Formlabs Two new healthcare-focused materials have been launched for the Form 3B 3D printing series.
Dental LT Comfort Resin and Biomed Durable Resin have been engineered for use on the additive manufacturing company’s Form 3B or Form 3B+The Form 3BL and, desktop stereolithography system is used in medical device manufacturing and dental and orthodontic labs.
Guillaume Bailliard, President at Formlabs Healthcare business said these latest resins, which expand Formlabs library to over 40 materials, will enable dental and healthcare professionals “to push the boundaries of device development.”
Dental LT Comfort Resin is durable and flexible material that can be used to produce long-term occlusal splints, nightguards and bleaching trays. Dental practices can directly print flexible splints which are comfortable for the patients and biocompatible for long-term usage. Formlabs estimates that outsourcing an occlusal brace can cost 100-200 USD, with a lead time between 1-7 days. The cost of 3D printing Dental LT Comfort resin in-house is reduced to 5-7 USD and the lead time to 2-3 hours.
The second material is BioMed Durable Resin. It’s a USP Class VI resin made in an ISO 13485-registered facility. This material can be used for applications that require long-term contact with skin and shorter-term contact with tissue, dentin, or bone. It is claimed that the material addresses the need for a material which can withstand pressure, impact and rough handling for medical devices, procedures-specific instruments and patient-specific devices. The material is said to have excellent surface finish and clarity, as well as shatter and impact resistance. This makes it perfect for durable and biocompatible patient-specific medical instruments and customized surgical instruments.
Mauricio Toro, CEO and co-founder at TechFit, a PSI provider that works with physicians to design and 3D printed surgical instrumentation and has been working with the new material, said: “The increased mechanical properties provide more design flexibility and increased indications while maintaining the biological properties required for reliably producing the best surgical results.”