Point-of-Care 3D Printing

Start and scale a sustainable 3D printing lab at your hospital with confidence

Personalized patient care is increasingly becoming a reality, driven by technological advancements such as 3D printing and advanced visualization techniques. Having a dedicated in-house facility and support from Materialise engineers can cut days off the 3D printing process, support innovation initiatives, and result in lower overall costs incurred by the hospital.

Digital render of a heart in 3D

The point-of-care 3D printing workflow

Man writing on a piece of paper at a desk in front of a computer showing medical software

1. Image acquisition and segmentation


Combine automation with smart editing tools

Woman sitting at a computer using medical planning software

2. Virtual planning


Make critical decisions preoperatively to ensure better surgical outcomes

Man wearing a headset at a computer showing a 3D model of a skull

3. Design for 3D printing


Use the patient’s anatomy as the starting point for better accuracy

Blurred image of a person walking through a 3D printing production facility

4. 3D printing


Print with hardware and software that’s fully certified for diagnostic applications

A healthcare professional pointing at a computer screen while talking to a patient

5. Verification


Review and approve models with colleagues

Woman observing a 3D-printed part under a light

6. Post-processing and quality assurance


Finalize models in accordance with your quality management system framework

Man holding a 3D-printed hip model at a desk next to a woman pointing at 3D planning software on a computer

7. Final model

Your medical device is now ready to use

Benefits

A holistic platform tailored to your needs

Use an end-to-end solution consisting of printers, materials, and software that can be tailored to match your hospital’s needs as they change. Materialise is there to support you along the way, leveraging 30+ years of experience working with hospitals.

Quality and safety are the priority

Set up a successful quality management system and use materials, software, and hardware certified for diagnostic use to ensure safety. You can count on Materialise support to guide you with software, qualified workflows, and training.

Become part of a global community

Join our network of 450+ hospitals that have successfully implemented 3D printing and planning with us to gain access to training courses and events where you can discover best practices, the latest technology, and more.

Proven results that improve patient care

With 3D printing solutions, you can gain more insights and confidence before entering the OR, easily collaborate with multidisciplinary teams, reduce the length of hospital stays, and improve patient communication and consent.

What can you achieve with point-of-care 3D printing?

Surgical planning with anatomical models

Use anatomical models — virtual or 3D printed — for preoperative planning to determine the most effective treatment plan and reduce time and costs in the operating room.

Two people comparing a 3D-printed anatomical model to software on a computer

Clinical evidence

Short and long-term outcomes of three-dimensional printed surgical guides and virtual surgical planning versus conventional methods for fibula free flap reconstruction of the mandible: Decreased nonunion and complication rates
In this study, they evaluated 260 patients and concluded that 3D-printed surgical guides and virtual surgical planning reduced the rate of radiographic nonunion and flap-related complications in FFF reconstruction for mandibular defects.

Medical 3D Printing Cost-Savings in Orthopedic and Maxillofacial Surgery: Cost Analysis of Operating Room Time Saved with 3D Printed Anatomic Models and Surgical Guides
Seven studies using 3D-printed anatomical models in surgical care demonstrated a mean of 62 minutes saved ($3,720/case saved from reduced time), and 25 studies of 3D-printed surgical guides demonstrated a mean of 23 minutes time saved ($1,488/case saved from reduced time)

3-Dimensional Printed Anatomical Models as Planning Aids in Complex Oncology Surgery
According to one study from the Mayo Clinic, 88% of oncologic surgeons find models ‘very likely’ to improve the quality of care for patients.

Patient-Specific 3D Models Aid Planning for Triplane Proximal Femoral Osteotomy in Slipped Capital Femoral Epiphysis
Due to shorter surgery times, 3D-printed models have demonstrated a reduction in intraoperative radiation exposure by as much as 50%.

Inspiring content

In the medical field, this directly impacts the experience a patient and their family have with healthcare systems. If you give them a 3D model that they can see with their eyes, they have a much better understanding of what is going on.

Dr. Tushar Chandra, Pushpak Patel, and Dr. Craig JohnsonNemours Children’s Hospital

Speak with our experts

Contact us to find out how to implement end-to-end 3D printing at your point-of-care facility.

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This content is intended for healthcare professionals only