3D printing technology developer Stratasys said U.K. medical 3D printing Replica 3DM is using its 3D printers to support 12 National Health Service (NHS) hospitals in the U.K.
The hospitals are using the technology to perform surgery on 3D-printed models prior to operations, according to Stratasys. Replica 3DM's Stratasys Objet 24 and Objet30 Pro 3D printers convert CT scans of patients into physical 3D printed models that are used as surgical guides to test implants for size and fit prior to surgery.
This process includes rebending of titanium implant plates to the patient's exact specifications and preoperative investigations across maxillofacial, orthopedic, neurology, spinal, and ear, nose, and throat wards in order to identify the correct procedure and improve outcome, Stratasys said.
The firm said it also produces a number of cranioplasty models in which the unaffected side of the patient's face is mirrored to produce a 3D-printed reconstruction prior to the fitting and placement of a titanium plate.
