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Biocompatibility is not a property of a material, but an evaluation of a finished medical device for a specific contact and duration. ISO 10993, titanium versus PEEK, complication data and what to ask before anything goes into the body.
In at least ten industries, 3D printed parts go into end products in series from thousands to millions of units a year. Only confirmed examples, with sources, and rumors kept clearly apart.
Custom-made, patient-matched or adaptable? How the EU, UK, Switzerland, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, USA, Canada, Brazil, China, Japan and Australia regulate 3D printed implants, and why biocompatibility is always shown on the finished device.
Researchers describe ScaffoldForge, a generative AI model that turns target bone-structure values into a full scaffold geometry in about 12 seconds, against roughly 8,400 seconds for topology optimization. All results are simulated: no scaffold has been printed or tested in a lab, and the authors name physical testing as the next step.
3D Systems has given the nonprofit Remote Area Medical (RAM) a NextDent 300 MultiJet printer. RAM plans to use it to produce more custom-fitted dentures at no charge for people with poor access to dental care. According to the report, the system is already installed and running at RAM's site in Knoxville, Tennessee.
Materialise reported third-quarter 2026 revenue of €67.7 million, up 2.1%, or 4.9% after removing the divested RapidFit and Eyewear businesses. Medical drove the growth and series production in manufacturing rose, but net profit fell to €1.38 million as R&D spending climbed and software sales weakened. The full-year guidance was left unchanged.
Lithoz will show a Performance Pack for its CeraFab System S65 and S65 Medical at Formnext. The add-on uses a 4K projection system, raising resolution from 40 to 25 µm and light intensity from 60 to about 120 mW/cm². It targets finer features and dark ceramics, which are hard for light-based curing.
Align Technology has begun a US pilot of the Invisalign Sports Guard, a custom mouthguard that is 3D printed directly from an iTero scan instead of over a printed model. The company reported third-quarter 2026 revenue of $1.015 billion, up 1.9%, and named Jennifer L. Davis as CEO from 31 December, succeeding Joe Hogan. The move extends direct printing beyond orthodontic treatment.
Cairn Surgical has published results from an international clinical study of its Breast Cancer Locator. The system combines MRI data with a patient-specific 3D-printed template for breast-conserving surgery. Its aim is to define the extent of non-palpable tumours in the operating theatre more accurately than the conventional wire marking. The report describes the breast being positioned supine for the procedure, but the source text is cut off there, so further technical details are not available. The study results are the key point for medical device developers and clinical buyers following patient-specific additive manufacturing.
Researchers from several European and UK institutions have reported a 3D printed silicone implant for the brain. The device sits on the surface of the brain, cools a small region and records its electrical signals at the same time. In experiments on rats, the implant suppressed seizure-like activity. The work targets drug-resistant epilepsy, a condition where medication does not control seizures. The reports do not give further details on sample size, printing process or next steps. For additive manufacturing, the case shows soft silicone parts being used as functional medical devices that combine thermal and sensing functions.
3Dnatives, HP Additive Manufacturing Solutions and the HP partner Druckerfachmann host a webinar on Tuesday, 27 October, from 10:00 to 11:00. It addresses industrial MJF printing in orthopaedic technology and how it can speed up patient-specific care. The organisers frame it as a way for companies held back by space, budget or manual effort to access industrial 3D printing.
3Dnatives has published an infographic on 3D printing in the medical sector. It argues that because no two patients are alike, printing allows solutions designed around the individual. The overview separates applications already routine in clinics, such as dental crowns and custom implants, from newer ones such as ocular prostheses and bioprinting.
ENCAJA, a system aimed at making prosthetic sockets, has won a James Dyson Award, according to 3Dnatives. The international competition is aimed at young design engineers, with students and recent graduates as eligible entrants, and asks them to solve a real problem. The report gives only an introduction, so details of the system and its production method are not covered here.
UltiMaker has published a customer story about Bioactivx, which uses 3D printing to produce wound care products on demand. The report available so far gives only the headline and a short teaser, so details on the materials, the printers used and the results are not yet known. It points to a medical use case for desktop-class 3D printing.
Stratasys and the nonprofit Limbitless Solutions, based at the University of Central Florida, have widened their collaboration, which dates back to 2014. Stratasys donated a Certified Pre-Owned F370 printer, with sustainability, education and access to 3D-printed prosthetics for children as stated priorities. The two say the work has already put hundreds of devices into children's hands.