3D Printing

MD&M West

With multiple co-located expos, a dense education schedule, and a show floor spanning the entire medical device lifecycle, success at MD&M West depends less on seeing everything than on seeing the right things. Read on for a guide that takes a tactical view of the event — highlighting role-based education paths, newly emphasized features, and practical strategies for navigating the show efficiently.

Where CAM and Additive Meet, Improving Medical Manufacturing Efficiency

Additive manufacturing (AM) has been adopted in the medical industry due to advantages over conventional subtractive machining. Read on to learn more.

Shrinking Materials Hold Big Potential for Smart Devices

Wearable electronics could be more wearable, according to a research team at Penn State. The researchers developed a scalable, versatile approach to designing and fabricating wireless, Internet-enabled electronic systems that can better adapt to 3D surfaces. Read on to learn more.

Customizable Finger Brace for Injury Recovery

Researchers have developed a fully customizable finger brace that can, with the push or flex of a finger, easily switch from stiff to flexible. Along with its versatility, the brace can be 3D...

Center to Develop Wearable Ultrasound Imaging for Real-Time Monitoring of Chronic Conditions

The Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology has launched a new collaborative research project — Wearable Imaging for Transforming Elderly Care (WITEC). Read on to learn more about it.

3D Printing Method ‘Grows’ Ultra-Strong Materials

Researchers have pioneered a 3D printing method that grows metals and ceramics inside a water-based gel, resulting in exceptionally dense, yet intricate constructions for next-generation biomedical technologies. Read on to learn more about it.

3D Printed Smart Pen Helps Diagnose Parkinson’s

Researchers have developed a smart, self-powered magnetoelastic pen that could help detect early signs of Parkinson’s by analyzing a person’s handwriting. The highly sensitive diagnostic pen features a soft, silicon magnetoelastic tip and ferrofluid ink — a special liquid containing tiny magnetic particles. Read on to learn more about it.

Product of the Month

See the product of the month: Evonik's clinical-grade version of its recombinant collagen-like protein platform for medical device development. Read on to learn more about it.

3D Printed Diamond–Titanium Device Could Lead to Longer-Lasting Implants

RMIT researchers have created an experimental 3D printed diamond–titanium device that generates electricity from flowing liquid and receives wireless power through tissue making it possible to remotely sense changes in flow. Read on to learn more about it.

MD&M Midwest Keynote: Let’s Break a Leg: Improving 3D Printed Prosthetics

In their keynote, Drew Davis and Eric Nickel explore how the rise of 3D printing and scanning technologies have transformed healthcare. They will talk about how and...

How 3D Printing Is Transforming Medtech

3D printing is transforming the design and production of medical devices. Benefits include creating custom implants, prosthetics, and surgical tools tailored to individual patients, as well as the ability to quickly prototype new devices for testing and development.

3D Printed Implant Helps Repair Spinal Cord Injuries

A research team at RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences has developed a 3D printed implant to deliver electrical stimulation to injured areas of the spinal cord offering a potential new route to repair nerve damage. Read on to learn the details of the 3D-printed implant and how it performs in lab experiments.

3D Printed Cardiac Patch Helps Repair Heart Defects

An interdisciplinary research team from ETH Zurich and the University Hospital of Zurich has developed a novel three-dimensional heart patch for intraventricular implantation. Read on to learn more about it.

Precision Drug Delivery with Magnetic Steering, Light-Triggered Release

Researchers have demonstrated that microscopic drug-delivery containers can be magnetically steered to their targets, advancing the development of precision medicine...

Innovative Tech Enables Shape Memory Dental Aligners

A new technology incorporates a shape memory material for clear plastic dental aligners, an alternative to traditional metal braces.

Long-Lasting 3D Printed Wearable Transforms Health Monitoring

A long-lasting, 3D-printed, adhesive-free wearable provides a more comprehensive picture of a user’s physiological state. The device, which measures water vapor and skin emissions of gases, continuously tracks and logs physiological data associated with dehydration, metabolic shifts, and stress levels. Read on to learn more.

