The growing role of 3D printing in healthcare
As 3D printing offerings for the healthcare market continues to improve, and adoption rises, Ido Bitan, director of product management at Stratasys gives his thoughts on the opportunities 3D printing creates for improved healthcare, and the future of the industry.
1. Tell us about Stratasys’ work to push forward 3D printing for the medical industry.
In 2017, Stratasys underwent a strategic transformation by embracing a vertical approach in providing 3D printing solutions to various industries we serve. This involved close collaboration with customers to discern their requirements, thereby influencing the direction of our product roadmap. In the medical sector, this ensures that the solutions we create offer genuine clinical value for the industry.
Our success is rooted in our close connection with customers, enabling us to pinpoint current gaps and tailor products to their specific application needs. This close collaboration leads to a continuous cycle of improvement, benefitting not only our solutions offering but, crucially, our customers.
2. What work does Stratasys currently do in the medical industry?
We consistently collaborate with leading healthcare institutions, paediatric hospitals, and academic medical centres to maximise the potential of 3D printing in the medical industry. In MedTech, our machines are employed by customers for rapid prototyping, production, design, marketing and education & training. Our product range empowers the medical sector to use 3D printing for surgeon training and simulation, thanks to our development of materials that biomechanically replicate human tissue and bone. Our PolyJet 3D printers are capable of multi-material, multi-colour models, enabling these to be produced in a single print.
With medical facilities, our emphasis is on tailoring solutions to individual patients, collaborating with various surgical specialties. Radiology departments convert patient DICOM data into printable files for purposes such as diagnostics, surgical planning, and patient education. Many of our customers use Stratasys machines alongside our biocompatible and sterilisable materials to manufacture cutting and drilling guides for surgical procedures, to improve surgical planning and support surgical procedures.
3. What opportunities does 3D printing for medical applications offer?
The healthcare sector is uniquely poised to gain advantages from 3D printing, given its ability to generate bespoke solutions for individual patients. Whether centralised or decentralised, 3D printing provides a level of flexibility that is not consistently achievable with traditional manufacturing methods.
For over 15 years, 3D printing has also been a growing technology in production in the dental industry, demonstrating its potential in creating solutions tailored to individual patients. This personalised method improves patient care and outcomes.
Additionally, the move towards bespoke patient solutions is noticeable in the medical industry, and is starting to emerge in the pharmaceutical industry. This shift highlights the significance and value placed on personalised solutions, offering advantages to hospitals, payors and patients alike. The endeavour to develop superior solutions aims to reduce overall healthcare expenses, broadening accessibility as a result. Our priority is to continuously improve patient care and ensure scalability for the benefit of all stakeholders.
4. What will the key developments be for Stratasys over the coming year?
In the coming year, our commitment involves ongoing improvement of our solutions through collaborative efforts and investments – our work is a continuous process. The MedTech industry, along with clinicians and hospitals, is dedicated to prioritising patient care. Our objective is to work with them to provide even better, faster, and more scalable 3D solutions to meet their exacting and changing needs.
We are also deepening our development and supporting of personalised solutions through advanced materials and AM manufacturing at scale. Last year we announced the joint development of an industrial-scale bioprinting solution for CollPlant’s regenerative breast implants program, using Stratasys P3 technology. This is an area we are looking to expand upon, and we will continue to monitor and assess our steps in the Bioprinting world, including the use of Bioresorbable materials.