Armor Bionics and Shapeways Partner to Make Accurate, 3D-Printed Medical Models

Shapeways has announced that they have entered an agreement to be Armor Bionics’ exclusive 3D printing manufacturer. The leader in digital manufacturing, known for its on-demand manufacturing in industries as vast as medical, robotics, architecture, jewelry and gaming, will be producing complex, personalized medical models using 3D printing on behalf of Armor Bionics, who create the digital models from MRI and CT scans. This agreement will allow Armor Bionics to expand further into the US and Europe, giving access to the life-saving technology to more in the medical field. They stress that the models will enable surgeons to effectively prepare, especially before complicated surgeries. Thus reducing time in surgery as well as risks.

This is not the first time that Shapeways has made its way into the medical sector. The American company is known for being an expert in a variety of applications in the medical field, notably making patient-specific orthoses and prostheses, medical devices (including eyewear, implants and hearing aids), and of course medical models. It is this last application which drew the interest of Armor Bionics as they specialize in image segmentation and 3D medical modeling.

A 3D printed infant heart model that was manufactured for Armor Bionics by Shapeways (Photo Credits: Business Wire)

Exact, fully-customized, 3D-printed models

As part of the agreement, Shapeways will become the exclusive 3D printing manufacturer for Amor Bionics. This means that while Armor Bionics will create the personalized models which are made from a combination of CT scans and MRIs, Shapeways will make the 3D printed medical models. These can then be used for a number of applications. 3D printed medical models in particular are common in the medical field as thanks they can be fully customized, making them far more useful to doctors.