Queensland University researchers challenge accuracy of FDM 3D printed medical models 

Researchers from the Queensland University of Technology have released a study that challenges the Fused Deposition Modelling (FDM) 3D printing process behind the production of anatomical medical reconstructions. 3D printed models can be important tools for doctors, in diagnosing and treating patients, or educating and training future surgeons. In addition, medical models often serve as […]

3D printing industry news sliced: Satair, VELO3D, 3D Systems, Dimension Inx, REGEMAT, Open Additive, DP Technology and more

In this edition of Sliced, the 3D Printing Industry news digest, we cover the latest business developments, partnerships, and acquisitions across our industry.  Today’s edition features updated quality assurance guidance, fresh funding for US universities, a new CFO at 3D Systems, Singaporian marine technology and 3D printed miniature satellites.  Read on for the latest news […]

3D Printing for COVID-19: ID Badge/Door Opener from 3D LifePrints UK

A number of small companies are attempting to support the supply shortages being faced by hospitals in the face of the COVID-19 outbreak and provide new devices that can reduce the potential risk of contamination for medical professionals. Meanwhile, some large manufacturers that might be deployed for a massive World War Two-style production effort are not stepping up or being government mandated to provide production capacity. In fact, they are even laying off staff in the midst of a health crisis that has also become an economic crisis. (See our comments about GE worker protests in a previous article for an example.)

One such small firm lending a hand to the supply shortages is 3D LifePrints UK, an additive medical device manufacture specialist that makes such items as implants for craniofacial surgery, surgical guides and pre-surgical models for National Health Service trusts, medical device companies, research institutions and others in the U.K., Europe and around the world. 

3D LifePrints has been asked by a number of medical institutions to investigate and provide prototype designs for personal protection equipment (PPE) such as Facial mask connectors, mounts for ICU devices that are being moved into other venues, and a simple 3D printable device called the “Distancer.” This last item makes it possible for healthcare professionals to open a door or swipe an ID card without the need to touch potentially contaminated surfaces. 

“A doctor goes through a door up to 150 times a day in a hospital. The phrase we hear all the time is ‘the doors are like lava.’ The surface retention of COVID-19 is quite high on stainless steel and plastic,” founder and CTO Paul Fotheringham said.

Fotheringham explained that, in addition to the regular protocol for which hospital employees use their IDs, presenting proper identification in healthcare facilities is necessary to prevent the theft of supplies by hospital staff. 

To ensure the maintenance of proper protocol and prevent the spread of the virus, 3D LifePrints UK and the Alder Hey NHS Foundation Trust designed a 3D printed device that can hang off a keychain or lanyard and allow for the slide insert of a user’s electronic ID card. The Distancer features a handle so that the user does not have to touch the actual card, a hook that allows users to open a door, and a flat end for pushing doors closed. 

The company is 3D printing the items from materials that will not deteriorate during the cleaning process, which is essential for items that have exposure to COVID-19: nylon PA 12, ABS or anti-microbial PLA that includes an embedded nano-copper additive. It is available in two designs, either flat-packed with living hinges and one-click assembly, which could be mass produced with injection molding, or a 3D printed version.  

The 3D printed Distancer from 3D LifePrints UK. The file is available for download on the company website. Image courtesy of 3D LifePrints UK.

3D LifePrints is in the process of producing and delivering 4,000 Distancers to NHS hospitals at the moment, while it designs and evaluates other items. The firm is also working with the NHS to develop a specialty connector that can join an off-the-shelf scuba mask to an anesthesia filter that results in a respirator-style device for clinicians (not patients). This is in contrast to the CPAP-type device being developed in Italy using masks from Decathlon. The device is currently being evaluated with the NHS, but it is promising due to the fact that the scuba mask is form fitting and sealed against the face with rubber in a way that is required for the safety of clinicians.  

Fotheringham stressed that 3D LifePrints didn’t simply begin making supplies for the U.K.’s medical facilities out of the blue, but is acting on specific requests from the NHS and British hospitals and is working with medical partners to ensure the safety of the devices, while it is his firm’s job to design, iterate and produce the parts to the needs and specifications of the medical professionals. 

Typically, these devices would require significant clinical testing and approval from the proper regulatory bodies, but due to the emergency nature of the current public health crisis, devices that have not yet received certification are being fast-tracked for approval. 

Other considerations being taken into account are the specific production technologies and materials used to produce parts. More common and less expensive material extrusion printers, for instance, are known to make items that are more porous and have rougher surface finish than those made with selective laser sintering and other polymer powder bed fusion technologies. This reduces the chance for bacteria developing in hidden crevices and makes the parts easier to clean. 

As for materials, the company is focusing on the ability of plastics to withstand the use of chemical disinfectants to minimize the degradation of the part over time. In this case, PLA (the most common polymer used in desktop machines and made from corn starch), is not ideal. However, polypropylene, from which 3D LifePrints intends to injection mold its Distancer, is more durable and can sustain repeated cleanings. 

