Medical Device & Diagnostic Industry

shapes, which makes traditional 3-D ing techniques such as electron-beam
modeling packages inefficient. melting (EBM), emphasize efficiencies
A better option for custom implants in several ways. EBM plays a role in
is a sculptural CAD approach. For increasing on-demand manufacturing
example, one system called capabilities for small-to-me-
FreeForm offers modeling dium-sized quantities and is
with virtual clay. The flexibil- suitable for customized com-
ity of sculptural CAD enables ponents. It enables manufac-
designers to quickly and in- turing of complex, free-form
tuitively create multiple ver- shapes and allows mate-
sions of models by inflating, rial with more-sophisticated
tugging, smoothing, and carv- properties compared with
ing. The system should also traditional manufacturing
enable sharing of digital files, via investment casting. EBM
perhaps via annotated 3-D is suitable for use with com-
PDFs, to speed the design and mercially pure titanium along
approval cycles. Such a sys- with titanium and cobalt-
tem must also enable the im- Plastic prototype model with markings showing the extent of the chrome–based alloys that
port and export of STL files flanges. The plastic prototype model was made as a fit test for meet the mechanical require-
(commonly used for data ex- the final implant so that the team could verify dimensionally that ments of applicable American
change in working with scan the metal implant was perfect. Society for Testing and Mate-
data, rapid manufacturing, rials (ASTM) standards.
and milling). Interoperability. As more patient
Medical Imaging. The availability data are captured digitally, the indus-
of sophisticated medical imaging tech- try is moving to more interoperability
nology in most clinical settings makes between file formats. This can be done
design of customized products possible. either directly or via programs such as

To quickly capture and submit patient data, clinicians must have on-site magnetic resonance or computed tomography scanning, as well as the ability to