Healshape
ViscoTec Pumpen- u. Dosiertechnik GmbH has launched a medical grade series of its vipro-HEAD 3D print heads.
The company says the new series has been tailored for the requirements of the medical and medical technology market.
ViscoTec says the print heads are suitable for applications where safety, material compatibility and patient-specific care are crucial, with product contacting components being made of either stainless steel or elastomers and plastics that carry FDA certification. An autoclavable version that can be sterilised at up to 121 °C has also been made available.
The company has confirmed that its vipro-HEAD 3, vipro-HEAD 5, vipro-HEAD 5/5 for 2-component applications, and vipro-HEAD 5 with heating function (standard version up to 70°C and high-temperature version up to 110°C) have all been adapted or further developed as part of the medical grade series.
With these adjustments, hydrogels, silicones, polycaprolactones, and ceramics can all be processed, opening up potential applications in patient-specific implants, prototyping and innovative therapy solutions. In particular, ViscoTec outlines absorbable implants, such as bone or breast implants; flexible implants, such as silicone vascular structures; and 3D printed tablets for individualised drug release as potential applications.
In Lyon, France, 3Deus Dynamics is using ViscoTec print heads to produce highly realistic anatomical models – such as aortas – for surgical training and surgical planning, while Healshape us using the print heads to manufacture hydrogel-based, resorbable breast implants that are customised for each patient and regenerate after implantation through the body's own tissue.
“With the medical grade series of our vipro-HEAD printheads, we are taking the next step towards additive manufacturing in medical technology,” explains Johanna Bruckhuber, Business Development Manager Components & Devices at ViscoTec. “This enables our customers to implement patient-specific solutions – from implants to individualised medicines – and thus makes an important contribution to the medicine of the future.”
