How Meticuly & OSS3O Use SLS 3D Printing to Enhance Surgical Precision
Meticuly, a Thailand-based medical device manufacturer, specializes in “end-to-end” personalized implant solutions. To improve surgical success, they required a way to produce hyper-accurate preoperative planning models that look and feel like human bone. By adopting the Formlabs Fuse 1+ 30W and Nylon 12 White Powder, Meticuly and their subsidiary OSS3O successfully launched a “factory-in-a-box” solution for hospitals, enabling point-of-care manufacturing that reduces lead times from days to hours.
The Challenge: Bringing the “Factory” to the Hospital
Surgeons performing complex cranio-maxillofacial or orthopedic surgeries rely on 3D printed titanium implants. However, the success of these implants depends on preoperative planning. Meticuly identified several hurdles:
- Visual Fidelity: Standard grey SLS powders didn’t provide the visual contrast needed to simulate bone against titanium implants.
- Space Constraints: Traditional industrial SLS machines are too large and power-hungry for a standard hospital environment.
- Workflow Complexity: Most hospital staff are not fabrication experts; they needed a system that was “plug-and-play.”
The Solution: The Fuse Series Ecosystem
Meticuly integrated the Formlabs SLS ecosystem into their workflow, supported by partners like Thinglab who facilitate the adoption of these technologies.
1. Hardware: Formlabs Fuse 1+ 30W
The Fuse 1+ 30W provided the industrial power of Selective Laser Sintering (SLS) in a compact footprint. Its ability to print without supports (using the unsintered powder as a bed) allowed Meticuly to print complex anatomical structures, such as mandibles and hip joints, with total geometric freedom.
2. Material: Nylon 12 White Powder
The introduction of Nylon 12 White was the “missing link.”
- Bone Simulation: The white finish closely mimics the appearance of human bone, allowing surgeons to visualize the interface between the bone and the titanium implant more clearly than with darker materials.
- Machinability: Surgeons can practice cutting and drilling on these models, providing a tactile “rehearsal” before entering the operating theater.
The Result: Better Patient Outcomes
- Reduced Lead Times: Meticuly can now produce planning models and surgical guides in a single day. Previously, using FDM (filament) technology, these parts could take multiple days to finish.
- Increased Accuracy: The high dimensional accuracy of the Fuse 1+ ensures that the titanium implants fit the 3D-printed bone models perfectly, eliminating surprises during surgery.
- Point-of-Care Success: Through OSS3O’s “factory-in-a-box,” hospitals can now house their own Fuse Series ecosystem, empowering doctors to create custom solutions on-site.
The Fuse Series is perfectly suited for point-of-care use — compact, reliable, and easy to operate. It enables hospitals to deliver faster, more precise, and personalized care
Kanin Sirichatchai, Executive VP, OSS3O.
Thinglab & Formlabs: Your Local Medical Partners
For Australian healthcare providers and manufacturers, Thinglab serves as the bridge to this technology. As a long-standing partner of Formlabs, Thinglab provides:
- Local Support: Technical expertise to help integrate the Fuse Series into clinical or industrial workflows.
- Material Supply: Access to the full range of Formlabs powders, including Nylon 12 White.
- Workflow Training: Ensuring that “factory-in-a-box” solutions are implemented seamlessly and safely.