ONEBra: Revolutionizing Post-Mastectomy Care with Custom 3D Printed Bras for Enhanced Comfort and Empowerment

The transformative potential of additive manufacturing, often known as 3D printing, extends far beyond industrial applications, profoundly impacting various sectors, most notably healthcare. Among its myriad benefits is the unparalleled ability to create customized products, a feature that is truly revolutionary in the medical field. This capacity for personalization means patients can receive bespoke medical care and devices meticulously tailored to their individual needs, offering tangible and positive contributions to their well-being and quality of life. The very essence of additive manufacturing lies in its precision, allowing for the production of medical devices that perfectly conform to a person’s unique body shape and requirements. This innovative approach is beautifully exemplified by ONEBra, an inspiring 3D startup chosen for July, hailing from Italy. This pioneering young company has harnessed the power of 3D technologies to significantly improve the lives of women who have undergone mastectomies following breast cancer. Their mission? To produce custom-fitted 3D printed bra cups that restore confidence and comfort. Sofia Santi, the visionary Founder and Materials Engineer behind ONEBra, generously shared insights into their impactful journey and the technology driving their success.

3DN: Could you introduce yourself and tell us about your connection with 3D printing?

I am Sofia Santi, and I hold a Ph.D. in Materials Engineering. As the CEO of ONEBra, I bring eight years of extensive experience in the fields of biomaterials and additive manufacturing to our mission. At ONEBra, our core focus is on creating custom bra cups using advanced 3D printing technology. These personalized cups are specifically designed for women experiencing breast asymmetry, often as a result of breast cancer removal surgery. Our commitment extends beyond just providing innovative products; we also cultivate a supportive community service. This initiative aims to offer comprehensive assistance and resources to women navigating these challenges, as well as to their closest supporters, ensuring holistic well-being.

3DN: How did ONEBra come about and what is its purpose?

The inception of ONEBra was deeply personal and driven by a direct experience within my own family – specifically, my mother’s journey through mastectomy surgery. This profound experience illuminated a significant unmet need and inspired us to embark on a project dedicated to empowering women who experience breast asymmetry, whether due to natural causes or as a consequence of surgical operations like mastectomies. We aim to reach women who often perceive their asymmetry as a burdensome challenge, offering them a unique opportunity to reclaim their confidence and feel truly free to express themselves once more. Throughout the development phase of the ONEBra project, we became acutely aware of numerous social and service gaps within the existing support systems for these women. This realization only served to strengthen our resolve and determination, compelling us to evolve our initial project into a full-fledged startup. Our purpose is not just about creating a product; it’s about fostering a sense of normalcy, dignity, and self-acceptance, helping women to feel whole and comfortable in their own skin again.

3DN: How are ONEBra custom cups produced? What is the process you follow?

Our production process at ONEBra is designed for utmost convenience and personalization, leveraging cutting-edge 3D scanning and printing technologies. The journey toward a custom-fitted bra cup begins when a client visits our official website at onebra.co.uk. From there, the crucial first step involves downloading the Heges app, which enables a precise 3D scan of the client’s body. We’ve meticulously crafted video tutorials that guide users through the scanning process, allowing them to perform it independently and comfortably from their own homes. Once the 3D scan is successfully completed, the data is securely transmitted directly to the ONEBra team via a shared link, ensuring privacy and efficiency.

Upon receiving the scan data, the expert team at ONEBra utilizes advanced modeling software to meticulously design the custom bra cup. This digital model is then prepared for fabrication using a combination of sophisticated 3D printing technologies. The primary material chosen for these custom cups is TPU/TPE (Thermoplastic Polyurethane/Elastomer), selected for its exceptional flexibility, durability, and skin-friendly properties. The main body of the cup is produced using Multi Jet Fusion (MJF) 3D printing technology, renowned for its ability to create parts with excellent mechanical properties, fine details, and uniform density, making it ideal for the intricate contours of a bra cup. For certain specific components or structural elements of the cup, we also employ FDM (Fused Deposition Modeling) technology, which complements MJF by offering versatility for different material and structural requirements. After the printing phase, each custom cup undergoes a specialized coating process, applying a material specifically certified for safe skin contact. This crucial step enhances the natural feel and comfort of the cup, making it indistinguishable from traditional materials and ensuring it feels soft and pleasant against the skin. Finally, the finished custom cup is carefully inserted into the client’s chosen bra design, completing the personalized product. The ultimate customized bra, complete with its 3D printed cup, is then shipped directly from ONEBra to the customer, providing a seamless and empowering experience from scan to wear.

3DN: What are the biggest benefits that additive manufacturing brings to your business?

