3D Systems announces patient-specific 3D-printed cranial implant

3D Systems announced a patient-specific 3D-printed cranial implant produced using its point-of-care technologies was successfully used in a cranioplasty at the University Hospital Basel. Under the leadership of Prof. Florian Thieringer, head of the Medical Additive Manufacturing Research Group at the University Hospital Basel’s Department of Biomedical Engineering, and the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, in collaboration with Prof. Raphael Guzman and the Department of Neurosurgery, the team employed 3D Systems’ technologies to produce the first cranial implant at the point of care that complies with the current Medical Devices Regulations. 3D Systems’ extrusion printing technology is unique as its architecture and design are easy to use to produce durable, biocompatible implants using Polyetheretherketone (PEEK) material. Additionally, the technology enables the production of patient-specific geometries at the hospital itself providing tremendous benefits to both surgeons and patients. The implant created by the team at University Hospital Basel was used to successfully replace a section of disintegrating skull in a 46-year-old male who was experiencing complications from a stroke in 2019. When the patient first entered Prof. Guzman’s care, he was experiencing visual disturbances, severe headaches, and dizziness, and his forehead was sinking due to a disintegrating skullcap. The University Hospital Basel team under the guidance of Dr. Neha Sharma, Ph.D. first took a computed tomography scan of the patient’s skull and imported that into software to create a model of the implant customized to his unique anatomy. The implant was then produced in the Hospital’s 3D printing lab using VESTAKEEP i4 3DF PEEK by Evonik on 3D Systems’ EXT 220 MED extrusion platform. PEEK is a very desirable material for such applications due to its mechanical properties. 3D Systems’ printing technology has been uniquely engineered to enable healthcare applications within sterile environments. 3D Systems’ point-of-care solution was also successfully used by a team at Salzburg University Hospital, Department of Oromaxillofacial Surgery, to produce a patient-specific cranial implant for a 55-year-old male, Mr. Rainer Trummer, who suffered from craniosynostosis. These technologies were brought together by the hospital’s in-house clinicians to successfully address the patient’s needs, providing a customized solution that best positioned the team for success. The hospital used Oqton’s D2P(R) software to create 3D models from the patient’s CT images and Oqton’s Geomagic Freeform to complete the design of the patient-specific occipital prosthesis. The cranial implant was printed using VESTAKEEP i4 3DF PEEK by Evonik on 3D Systems’ EXT 220 MED extrusion platform. The solution has also been successfully deployed at the Department of Neurosurgery, University Hospital Salzburg, for patient-specific implants after decompressive craniectomy, which is regularly performed for aggressive brain swelling.