate any electronics or batteries, I’d certainly expect some quizzical looks. But that’s exactly what researchers from the University of Washington have achieved in a recent research project involving 3D printed objects that can monitor how they are used.
A bioengineering PhD candidate from the University of Pittsburgh’s Swanson School of Engineering has been developing a 3D printed phantom head which so closely resembles a human head that it can be used to test the 7 Tesla magnetic resonance imager (7T MRI), one of the strongest clinical MRI devices in use.
Endocon GmbH, a German medical device company, has turned to additive manufacturing to improve hip and knee replacement surgeries. The company utilized metal AM technologies from GE Additive to create the endoCupcut, an innovative medical device that makes hip cup extraction easier, more cost effective and more reliable.
Johnson & Johnson Medical Devices Companies*, through its subsidiary Johnson & Johnson Medical GmbH, have acquired Emerging Implant Technologies GmbH (EIT), a privately held manufacturer of 3D-printed titanium interbody implants for spinal fusion surgery, based in Wurmlingen, Germany. The products in this portfolio leverage EIT’s proprietary advanced cellular titanium, which consists of an open and interconnected porous structure designed to allow bone to grow into the implant. As an industry leader across the full range of orthopaedic and spine specialties, Johnson & Johnson Medical Devices Companies will leverage its global commercial infrastructure to bring EIT’s technologies to patients around the world.
UK-based medical 3D printing expert 3D LifePrints recently entered into a long-term agreement with the Alder Hey Children’s Hospital in Liverpool. Under the newly signed collaboration, 3D LifePrints will continue to supply the hospital with specialized 3D printing services, including the printing of medical models.
Researchers from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL) have leveraged Optomec’s LENS Hybrid Controlled Atmosphere system in the development of 3D printed dissolvable magnesium structures. The dissolvable components are being investigated for medical applications and, specifically, the production of patient-specific implants.
3D Systems today announced at IMTS 2018 that Align Technology, maker of the Invisalign system of clear aligners for straightening teeth, has increased its investment in 3D Systems’ SLA 3D printing technology as part of its continued operational expansion. The multi-year collaboration is part of Align’s highly customized additive manufacturing solution that meets the needs of Align’s global business.
It’s not just bioprinting technology that stands to revolutionize biomedical research and drug discovery. As researchers from McMaster University in Ontario, Canada have shown, even low-cost 3D printing can be used to create helpful and innovative tools for medical research.