Fotheringham urged 3D printing enthusiasts and experts to use caution and proper time management when volunteering to combat the COVID-19 supply crisis. He suggested that these devices should be made in conjunction with medical professionals to ensure proper protocol is followed. One way would be to use official channels such as the FDA in the U.S., who we have reached out to in order to learn more about the safety of 3D printed medical devices made in response to the public health crisis. We will cover this topic in greater depth in a follow-up article.

The post 3D Printing for COVID-19: ID Badge/Door Opener from 3D LifePrints UK appeared first on 3DPrint.com | The Voice of 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing.

3D LifePrints raises £1.2 million to advance medical 3D printing offerings

The UK’s 3D LifePrints has announced a successful investment round. Led by Fenwall Investments the £1.2 million in finance will hasten the award-winning medical 3D printing enterprises’ presence in the local and international market. This latest round follows earlier investments made in 2017 and 2018. 3D LifePrints is based upon a model that leverages additive […]

A 3D printed tumour model leads cancer patient to recovery

A 3D printed tumour designed and fabricated by 3D LifePrints, a UK-based medical technology company, has aided surgeons in the removal of a cancerous mass in six-year-old, Leah Bennett.  Bennett was admitted to Alder Hey Children’s Hospital in Liverpool after experiencing back pain. Various scans and tests lead to the diagnosis of a large unknown […]

NASA’s Antimicrobial Space Challenge invites students to 3D print off-earth medical devices and space tools

The Antimicrobial Space Challenge is holding an Invent-a-thon to create off-earth 3D printed medical devices and tools. From October 21st – 25th, high school teams will gather at the University of Nebraska, to resolve the microbial risks in manned space habitations using Copper3D’s antimicrobial filament PLACTIVE.  As space facilities nurture dangerous bacteria and weaken astronauts’ […]

3D Printing Industry Awards 2019 Start-up of the Year update

Who are the leading 3D printing start-ups? There is still time to make a nomination in the 2019 3D Printing Industry Awards. There are 20 categories in total, spanning the additive manufacturing ecosystem of materials, hardware and software. This year, as always, 3D Printing Startup of the Year is shaping up to be one of […]

3D Printing News Briefs: September 14, 2018

We’re bringing you the latest 3D printing business news in today’s 3D Printing News Briefs, plus a little 3D printed art to round things out. FATHOM is partnering with SOLIDWORKS software reseller GoEngineer, while L’Oréal is working with INITIAL, a Prodways Group company. Kickstarter and Autodesk are releasing a new open source 3D printing test, and 3D LifePrints has renewed its collaboration with the Alder Hey Children’s Hospital. Fargo 3D Printing has formed a new spin-off business, a metal 3D printed parts bureau has purchased an EBAM system from Sciaky, and 3D Systems’ SLA technology is being used to deliver customized dental solutions. Finally, we take a look at some fun and creative 3D printed artwork.

FATHOM and GoEngineer Announce Strategic Partnership

SOLIDWORKS 3D CAD software and Stratasys 3D printer reseller GoEngineer has announced a new strategic agreement with 3D printing company FATHOM. GoEngineer has purchased FATHOM’s 3D printing equipment reseller business, so that FATHOM can focus solely on its digital manufacturing services. Thanks to the agreement, the two partners will be able to scale their respective businesses in different, but significant ways, leveraging their strengths in order to create a large product development ecosystem of hardware, software, engineering, design, manufacturing, and training solutions that customers can use to drive innovation.

Michelle Mihevc, the Co-founder and Principal at FATHOM, said, “It’s exciting for our industry because both FATHOM and GoEngineer are uniquely positioned to meet the ever-increasing demand for advanced tools and services that enhance and accelerate a company’s product development and production processes.”

L’Oréal and INITIAL Increasing Development of 3D Printed Thermoplastic Parts

The cosmetics industry has a constant challenge in quickly marketing new products to meet the many specific demands of customers. That’s why L’Oréal is teaming up with INITIAL, a Prodways Group subsidiary – the two are ramping up development of 3D printed thermoplastic parts. More specifically, INITIAL’s new solution, 3D Molding, uses 3D printing to make plastic injection molds for “final material” parts at less cost and in record time. Recently, L’Oréal needed 14 resin test molds, along with 20 injection molding test runs and several hundred molded parts. By using Prodways’ patented MOVINGLight 3D printing technology and PLASTCure Rigid 10500 resin, the company was able to achieve accurate 3D prints in just two weeks.

“We produce the 3D Printing mould and the final material parts are then directly injection-moulded,” said Yvon Gallet, INITIAL’s Chairman. “With our 3D printing and injection expertise, we were best placed to develop this unique solution. It is aimed at designers in the development phase and complements our traditional machining and injection solutions. It is an innovative alternative that meets the needs of manufacturers, like L’Oréal, that could benefit from this technological advance to reduce their time to market.”

Kickstarter and Autodesk Releasing Open Source 3D Printing Calibration Test

Prints of the test file from Cubibot and Robo printers.

The evidence speaks for itself – Kickstarter is a great place for 3D printing. The popular crowdfunding site requires that 3D printer creators demonstrate the functionality of their systems through various means, but it can be hard to compare the performance of different machines, because not everyone shows off the same test prints, like the 3D Benchy. So Kickstarter is working at Autodesk to address this lack of a common standard for assessing FDM 3D printer performance, and will soon be releasing a new open source 3D printer test for Kickstarter creators, developed by Autodesk research scientist Andreas Bastian.

