(Image courtesy of Solvay)
Solvay and PrinterPrezz announced that they are collaborating to develop 3D printing and selective laser sintering (SLS) solutions for implants and other medical devices.
Solvay has over 30 years of experience supplying high-performance polymers to the healthcare industry. Its Solviva biomaterials meet the requirements for prolonged or permanent exposure to bodily fluids and tissue in the human body, according to the Brussels, Belgium-based company. Solvay is using this experience to jointly optimize materials, processing, design and testing for the manufacture of high-performance 3D printed medical devices, according to a news release.
“Solvay works with companies across the additive manufacturing ecosystem to offer production-ready high-performance 3D printing solutions to the healthcare industry,” said Christophe Schramm, AM business manager for Solvay Specialty Polymers global business unit, in the release. “This partnership will allow us to combine our expertise in materials with PrinterPrezz’s unique offering for qualification of medical devices to accelerate the adoption of 3D printed implants and medical devices using Solvay’s latest additive manufacturing powder technology for selective laser sintering.”
PrinterPrezz (Fremont, Calif.) specializes in combining polymer and metal 3D printing, nanotechnologies and surgical expertise to design and manufacture medical devices.
“3D printing is evolving rapidly and is revolutionizing the development of advanced health care applications from concept to manufacturing,” said Shri Shetty, CEO of PrinterPrezz. “The range of services offered by PrinterPrezz, which includes engineering, clinical and regulatory guidance as well as access to 3D simulation software and state-of-the-art 3D printers, provides Solvay a gateway for the development and optimization of their high-performance polymeric additive manufacturing powders to advance the manufacturing of next-generation implants and medical devices.”
In addition to the collaboration, Solvay’s venture capital fund, Solvay Ventures, participated in PrinterPrezz’s recent $16 million equity financing round. The funding will support collaborative development efforts in specialized materials for medical equipment.
“By partnering together, Solvay and PrinterPrezz will accelerate the advancement of 3D printed medical devices, providing better patient outcomes through breakthrough technology as a part of our efforts to create sustainable shared value for all,” said Thomas Canova, head of Solvay Ventures.
