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3D printing in medical technology: applications, advantages and requirements
In medical technology, 3D printing is used for patient-specific surgical guides, anatomical models, prostheses and orthoses, surgical instruments and positioning aids. The advantage: parts are produced directly from 3D data – with a precise fit, without tooling and even as one-offs. Medical devices are subject to particularly high requirements for material, production and documentation.
Whether a 3D-printed part can be used medically depends on the application, the material and the regulatory requirements. Are you planning a project in medical technology? Contact us – together we will clarify which route is possible.
Applications
What is 3D printing used for in medicine?
Initially used mainly for prototypes, additive manufacturing is now also established in medical technology – wherever parts need to be individual, complex or available quickly.
Surgical guides
Patient-specific cutting and drilling guides transfer digital surgical planning precisely to the operating room.
Anatomical models
True-to-life models of bones or organs help with surgical planning, patient education and training.
Prostheses and orthoses
Internal and external prostheses as well as orthoses can be precisely tailored to the anatomy.
Instruments and aids
Surgical instruments, instrument holders, positioning aids and hearing aid shells are produced individually or in small series.
Dental splints
Individual splints for tooth correction or as protection against nighttime teeth grinding, produced on the basis of digital dental impressions. More about dental splints
Shoe lasts
Individual lasts for orthopedic custom-made shoes shorten production and improve the fit. More about orthopedic footwear technology
Advantages
What are the advantages of additive manufacturing for medicine?
3D printing produces directly from 3D data, for example from a patient’s CT data. This makes individual one-offs cost-effective and shortens the time from planning to the finished part.
- Patient-specific: aids, guides and prostheses are tailored to the respective anatomy.
- No tooling: one-offs and small series can be produced without molds or tools.
- Fast: short production times – important when surgery is scheduled at short notice.
- Complex geometries: organic shapes, lattice structures and integrated functions are possible.
- Adaptable: changes are made in the 3D model and go straight into the next part.
- Wide range of materials: from technical plastics to metals.
Use cases
Examples of additive manufacturing in medical technology
Cutting guides for jaw reconstruction
If inflammation, a tumor or an accident means that parts of the jaw have to be removed, they can be reconstructed using the body’s own material – from a fibula, for example. This is precision work: the bone has to be divided into small pieces and reassembled in a U shape at the correct angle. 3D-printed, patient-specific surgical guides help with this.
The 3D data set comes from Inzipio: the Aachen-based company’s medical software uses artificial intelligence to calculate a digital 3D model for surgical planning from CT data. The cutting guides planned in this way are produced very quickly by laser sintering (SLS) from the plastic PA12. They can be sterilized and are suitable for short-term wound contact.
Extension shoe from the 3D printer
With the RotexShoe®, Condor MedTec GmbH has launched an extension shoe from the 3D printer. It is used in surgical and trauma procedures to position and stabilize the patient’s foot or leg.
The shoe is produced by laser sintering from polyamide and consists of a foot shell, toothed belts and single-use pads that minimize hygiene risks. According to the manufacturer, it withstands a tensile force of 80 kilograms and is comparable in strength to injection-molded parts. The biocompatibility of the material was also crucial.
Dental splints from the 3D printer
In dentistry, 3D printing has fundamentally changed the production of dental splints. Once laboriously made by hand, they are now produced quickly and precisely on the basis of digital dental impressions – for tooth correction or as protection against nighttime teeth grinding. At PROTIQ, dental splints are produced by SLS from the bio-based plastic PA11.
Shoe lasts for orthopedic footwear technology
Making custom orthopedic shoes normally takes several weeks – a decisive time factor is the individual production of the lasts. 3D printing significantly shortens this step and improves the fit.
With the free shoe last configurator, you can model 3D models of your lasts directly on the PROTIQ website on the basis of foot scans and then order them. The lasts are produced by laser sintering (SLS).
More about orthopedic footwear technology
↑ Back to overviewRequirements
What requirements apply to 3D printing in medical technology?
Additively manufactured products for medical applications must meet particularly high standards. Incompatible materials or processing defects can have serious consequences, because patients’ health is directly at stake.
| Requirement | What it means |
|---|---|
| Biocompatibility | The material must be compatible with the intended body contact. This is tested, for example, according to the ISO 10993 series of standards. |
| Sterilizability | Parts with patient contact in the operating room must withstand the intended sterilization process without damage. |
| Quality management | The EN ISO 13485 standard governs quality management requirements for medical devices – with a focus on safety and effectiveness. |
| Regulation | In the EU, medical devices are subject to the Medical Device Regulation (MDR, Regulation (EU) 2017/745). The manufacturer who places the product on the market is responsible. |
| Documentation | Material, production parameters and tests must be documented in a traceable way so that parts are reproducible and traceable. |
Whether a part is a medical device depends on its intended purpose, which is defined by the manufacturer. A visual model for teaching is subject to different requirements than a surgical guide with wound contact.
↑ Back to overviewMaterials
Which materials are 3D printed in medical technology?
Commonly used are polyamides in laser sintering, for example for aids, guides and models, and metals such as titanium in laser melting, for example for implants. Which material is suitable depends on the application and the required proof.
Advantages of polyamide for medical applications
- high strength
- good chemical resistance
- high long-term stability
- good detail accuracy
- wide range of post-processing options
Outlook
The future of additive manufacturing in medicine
Aids, implants and prostheses tailored precisely to a patient or purpose are already produced by 3D printing today. Research is already thinking further ahead: to printing tissue and organs from human cells.
This so-called bioprinting is still in its infancy. In the long term, it could help reduce the need for donor organs. Until then, research has many questions to answer – for example, how to ensure that the cell material used does not degenerate in the body.
↑ Back to overviewFAQ
Frequently asked questions about 3D printing in medical technology
What role does 3D printing play in medical technology?
In medical technology, 3D printing has evolved from prototype production into an established manufacturing technology. It is used above all where parts need to be patient-specific, complex or quickly available.
Which medical products are made with 3D printing?
Among others, surgical guides, anatomical models, prostheses and orthoses, implants, surgical instruments, positioning aids, hearing aid shells, dental splints and shoe lasts – as well as prototypes for medical devices.
What are the advantages of additive manufacturing for medical applications?
Patient-specific customization, production without tooling from a single part, short production times and the realization of complex geometries.
What does biocompatibility mean?
Biocompatibility describes how compatible a material is with the intended contact with the body. It is tested, for example, according to the ISO 10993 series of standards and depends not only on the material but also on processing and contact duration.
Can 3D-printed parts be sterilized?
That depends on the material and the sterilization process. In the cutting guides use case, for example, the PA12 guides can be sterilized and are suitable for short-term wound contact.
How are dental splints and shoe lasts 3D printed?
At PROTIQ, dental splints are produced by SLS from the bio-based plastic PA11. Shoe lasts for orthopedic footwear technology can be modeled with the free shoe last configurator on the basis of foot scans and are produced by laser sintering.
How do doctors and patients benefit from 3D printing?
Doctors benefit from precise, individually adapted aids and realistic training models. Patients receive products that fit precisely, are tailored to their anatomy and can support treatment success.
Can I request parts for medical technology from PROTIQ?
Contact us. We will review your requirements and clarify together whether and how your project can be implemented.
↑ Back to overview
