Bond3D and Invibio Biomaterial unveil know-how for the 3D printing of ‘subsequent era’ spinal cages


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Dutch PEEK 3D printing start-up Bond3D and medical implant developer Invibio Biomaterial Options have provide you with a way of additive manufacturing spinal cages that higher facilitate affected person restoration. 

Collectively, the companies have managed to develop ‘next-generation’ spinal cages, which not solely characteristic all of the therapeutic advantages of their predecessors, however will be configured with the porosity wanted to stimulate new bone formation. Unveiled at Formnext, the companies’ cages are additionally mentioned to have enough biocompatibility to achieve FDA approval, they usually’re at the moment going by the regulatory steps to achieve this. 

CT image of a spinal cage printed by Bond3D. Image via Bond3D.
CT picture of a spinal cage printed by Bond3D. Picture by way of Bond3D.

PEEK 3D printing at Bond3D

Working out of its base within the metropolis of Enschede, Bond3D focuses on manufacturing of purposeful parts from high-performance polymers, licensed for end-use in essential purposes. The agency’s enterprise revolves round a patented, pressure-controlled extrusion course of, wherein filament will be layered into prints with final-part densities of over 99%.

Attributable to its compatibility with supplies like polyimides, fluoropolymers, liquid crystalline polymers, and polyaryletherketones (PAEKs), this know-how permits Bond3D to handle the medical, aerospace, power, and automotive markets. 

To assist it additional develop its distinctive method to extrusion, Bond3D was awarded funding by Victrex in 2019, which was mentioned to be valued at ‘thousands and thousands of euros.’ Since then, the corporate has continued to construct on its know-how, unveiling a void-free PEEK 3D printing course of, in addition to asserting the construct of eight production-ready programs, final 12 months. 

‘Fourth-generation’ spinal implants

On condition that it’s sterilizable, extremely biocompatible and options a powerful strength-to-weight ratio, PEEK has confirmed a preferred materials within the medical business. In reality, Bond3D claims the polymer has already been used to create implants for over 15 million sufferers, whether or not they be in want of orthopedic, backbone, trauma or cardiovascular remedy.

The place Bond3D has recognized a possibility on this area, is within the improvement of spinal interbody fusion units, which permit for clearer artifact-free CT/MRI imaging. In line with the corporate, producing implants with a modulus just like pure bone, porous areas to encourage bone ingrowth and the rigidity to forestall cages caving in, additionally stays an ongoing problem within the area. 

To get round these imaging and stiffness-related points, Bond3D has labored with Invibio Biomaterial to develop highly-porous spinal cage 3D printing capabilities. Bond3D says its know-how permits for the creation of ‘fourth-gen’ implants that “mix the benefits of all earlier generations,” and have the improved biomechanical and biocompatibility properties wanted to help bone regrowth. 

Presently, the businesses are taking the ultimate steps in direction of sending off an FDA submission for certainly one of these units with a US-based spinal implant developer. This submission is being supported by a grasp file, which Bond3D says will assist any subsequent medical OEMs’ efforts to deliver their designs to market sooner or later. 

Featured image shows 4WEB Medical's 3D printed Anterior spinal implant device. Image via 4WEB Medical.
4WEB Medical’s 3D printed anterior spinal implant machine. Picture by way of 4WEB Medical.

Whereas 3D printing remains to be discovering its ft within the wider medical market, the know-how has already caught on within the area of customized spinal implant manufacturing. 4WEB Medical now markets a complete vary of those units, together with its Stand-Alone Anterior Backbone Truss System, designed for use throughout backbone dysfunction therapies. 

As way back as 2018, Johnson & Johnson acquired EIT, in a transfer that additionally noticed the US multinational achieve a powerful foothold within the spinal implant 3D printing area. On the time, the deal was mentioned to have strengthened the interbody implant portfolio of Johnson & Johnson’s orthopedics department DePuy Synthes, which included titanium-integrated PEEK units designed for minimally-invasive surgical procedures. 

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Featured picture reveals a CT picture of a spinal cage printed by Bond3D. Picture by way of Bond3D.



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