Additive manufacturing provides an indispensable foundation for ONEBra’s operations, offering a multitude of significant advantages that are crucial to our business model and mission. One of the foremost benefits is its inherent efficiency in terms of material usage, enabling virtually zero waste during the production process. This is achieved through the precise layering of material, using only what is necessary, and the direct recycling of a substantial portion of the unused printing material, aligning perfectly with sustainable practices and reducing our environmental footprint. Furthermore, 3D printing ensures exceptionally high accuracy, allowing us to replicate the exact contours from the 3D scans with remarkable fidelity, which is critical for creating perfectly fitting and comfortable custom bra cups. The availability of specialized materials, such as TPU/TPE, that are already certified for skin contact is another monumental advantage. These biomaterials meet stringent safety and biocompatibility standards, ensuring our products are safe, hypoallergenic, and comfortable for prolonged wear, especially for sensitive post-surgical skin. Above all, the strategic choice of Multi Jet Fusion (MJF) technology for our primary printing needs is pivotal. MJF stands out for its capability to sustain medium to high demand within a short timeframe. This speed and scalability mean we can efficiently produce customized products without compromising on quality or incurring prohibitively long lead times, allowing us to serve a broader audience of women in need more effectively and promptly. These combined benefits underscore how additive manufacturing isn’t just a tool, but a core enabler of ONEBra’s innovation, sustainability, and patient-centric approach.

3DN: How do you see the continued role of 3D printing in healthcare?

The role of 3D printing in healthcare is not just evolving; it is fundamentally revolutionizing medical practices and patient care at an accelerated pace. Its ability to rapidly create working prototypes in a short time is invaluable for medical device development, allowing for quick iterations and improvements. In the surgical field, 3D printing is already extensively used for surgeon training before complex operations. By creating highly accurate, patient-specific anatomical models, surgeons can meticulously plan and rehearse procedures, significantly helping to decrease actual surgery time and leading to better patient outcomes with reduced risks. This hands-on training builds confidence and refines techniques in a risk-free environment. Moreover, the inherent capability of 3D printing to facilitate customization of prostheses and implants to be placed in specific patient sites is a game-changer. Whether it’s a cranial implant, a hip replacement, or a dental fixture, a perfectly custom-fitted device not only improves function and comfort for the patient but also decreases surgery time due to better integration. This reduction in surgical duration is beneficial for the patient’s recovery and minimizes the intense stress experienced by the surgical team. Beyond internal applications, 3D printing is widely utilized to create customized devices for external applications, such as orthotics (e.g., braces, insoles) and external prosthetics. The bespoke nature of these devices ensures a superior fit, enhanced comfort, and improved efficacy compared to mass-produced alternatives. Essentially, the unparalleled customization provided by 3D printing can certainly lead to more targeted, effective, and patient-centric care across a wide spectrum of medical disciplines, truly transforming the landscape of modern medicine.

3DN: What are the main difficulties you encounter in your work?

While the benefits of customization are immense, we do encounter specific challenges in our work, primarily concerning production timelines. The reality is that standardized, mass-produced pieces can be manufactured much faster and in shorter lead times compared to our custom-designed products. Each ONEBra cup is uniquely crafted based on an individual’s scan, which inherently requires more time for modeling, printing, and finishing. This means that custom pieces, by their very nature, have longer lead times. However, in terms of quality, the precision of fit, and unparalleled comfort, our customized products are simply not comparable to the generic alternatives; they offer a vastly superior experience. Another significant hurdle we initially anticipated was the scanning process, which women perform independently using the Heges app. We were concerned that clients might find this self-scanning procedure difficult or cumbersome. However, our faith in their capabilities was well-placed; we’ve been immensely impressed by how adept they are at performing accurate scans and sharing them with us in a very short amount of time. This has been a delightful surprise and a testament to the user-friendliness of our guided process. Furthermore, to mitigate any potential difficulties and ensure a smooth experience, we provide a robust support service. While this dedicated assistance might slightly lengthen the overall delivery time for some, our paramount priority is always the quality and perfect fit of the final product. We believe the investment in time for a truly personalized and comfortable solution is invaluable for our customers’ satisfaction and well-being.

3DN: Any last words for our readers?

We are incredibly excited about the future of ONEBra and the continued positive impact we can make in women’s lives. Looking ahead, we have ambitious plans to launch our innovative custom 3D printed products for both sports bras and swimwear fashion next year. This expansion will allow us to offer even more ways for women to experience comfort, confidence, and personalization in various aspects of their lives. We invite all our readers to stay tuned and follow the latest news and updates that will soon be posted on our social media channels and directly on the ONEBra website HERE. Join us on this journey as we continue to push the boundaries of additive manufacturing for women’s health and empowerment!

What do you think of ONEBra’s pioneering approach to personalized post-mastectomy care? We’d love to hear your thoughts! Please feel free to share your insights and comments below, or connect with us and the broader 3D printing community on our LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter pages. For those who want to stay at the forefront of additive manufacturing innovations, don’t forget to sign up for our free weekly Newsletter here, delivering the latest 3D printing news straight to your inbox! You can also explore our comprehensive video content and fascinating interviews on our YouTube channel.

*All Photo Credits: ONEBra