Amnovis 3D Prints 50,000 Implants without Heat Treatment

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Amnovis has announced that it has produced 50,000 implants using its proprietary heat-treatment-free 3D printing process. These implants have been used in the spine, orthopedics, and CMF markets since 2021. Amnovis, a Belgian firm with an FDA Master File, assists other companies in designing, developing, and bringing titanium 3D-printed implants to market. The company has extensive expertise in additive manufacturing and collaborates with various firms to implement new implants, particularly in spine and orthopedics.

“We developed and validated a proprietary process for pure titanium that requires no heat treatment. This unique process allows us to deliver faster, more cost-effective solutions for our customers while maintaining the highest quality standards,” said CEO Ruben Wauthle.

“Since partnering with Amnovis, we’ve been impressed by their production quality and specialist expertise. Surgeons consistently praise the detailed resolution, look, and feel of our implant structures, while distributors and users appreciate the reliability and punctual delivery. Amnovis’ heat treatment-free titanium process has significantly streamlined our production, reducing time and costs. Their production capacity and reliability have made a substantial contribution to our collaboration with large customers, helping us bring products to market faster,” said Henning Kloss, CEO of privelop-spine.

Swiss firm privelop-spine manufactures spinal fusion implants with an internal honeycomb structure that creates capillary effects on blood flow. This architecture promotes osteoblast activity, encouraging adhesion, bone formation, and healing. The product line is called Hygro, named for the hygroscopic effects of the implant design. The company has produced over 20,000 Hygro cages since 2009.

Punctuality is highly valued among Swiss people. The examples clearly show how Amnovis acts as a force multiplier for medical device inventors. Scaling, quality assurance, materials, production, and shipping can all become their responsibility. If you’re a doctor, professor, or other medical device inventor, Amnovis can turn your idea into a business. In fact, they are a scalable ally for those aiming to bring new devices to market. This could result in new businesses, devices, and innovation. Your implant doesn’t need to be sold to large manufacturers to succeed—you could create a niche product that continues to be produced indefinitely. This could lead to more niche, cutting-edge solutions for overlooked patients.

Some Amnovis customers still choose to use Ti-6Al-4V grade 23 along with HIP, but the heat-treatment-free option benefits others. For its heat-treatment-free process, the company uses commercially pure titanium (CP Ti). This material has lower tensile strength than grade 23 but better elongation. It’s also important to note that some titanium alloys used in implants have been withdrawn in the past due to problematic alloying materials. In lattice structures, grade 23 is stronger but more brittle, while pure titanium is more ductile. Additionally, under dynamic loads, pure titanium outperforms grade 23 alternatives. The company has published intriguing articles, with one stating that their material is the “material of choice for cyclically loaded porous implants.” They also believe it could be used for pre- or intraoperatively deformed implants.

The specifics of how Amnovis operates are closely guarded, but their research in this area goes back over a decade. Key figures at Amnovis were founders of Layerwise, which was later acquired by 3D Systems, and they have been working on commercially pure implants and components since at least 2010. It’s evident that Amnovis possesses highly specialized knowledge that it uses to support its customers. I really appreciate how they assist inventors in getting to market or enable smaller firms to innovate with precision. I’m a huge fan of Amnovis and hope more companies adopt this “force multiplier” role, allowing newcomers to additive manufacturing to bring products to market quickly and successfully. While Amnovis focuses on implants, there is still a gap in areas like marine, electronics, and filtration. More firms should step up as enablers of a 3D-printed future by sharing expertise to help clients scale their products.

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