3D printing specialist Stratasys launches the J750 Digital Anatomy 3D Printer. These 3D printers can be used to incorporate the feel and biomechanics of human anatomy into artificial models, among other things. Among other things, this helps train and prepare surgeons for surgery, and bring new medical devices to market faster.
To train and test medical devices, options currently available include using cadavers, animals or virtual models. However, these options all have their limitations. For instance, animal anatomy approaches that of humans but is not the same. Animal testing may also raise ethical concerns. Using cadavers also has limitations; for instance, they do not contain life tissue and can only be used in a controlled environment.
With the Digital Anatomy 3D Printer, Stratasys aims to address these limitations. The printer is capable of printing artificial models that replicate human anatomy. The printer can be used in any location, without the need for specialised facilities.
Training surgeons
This opens up all kinds of possibilities. For example, medical centres can use the 3D printer to quickly create realistic medical models and use it to train doctors faster and without risk. "We believe in the potential of 3D printing to deliver better care. The Digital Anatomy 3D Printer is a big step forward," said Eyal Miller, head of the Stratasys Healthcare business unit.
"We are giving surgeons a more realistic training environment under risk-free conditions. We also expect this to help medical device manufacturers bring products to market by being able to use these new models for design verification, validation, feasibility studies and fault analysis."
Recreating patient-specific anatomy
The 3D printer has been tested by several party. For example, the Jacobs Institute, a medical centre in New York focused on vascular care, has deployed the printer to recreate key vascular elements of the human body for testing and training purposes.
"3D printing is great for recreating patient-specific anatomy compared to cadavers or animal models; however, the ultimate frontier for realistic organ models has been the feel of living tissue and biomechanical realism," explains Dr Adnan Siddiqui, Chief Medical Officer at Jacobs Institute. "This is what the Digital Anatomy 3D Printer gives us. We believe these models give us the best opportunity to create human physiological conditions to mimic realistic clinical situations and investigate new devices to determine their effectiveness before they are introduced to patients."
Accelerating medical device development
At the same time, Stratasys foresees applications among medical device manufacturers. They can use the 3D printer to test and introduce new technologies and medical procedures faster. Academic medical centres can additionally use the 3D printer to train doctors without putting patients at risk. For example, doctors can train on 3D-printed models of organs.
In addition to the Digital Anatomy 3D Printer, Stratasys is also introducing three new materials for creating cardiology, vascular and orthopaedic applications. They are:
- TissueMatrix: a gel-like support material that can be easily removed from 3D printed blood vessels. Blood vessels with an inner diameter of at least 1mm and a wall thickness of at least 1mm can be printed with this material.
- GelMatrix: a material that makes it possible to create the feel and appearance of heart tissue. Stratasys claims it is the most soft transparent material commercially available.
- BoneMatrix: a strong and flexible material with memory that holds its shape.
The 3D printer comes with pre-configured settings to handle these three materials. In addition, the company is introducing the Blood Vessel Cleaning Station, a solution that removes the TissueMatrix support material from 3D printed blood vessels.
Author: Wouter Hoeffnagel
Source: Stratasys
