Driving Innovation and Improving Quality with 3D Printing

Life science companies have the opportunity to design and produce complex, personalized medical products with quality and manufactured precision via 3D printing. The use of 3D-printing technology or additive manufacturing processes is changing the way products are ideated, designed, and produced. The rapid adaptation of technologies as well as the integration of smart sensors will be the next phase for optimized patient-specific devices and precision drug manufacturing processes.
 
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has been evaluating submissions for new 3D-printed medical devices to determine safety and effectiveness. “Once considered a futuristic technology on the distant horizon, 3D printing of medical devices, medications, and human tissue is quickly becoming a promising reality,” stated FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb, M.D. in a recent announcement.
 
The FDA has cleared more than 100 3D-printed devices. The agency has also approved the first drug produced on a 3D printer, which is used to treat seizures and has a more porous matrix than the drug manufactured in the traditional way, enabling the drug to dissolve more rapidly in the mouth to work faster.
 
Over the last several years, 3D printing has been used to fabricate end-user products or parts in the healthcare market. Some examples include dental restorations, medical implants, medical devices, and most recently, living tissue. These rapid advances in 3D printing support the vision that soon, 3D printing will enable the production of human organs.
 
Healthcare delivery techniques are becoming increasingly focused on improving patient outcomes. Surgical uses of 3D-printing-centric therapies have a history starting in the mid-1990s with anatomical modeling for bony reconstructive surgery planning. Patient-matched implants were a natural extension of this work, leading to truly personalized implants that fit one unique individual.
 
By bridging the gap between the digital and the physical environments, innovative life science companies are accelerating the delivery of next generation products that are personalized, more precise, and higher quality than ever before. Using new technologies such as virtual human modeling in preparing and reviewing complex surgical procedures can be achieved to ensure it will meet its intended use safely and effectively. This, in turn, results in improved patient outcomes.
 
Review Axendia’s latest white paper, “3D Printing and Digital Twins in the Life Sciences,” for more information on how 3D printing is driving innovation and improving quality.
 

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Eric M. Luyer is a market research analyst at Axendia, an analyst firm providing trusted advice to life science and healthcare executives on business, technology and regulatory issues. Luyer has held senior positions in sales, alliance, & partner management for major software vendors. For the past ten years, he was responsible for industry marketing of Maximo EAM at IBM Corp. His current focus includes the practical use of new technologies such as 3D printing, Cloud, mobility and Internet of Things in regulated environments.