Additive manufacturing is increasingly establishing itself as a practicable component of medical production processes – especially in patient-specific care. The ability to produce customized aids based on imaging diagnostics is making 3D printing the tool of choice for surgical templates, implants and dental products. Clinics and laboratories benefit from shorter throughput times and solutions that are precisely tailored to the patient.
Digitally supported workflows have become established in surgical planning, enabling complex procedures to be carried out quickly.
“More and more clinics are using AM workflows for surgical planning – with semi-automated processes and central portals to increase efficiency,” says Dr. Gautam Gupta, Senior Vice President Medical Devices & Dental at 3D Systems. “At the same time, surgery times can be shortened and treatment outcomes improved. Patient-specific templates and implants play a key role in this.”
The potential of additive manufacturing is also evident in orthopaedics. Individual instrument sets for shoulder or ankle operations support precision-fit implantation and reduce the need for extensive corrections. They are manufactured directly from CAD data, which minimizes manufacturing tolerances and simplifies documentation.
In the field of dental technology, it is primarily directly printed dental splints and prostheses that are setting new standards. “Today, dental splints are still mostly made from thermoformable molds – but the industry is moving towards directly printed dental splints. This reduces waste and improves sustainability,” says Gupta. Supplemented by intraoral scans, highly individualized products can be manufactured decentrally, for example directly in dental laboratories or clinics. This proximity to the patient reduces transportation costs and response times.
This makes it clear that 3D printing does not completely replace conventional processes, but complements them in a targeted manner. Its strength lies in its adaptability and efficiency with small batch sizes – an aspect that is becoming increasingly important in an increasingly personalized medicine.
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