3D Systems, the Rock Hill, South Carolina-based additive manufacturing (AM) pioneer, announced that the company has partnered with Klarity, a leading supplier of radiotherapy solutions, to distribute 3D Systems’ VSP Bolus masks. Boluses are used in radiotherapy to increase the skin dose of radiation to targeted areas of the patient.
VSP is 3D Systems’ portfolio of personalized medical devices. 3D Systems received FDA 510(k) clearance for its VSP Bolus solution in April 2022. The advantages of a personalized bolus include the ability to optimize the device’s main function — targeting radiation to the right spot — while also making the patient more comfortable during treatment.
Klarity’s distribution of VSP Bolus devices marks the first in the company’s line of Klarity Prints, with the main business case being that it allows oncologists to provide customized boluses within a matter of days after they’re ordered, without having to invest in their own 3D printing infrastructure. Klarity will print VSP Bolus devices on 3D Systems’ ProJet MJP 2500 platform. Attendees of the American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology (ASTRO) Annual Meeting in San Diego next week (October 1-4) can learn more about the VSP Bolus in person.
In a press release about the VSP Bolus distribution partnership between 3D Systems and Klarity, the CEO of Klarity, Peter Larson, said, “This collaboration aligns perfectly with Klarity’s ongoing commitment to improving the quality of care provided by our customers. As a North American distributor of 3D Systems’ 3D printed biocompatible bolus products, we will be at the forefront of advancing personalized care and improving the patient experience.”
3D Systems’ executive VP of Healthcare Solutions, Menno Ellis, said, “Klarity has a strong reputation in the radiation oncology sector for delivering superior products and service. The company’s commitment to improving patient care through treatment personalization aligns with 3D Systems’ market-leading service model for delivering high-quality 3D printed, patient-specific medical devices for over two decades. We’re pleased to partner with Klarity to provide next-generation radiotherapy accessories to patients undergoing treatment across the US and Canada.”
Even considering the extent to which, over the last several years, AM has branched out into the full range of sectors deploying manufacturing, it would be hard to argue that the medical device market isn’t still the AM sector’s most compelling success story. This is the case from a revenue standpoint, and, even more importantly, in terms of how instrumental the use of 3D printing for customization has been in improving peoples’ lives in the situations where that is of the highest priority.
Given that innovation in the realm of medical devices has already been the 3D printing industry’s central accomplishment for so many years now, it is remarkable that the pace of innovation only continues to accelerate. This is an excellent reminder of exactly what 3D printing is: a technology that gets better at innovating as it matures.
And as multiple recent industry announcements related to 3D Systems demonstrate, this is also a good way to view the company: one of the most mature brands in a sector that has just entered its mass commercialization phase. I think that is a pretty enviable position to be in.
Images courtesy of 3D Systems