ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING
3D-printing for healthcare
Additive manufacturing is making an impression in dentistry, healthcare and medical device manufacturing
healthcare engineering problems. Whilst many of these applications lie deep in the more complex surgical procedures performed in advanced medical facilities, others are closer to the consumer. An example is the rise in rapid dental improvement procedures that are far in advance of the old method of having false teeth fitted!
A
DIGITAL ANATOMY 3D PRINTER The J750 Digital Anatomy 3D printer from Stratasys possesses advanced bone modelling capabilities that don’t just look real but are biomechanically realistic, a claim that is backed by clinical research. The software in the system is able to mimic porous bone structures, fibrotic tissue and ligaments so that medical professionals can create models that behave just like human bone.
20 /// Testing & Test Houses /// March 2021
number of companies at the forefront of industrial grade 3D printing technology have made significant strides during the past 12 months in providing innovative ways of solving some particularly tricky
❱❱ Academic researchers, product developers and manufacturers are using additive manufacturing machines such as the 3-D Bioplotter (above), which can be used to create hydrogel scaffolds to help with regenerating lost tissue (inset above), and industrial electronics 3D equipment capabilities, such as those of the Optomec printer (above right) to carve out a route into medical wearables and implants to improve healthcare technology
Created less than a year ago, the printer was initially focused on mimicking soft cardiology tissues, such as hearts and blood vessels, which were used to improve surgical preparedness and medical device makers to conduct testing and train medical professionals on new devices. The new BoneMatrix software and associated material now extends those benefits to orthopaedic applications. According to Osnat Philipp of Stratasys, the mechanical properties of bone are fundamental to the ability of our skeletons to support movement, provide protection for our vital organs and ultimately affect our quality of life. “Being able to 3D print models that are biomechanically accurate and unique to each patient is critical to that preparation,” he says.
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52
