Stratasys
Stratasys has announced the signing of an agreement with Ricoh USA, Inc. to provide on-demand 3D printed anatomic models for clinical settings.
The 3D printing vendor's Patient Specific 3D Solutions combines the company’s 3D printing technology, the cloud-based Segmentation-as-a-Service solution from Axial3D, and precision additive manufacturing services from Ricoh into one convenient solution.
The new service builds on an existing relationship between Ricoh3D for Healthcare and Stratasys to expand access to 3D printed medical models.
Anatomic 3D printed models allow practitioners to plan and practice complex surgeries and improve communication between medical staff, the patient, and the patient’s families. Digital Anatomy technology from Stratasys enables models to be biomechanically realistic, with the feel and responsiveness of real bone and tissue according to the company.
While this method of surgical planning offers benefits to patients and care teams, the need for up-front capital investments and on-site 3D printing technical expertise are significant barriers to its adoption according to Stratasys. The new service is said to remove the barriers to expand access to more hospitals and clinics, and ultimately contribute to better outcomes.
Stratasys says the new offering gives clinicians and patients increased access to patient-specific 3D printed models for pre-operative surgical planning, diagnostic use, and surgical education. These models can allow clinicians to demonstrate treatment decisions to patients and surgical staff.
Stratasys
The new collaboration will allow customers to upload medical files to a secure cloud-based service where Axial3D’s artificial intelligence-powered software automatically converts medical scans into 3D printable files. The files are then printed on Stratasys 3D printers at Ricoh’s ISO 13485 certified facility, with the models shipped directly to the care facility. Stratasys says that these changes allow a process that normally takes weeks to be completed in days, without need for onsite 3D printing equipment or technical expertise.
“With the advancement in imaging techniques and 3D printing technology, we are seeing an increased demand for personalised solutions,” said Ben Klein, General Manager of Patient-Specific Solutions for Stratasys. “We offer a simplified and scalable, comprehensive solution that increases access to patient-specific 3D printed models in a fraction of the time to help deliver highly personalised treatment and care.”
Gary Turner, Managing Director of Additive Manufacturing, Ricoh USA said: “We are providing an opportunity for healthcare providers to access state-of-the-art, precision additive manufacturing without absorbing the overhead costs. Offering this solution means democratised, wider access to patient-specific 3D printed models that can improve outcomes and the patient experience, while also enhancing physician education and training.”
The new service will be available from March 3, 2023.
In November 2022, Stratasys made a 10 million USD investment in Axial3D to support mainstream adoption of 3D printed anatomic models.
