News and Insights of 3D Printing and Manufacturing
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.
Researchers from the University of Minnesota have made an important breakthrough in the development of a bionic eye. We’re not exactly talking about a Terminator-like bionic eye, but it does skew into the realm of science fiction, as the bionic eye could one day enable people with visual impairments to see better.
Ali Khademhosseini, a bioengineering professor at UCLA specializing in tissue engineering and bioprinting, and his team have developed a new and innovative technique for bioprinting tubular structures that mimic complex vessel networks and ducts. The breakthrough research, recently published in the journal Advanced Materials, could enable the bioprinting of tissues for implanting or drug testing.
Conformis, a medical technology company that offers patient conforming joint replacement implants, today announced the completion of the first two Conformis Hip System implants. The Conformis Hip System is the first ever 3D designed primary total hip replacement system. The first surgeries were performed by Gregory Martin, M.D., Joint Fellowship Trained Orthopedic Surgeon and founder of Personalized Orthopedics of the Palm Beaches, and took place at a leading HCA Facility, JFK Medical Center in Atlantis, Florida on July 31, 2018.
Medical device firm Osseus Fusion Systems has announced that its Aries family of 3D printed lumbar interbody fusion devices have received FDA 510(k) clearance. The approval marks one of the largest FDA clearances for a family of 3D printed spinal devices of that kind.
AVINENT Digital Health has recently acquired the Stratasys J750 3D printer, a powerful device in the field of 3D printing that stands out from the crowd in terms of its technology for its ability to reproduce the most realistic models.
In Tennessee, oral and maxillofacial surgeon Dr. Jeffrey Brooks, and his team of residents are using EnvisionTEC’s 3D printing solutions to create better treatment plans, implants and other life-changing devices for patients with birth defects, or recovering from disease or trauma.
Though spinal cord injuries can be a life changing issue—resulting discomfort, extreme pain and even paralysis—new 3D printing research coming from the University of Minnesota could take us one step closer to treating and helping people with long-term spinal cord injuries.