Guides

Nanochon 3D Printed Implants Repair Knee Cartilage

Founded in 2016, Nanochon aims to facilitate cartilage replacement and repair for patients suffering from knee injuries. It relies on 3D printing technology, specifically extrusion, to manufacture an implant that replaces lost or damaged cartilage. In this way, Nanochon offers&he

Nanochon 3D Printed Implants Repair Knee Cartilage
3Dnatives

Founded in 2016, Nanochon aims to facilitate cartilage replacement and repair for patients suffering from knee injuries. It relies on 3D printing technology, specifically extrusion, to manufacture an implant that replaces lost or damaged cartilage. In this way, Nanochon offers an alternative to arthroplasty, a method that is often painful for patients and involves a very long convalescence. Called Chondrograft™, this 3D-printed device is made from an innovative biocompatible composite material that promotes tissue growth. We caught up with one of Nanochon’s co-founders and CTO, Nathan Castro, to find out more about this implant and the company’s prospects.

3DN: Can you introduce yourself and your connection to 3D printing?

My name is Nathan Castro and I’m co-founder and CTO of Nanochon, Inc. We’re developing a 3D-printed synthetic implant for cartilage resurfacing and repair in the patellofemoral (knee) joint. I discovered additive manufacturing and 3D printing in the mid-2000s, during my undergraduate studies at the University of Texas-El Paso, while participating in an undergraduate research program at the W. M. Keck Center for 3D Innovation. I focused on the synthesis of biocompatible resins for stereolithography. I continued my interest in stereolithography during my PhD, during which I built a table top system and extended my research to musculoskeletal tissue regeneration.

Nathan Castro, co-founder and CTO of Nanochon

3DN: How did Nanochon come into being, and what is its objective?

Nanochon is a spin-off from George Washington University, where co-founder Ben Holmes and I completed our doctoral studies in regenerative medicine. We were introduced to entrepreneurship through the local NIH I-Corps (DC), where we conducted several customer discovery interviews to test our technologies. At the end of the program, we decided to join forces and Nanochon was created. Our aim is to address the unmet need for effective and efficient cartilage repair using a materials and mechanics-based approach.