Stratasys has entered into a partnership with French med-tech start-up Bone 3D that will see healthcare institutions in France gain direct access to Stratasys 3D printing equipment.
3D printing hardware and services from Bone 3D can now be sub-contracted by healthcare providers to help fulfil their on-site production needs. Per the agreement, Bone 3D will invest in and supply FDM and PolyJet 3D printing technology from Stratasys according to the requirements of individual hospitals and medical institutions that are part of its ‘Hospifactory’ network.
Among the 3D printing systems it will invest in are the J750 Digital Anatomy machine for anatomical models; the full-colour and multi-material J5 MediJet platform; and several F-Series FDM machines for tough, durable parts like maintenance components, medical device development and spare parts.
“Early on in the COVID-19 pandemic, the world witnessed the importance of 3D printing first-hand as it provided a swift and direct means of producing vital PPE to equip frontline healthcare workers, ventilator parts and other critical medical equipment,” commented Bone 3D founder and CEO Jérémy Adam. “However, beyond that, the versatility of 3D printing has seen huge demand from hospitals and medical institutions for a means to create maintenance parts, rehabilitation parts and medical devices. Our Hospifactory initiative will ensure that some of the market’s most advanced 3D printing technologies are made accessible exactly where and when they are needed by surgeons and clinicians across the French hospital network.”
Since being established three years ago, Bone 3D has developed a close relationship with Stratasys to service its more than 250 customers. Last year, the company deployed 60 Stratasys FDM 3D printers in the AP-HP in Paris to support frontline efforts against COVID-19, with the implementation, operation and support of the fleet managed by Bone 3D. Healthcare is one of Stratasys’ key vertical markets, exampled by its launch of medical-specific products like the J5 MediJet and the adoption of its technologies by the likes of Bordeaux University Hospital, Seattle Children’s Hospital, VA Health Care System, and CPI’s National Healthcare Photonics Centre.
“We continue to see substantial demand for 3D printing within the healthcare sector for a rapidly-broadening set of applications,” added Eric Erickson, Director of Healthcare, EMEA, Stratasys. “The ability to produce parts locally, on-demand is a game-changer for hospitals and medical institution, giving them the power to 3D print the critical parts they need, when they need them. The Hospifactory initiative will significantly increase the accessibility of our 3D printing technology to a much wider geographic network of hospitals.”