Stratasys has announced full commercial availability of its RadioMatrix radiopaque 3D printing material in the United States.
The material has been used through a series of limited deployments but is now able to be accessed by healthcare providers, device manufacturers, and research institutions across the US for the first time.
Stratasys expects the material to be suitable for advanced medical imaging and training applications.
RadioMatrix is said to enable precise control of radiopacity - allowing users to produce patient-specific models with repeatable, consistent, and fully tunable visibility on X-ray based imaging. Developed to support a 'new era' of medical imaging, Stratasys believes RadioMatrix has 'unmatched fidelity for computed tomography (CT) phantoms'. This has been underscored by research conducted with Siemens Healthineers, which validated RadioMatrix’s capabilities and accuracy for 'accelerating innovation in device testing, calibration, and education.'
UK-based work with partners such as CPI and Beaumont Hospital is already said to have demonstrated the impact of radiopaque 3D printed models in practice, with radio-realistic cerebral angiography phantoms being used to improve the fidelity of imaging-based training and create more controlled, repeatable environments for research.
According to Stratasys, early research from its collaboration with Siemens Healthineers shows that 3D printed RadioMatrix phantoms can closely replicate real human tissue in CT imaging, with deviations reported as low as single Hounsfield units (HU) in critical areas such as grey matter and veins. By combining Stratasys’ Digital Anatomy 3D printing technology and radiopaque materials with advanced imaging algorithms, they believe it is possible to develop anatomically realistic, radio-accurate phantoms that preserve fine anatomical details and pathological variations while offering a more consistent, ethical alternative to cadavers. These models are expected to improve how radiologists validate and optimise CT protocols and accelerate the development of new imaging algorithms for more precise diagnosis and treatment planning.
“Providing full availability of RadioMatrix in the U.S. is a major step in providing cutting-edge imaging education and training,” said Erez Ben Zvi, Vice President, Healthcare, Stratasys. “By giving radiologists and device manufacturers the ability to print ultra-realistic, customised radiographically accurate models, we’re helping replace traditional phantom solutions and reliance on cadavers with customisable, repeatable, and scalable alternatives.”
