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Creating a heart model inside Materialise's Mimics inPrint software.
Stratasys and Materialise are pooling together their PolyJet technology and FDA-cleared Mimics inPrint software to better enable medical professionals to leverage 3D printing for anatomical models.
The two companies, two of the oldest providers of 3D printing products, unveiled their latest partnership at RSNA 2018, which is taking place between November 25 – November 30 in Chicago, IL. By working together, Stratasys and Materialise are hoping to deliver a versatile method of 3D printing patient-specific medical models at the point of care, helping doctors to diagnose and treat patients to the best of their ability.
The validation of PolyJet technology means the use of Stratasys’ J750, J735 and Objet30 Prime multi-material and multi-colour systems are now approved by Materialise, its Mimics inPrint platform said to have been implemented by 16 of the top 20 U.S. hospitals (per U.S. News & World Report rankings). Mimics inPrint received FDA 510k clearance back in March, having been brought to market two years prior, while Stratasys’ PolyJet technology has also been adopted in the medical sector. The J750 and J735 platforms are adept in the production of complex models requiring multiple textures, and in the combination of hard and soft materials to mimic human tissue. The Objet30 Prime desktop machine, meanwhile, is a more affordable, entry-point option, which can assist with surgical planning, training and education.
“By validating Stratasys’ 3D printing technologies through our certification process, we’re giving doctors and hospitals improved access to high-quality anatomical models for personalised care to patients,” commented Bryan Crutchfield, VP and General Manager of Materialise North America. “The addition of multi-colour and multi-material printers to the list of validated printers is aimed to enable healthcare providers to implement a versatile offering that can support their most complex cases across a wide-range of surgical specialties on a single printer.
“At Materialise, we take a hardware-agnostic approach to software development, offering the flexibility to partner with other leaders in the 3D printing industry like Stratasys, a company committed to addressing requirements of the medical community.”
“Historically, pre-surgical planning relied on 2D imaging requiring physicians to mentally reconstruct the patient anatomy. But 3D printing evolves this approach by putting precise replicas of patient anatomy directly in physician hands,” added Eyal Miller, Head of Healthcare Business Unit, Stratasys. “Now the 3D printer that every hospital needs to power their medical modelling comes with additional options for an FDA-cleared software solution.”
Ultimaker announcement
It was later announced that Ultimaker's latest desktop platform, the S5, was also certified by Materialise for its Mimics inPrint software.
Materialise validated the machine after performance testing and analysis. The S5 can be used with PLA and PVA materials in safe conjunction with Mimics inPrint.
“Starting with a validated system of hardware, software and materials for medical 3D printing helps reduce the burden on hospitals’ quality control programs when introducing the technology,” commented Crutchfield. “This solution we’ve developed with Ultimaker will improve access to 3D printed anatomical models to aid in surgical planning and multidisciplinary team communication.”
“More and more frequently, doctors look to 3D printing for pre-operative planning and the fabrication of physical models for patient management, treatment and surgeon-to-surgeon communications. As diagnostic usage of 3D printers continues to revolutionise patient care, safety and quality remain a top concern for hospitals,” added John Kawola, president of Ultimaker North America. “The Materialise certification of the 3D printing workflow when used with Mimics inPrint reduces the safety- and quality-control burden on doctors and hospitals with it’s clearance by the FDA.”