3D Ink Improves Comfort, Durability of ‘Smart Wearables’

Researchers have demonstrated a 3D ink printing method for so-called smart fabrics that continues to perform well after repeated washings and abrasion tests. The research...

Manufacturing Technologies: A 2025 Medical Device Industry Outlook

The global medical device manufacturing industry is undergoing a rapid transformation driven by technological innovation, automation, and increasing demands for customized, high-quality care. This article provides an overview of key technological advancements reshaping the medical device manufacturing landscape, including additive manufacturing, robotics, laser welding, and more.

Key Trends Drive the Future of Medical Device Manufacturing

Medical device contract manufacturing is poised for robust and sustained growth, with the global market projected to surpass $150 billion by 2030. This expansion is being driven by technological innovations, shifting healthcare demands, and increasing reliance on outsourcing to improve efficiency and cost-effectiveness. Read on to learn more.

Beyond The Illusion of Design for Additive Manufacturing In Medical Devices

The promise of additive manufacturing (AM) in the medical device industry has always been clear, the ability to create intricate geometries, patient-specific implants, and previously impossible structures. The reality, however, is far less inspiring. Read on to learn more.

Guest Editorial: The Next Wave of Medical Devices: Personalized with Local Impact

As an industry, AM is experiencing advancements at a rapid pace. Innovation is enabling enhanced capabilities across the entire workflow from software and materials through 3D printing technologies. Additionally, we see 3D printers with much smaller footprints enabling the technology to be used in smaller spaces such as hospitals, ambulatory surgery centers, and dental laboratories and clinics. Read on to learn more.

Videos of the Month

See the videos of the month, including one on 3D printing complex, more durable robots from a variety of high-quality materials in one go; one on a fully digital design-to-manufacturing process that has the potential to revolutionize lower limb socket production; one on commercial and open-source electronic circuit boards that can be embedded into soft robots; and one on scalable methods of developing battery- and solar-powered fibers, making it theoretically possible for electrical energy to be harvested from, and stored in the clothing.

Additive Manufacturing of Biomedical Metals for Medical Implant Fabrication

Biomedical metal implant materials are widely used in clinical applications, including dental implants, hip replacement, bone plates, and screws. However, traditional manufacturing processes face limitations in meeting customized medical needs, internal structural control, and efficient material utilization. Read on to learn more.

System Optimizes Behavior of 3D Printed Materials

A system has been developed to optimize the electrical, thermal, and mechanical behavior of 3D-printed materials. A team has developed an innovative computational model that makes it possible to predict and improve the behavior of multifunctional structures manufactured using 3D printers. Read on to learn more.

Project Set to Develop New Sustainable Materials for Application In Bioprocessing

An industry-academia collaboration to advance sustainable bioprocessing through innovative materials for additive manufacturing, also known as 3D printing, has been announced by Innovate UK (IUK), as part of the “Sustainable Medicines Manufacturing Innovation: Collaborative R&D Fund.” Read on to learn more.

Video Spotlight on Products and Services

See where the video spotlight is this month: on CNC machining; micro linear actuators; a lab tube cutting machine; the 601 series Air Turbine Spindle® mills at 90,000 RPM; MD® multipurpose adhesives; and much more.

Interlocking Metasurfaces Improve Structural Strength

Researchers have significantly improved a new joining technology, interlocking metasurfaces, designed to increase the strength and stability of a structure in comparison to traditional techniques like bolts and adhesives, using shape memory alloys. Read on to learn more.

New Implant May Help Patients Regenerate Their Own Heart Valves

Georgia Tech researchers have created a 3D-printed heart valve made of bioresorbable materials and designed to fit an individual patient’s unique anatomy. Once implanted, the valves will be absorbed by the body and replaced by new tissue that will perform the function that the device once served. Read on to learn more.

New Products and Services

See the new products and services, including precision metering pumps from Circor International; a high-performance gantry robot with an integrated slip roller conveyor system from Dispense Works; XP Power's range of compact, low-profile AC-DC power supplies with flexible cooling options; Festo's updated mass flow controller; and much more.