INNOVATION
3D printing: disrupting medical device design
3D printing is transforming the medical field, from surgical instruments and skeletal reconstruction, to medical devices and anatomical models. It is becoming increasingly clear that it is part of the future of patient treatment, for more than just complex procedures – it’s fast becoming part of the everyday as it matures and costs continue to fall.
Government pressure to improve the quality of patient care, while still reducing costs, has prompted some health Trusts to search for solutions that are bespoke yet affordable. One area that 3D printing is helping to transform is the high volume medical device market, such as the specialist clamps and instrument holders typically found in operating theatres. These are being replaced
with bespoke solutions that are not only cost effective and easy to use, but can be developed in a fraction of the time to provide a far cleaner and safer environment, helping to save lives.
What is 3D printing?
Also known as additive manufacturing, 3D printing has been around since 1984.
John Bennett: 3D printing has had a huge impact in the medical field.
However, it wasn’t until recent advances in the technology that people really began to take notice. 3D printing is a process used to manufacture projects from 3D model CAD data, using a layer-by-layer build up process to develop a three dimensional object. It helps to provide solutions for manufacturing with a faster production cycle, decreases material wastage and provides considerable savings on tooling compared to traditional manufacturing methods. This technology is increasingly being adopted by specialist engineering design consultancies to help provide bespoke, yet affordable medical devices for health trusts.
Adopting 3D printing for medical device prototyping
Leicestershire based Bennett Engineering Design Solutions, a specialist engineering design consultancy established in 1999, began its relationship with the medical sector in 2002. A health Trust approached its director, John Bennett, since it required ultrasound phantom parts designed and manufactured for a research project; at the time the Trust couldn’t find anyone able or willing to meet its requirements. Its use of 3D printing, however, only began relatively recently for medical applications. As a design specialist it needed to keep up to date with the very latest technologies so it sought support from an industry partner. In 2013 it met with one of its main additive manufacturing suppliers, Materialise, at a 3D printing exhibition. Having found that Materialise had made considerable advancements with both the technology and the materials it could offer for 3D printed applications, it was agreed that the companies would form a partnership.
SEPTEMBER 2017
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