China3D printingNet, June 19, Italian medical implant manufacturer REJOINT has launched mass customization and personalized therapy by combining additive manufacturing technology with artificial intelligence.
Specifically, the company will use GE Additive Arcam’s electron beam melting (EBM) technology and wearable sensors connected through the Internet of Things to perform computer analysis on intraoperative and postoperative data collection. This will help REJOINT to manufacture personalized medical devices for patients in the form of knee implants.
Tibial plate3D printing. Image courtesy of GE Additive.
Combine AI with3D printingCombined for medical equipment
Headquartered in Bologna, Italy, REJOINT was founded in 2015 by a team with extensive experience in the field of orthopedics. The company recently entered the knee replacement market.
REJOINT’s goal is focused on providing customized medical solutions for patients; additive manufacturing and artificial intelligence are both integral parts of its goals and growth strategy.In order to produce personalized prostheses, the company chose to use GE Additive’s3D printingTechnology.
“In terms of additive manufacturing, we have not initially determined the most suitable solution for personalized cobalt-chromium prostheses, and are evaluating DMLM and EBM. Both models actually provide good resolution and quality, but we finally chose The GE Additive Arcam EBM Q10plus system. The knowledge and industrialization support that GE was able to provide us and the professional experience of their local team in Italy also made the decision for us.” REJOINT CEO Gian Guido Riva said.
According to China3D printingNetwork understanding,
The global knee implant market is approximately 5 million per year. In 2011, the number of surgical operations was 150 per 100,000 inhabitants, reaching a peak of 250 in some markets such as Austria and Switzerland.
Arcam Q10plus. Image courtesy of GE Additive.
Until recently, the knee arthroplasty market consisted only of standard prosthetic systems, with only a limited range of sizes available. Correct and precise size and position are key factors for the type of prosthesis. Generally, the knee joint must bear a point load that can exceed 300 kg. The smallest size difference between the patient’s bone and the implant can cause pain and inflammation.
For patients, insufficient size means constant awareness of the presence of artificial joints, which leads to the decay of muscles and ligaments. Patient feedback can sometimes reflect implant problems. Dissatisfaction is usually related to the suboptimal size of the implanted prosthesis.
In this way, in order to produce tailor-made prostheses for patients, REJOINT takes full advantage of the design freedom provided by additive manufacturing. The company starts its process by 3D modeling the patient’s CT scan, and then uses algorithms to analyze the images and determine the most suitable size for each specific case. Artificial intelligence compares the patient’s unique anatomy on thousands of prosthetic sizes, each of which has the same size variable in a specific area of the implant.
Femur outside the machine. Image courtesy of GE Additive.
Determine the best configuration and provide it to the surgeon to position the prosthetic components and simulate the operation. The analysis process forms the core of the prosthesis production process and is a tool for patient intervention planning, which is carried out with the support of computer-assisted surgical tools.“Having all this data makes us realize that we can link it to the information recorded during the operation. In turn, if we can collect patients before and after surgery by using wearable devices (for example, sensory headbands and socks) How to measure the degree of limb bending or bending data, you can still further improve these data. Knee, until the completion of the postoperative evaluation questionnaire.” Riva continued.
Professor Maurilio Marcacci, head of the Joint Knee Reconstruction Center of the Humanitas Research Hospital in Milan, performed the first implant operation. He claimed that the initial application of the technology has achieved high patient satisfaction.
Currently, REJOINT is receiving FDA approval and is expected to be approved in the first half of 2021. Certification will mean entering the US market, which accounts for 62% of the world market for orthopedic devices and more than 70% of the orthopedic device market. The global market value of knee implants. In addition, REJOINT is working with GE Additives to reduce powder production costs, with a focus on shortening cycle times and optimizing parameters-including the development of remote production control stations.
Finish the femur. Image courtesy of GE Additive.
3D printingPersonalized healthcare
3D printingThe main advantage in the medical field is its ability to provide patient-specific healthcare. For example, 3D Sierra Leone, a Dutch non-profit organization, provides customized prostheses in Sierra Leone.Then use3D scanningCome to measure each patient, and then produce tailor-made equipment for amputees in the country who cannot get relevant medical care.In addition to prosthetics, doctors at the Cleveland Clinic also use3D printingTo produce patient-specific airway stents, which have also been approved by the FDA and can be implanted in patients.
3D printingIt can also play an important role in patient-specific preoperative planning. In early June, we reported on an anesthesia team in Israel, which recently used3D printingAnd virtual reality technology produced an accurate model of a 7-year-old girl’s airway as part of the operation to remove her lungs.
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