“We believe this test procedure will support greater transparency in our community,” Zach Dunham wrote in a Kickstarter blog post. “We started with FDM printers because they’re the most common model on Kickstarter. Our goal over time is to expand this calibration test to other printing technologies like stereolithography. Though this test is optional for creators to share on their project pages, electing to do so opens a frank conversation about quality. And backers of any 3D printer project can share images of their own tests by posting them with the hashtag #FDMtest.”

Creators can download the single, consolidated STL file and instructions to test their 3D printers’ alignment, dimensional accuracy, and resolution on Github.

3D LifePrints and Alder Hey Children’s Hospital Renew Collaboration

The Alder Hey Children’s Hospital has signed a long-term collaboration agreement with 3D LifePrints, a UK-based medical 3D printing company and a founding member of the hospital’s Innovation Hub. The company has had an embedded 3D printing facility at the 1,000 square meter underground co-creation space since 2015, and was supported by the hospital for its first two years there, showcasing the impact of its work and establishing its unique 3D printed offerings. Under the agreement, the company will continue supplying the hospital with its specialized 3D printing services.

“I am really proud of this milestone in our ongoing partnership. Incubating a start-up company in a hospital, to the point where they have series A funding, a multi-year contract with the NHS and diffusion to other medical centres around the country is an enormous vindication of what the Innovation hub was set up for,” said Iain Hennessey, Clinical Director and a paediatric surgeon at Alder Hey. “I couldn’t be more pleased to see 3DLP help integrate this emerging technology into clinical practice.”

Fargo 3D Printing Forms 3D Printer Repair Business

North Dakota-based Fargo 3D Printing has formed a new business out of its 3D printer repair segment, called Fargo 3D Printer Repair. While its parent company continues to focus on multiple aspects of the industry, the five-person repair team at the new Fargo 3D Printer Repair can devote 100% of its time to providing 3D printer repair and service to individuals, schools, OEMs, and businesses. The new spin-off company currently provides production-scale warranty servicing, maintenance, and repair services for multiple OEM 3D printing companies across North America; service and repair requests can be made through an intuitive form on its website.

“We don’t sell any 3D printers ourselves, so we are able to remain brand impartial when recommending and performing 3D printer repairs,” said John Olhoft, the CEO of Fargo 3D Printer Repair, who started working in the original shop as a repair technician. “Original Equipment Manufacturers like that they can trust us to provide high quality repairs with a quick turnaround, and not push a competing brand on their customers.”

Sciaky Providing EBAM System to Metal 3D Printing Bureau

Metal 3D printing solutions provider Sciaky will provide one of its Electron Beam Additive Manufacturing (EBAM) systems to Michigan-based FAMAero (Future Additive Manufacturing in Aerospace), a privately-owned metal 3D printed parts bureau. According to Sciaky, this custom EBAM system will be the largest production metal 3D printer in the world, with a 146″ x 62″ 62″ nominal part envelope that will be able to produce metal parts over 12 feet in length. FAMAero will use the massive new EBAM system to provide metal 3D printing services to customers in the aerospace, defense, oil & gas, and sea exploration industries.

Don Doyle, President of FAMAero, said, “FAMAero is entering the market as the first private, dedicated parts bureau in North America for large-scale 3D printed metal parts. Our Factory as a Service concept, combined with Sciaky’s industry-leading EBAM® technology, will provide manufacturers a new avenue to significantly slash time and cost on the production of critical parts, while offering the largest build platform and selection of exotic metals to choose from in the 3D parts service market.”

Creating Customized Dental Solutions with 3D Systems’ SLA 3D Printing

In order to make over 320,000 invisible dental aligners in a single day, Align Technology uses SLA 3D printing from 3D Systems. The company’s technology allows Align to create the unique aligner forms so that they are customized to each individual patient’s dental data. So far, Align has treated nearly 6 million patients, but using 3D printing technology is helping the growth of its business accelerate.

“What makes Align’s mass customization so unique is not only are we producing millions of parts every month, but each one of these parts that we produce is unique,” said Srini Kaza, the Vice President of Advanced Technology for Align Technology. “And this is really, as far as I know, the only true example of mass production using 3D printing.”

Ben Fearnley Uses SLA 3D Printing to Bring Artwork to Life

Sculptmojis

SLA 3D printing isn’t just good for use in dental applications, however. Ben Fearnley, a designer, illustrator, and 3D artist based out of New York City, uses the technology to, as he told 3DPrint.com, “bring my work to life from the 3D world to the real world.”

One interesting piece of 3D printed art Fearnley creates is Good Vibes Only Typography – script style typography lettering sculptures modeled in Cinema 4D and 3D printed on his Form 2. But my personal favorite are his Sculptmojis, which look pretty much exactly how they sound. These pieces, which are a combination of traditional sculpture art forms and modern emojis, originally began as a digital art project, and have now been brought to amusing, quirky life through 3D printing. You can purchase Fearnley’s unique 3D printed artwork here.

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