Nia Technologies, Canadian nonprofit which provides “3D PrintAbility” orthopedic solutions in developing countries, received over $1.5M CAD ($1.16M USD) by Grand Challenges Canada, Google.org, Autodesk Foundation, and Stronger Philanthropy. Already undergone preliminary testing in Uganda in 2015, Nia Technologies will now be helping 225 children and young people to walk with 3d Printed Prosthetics.

BodyCad, a Quebec City-based developer and manufacturer of personalized orthopaedics, announced the introduction of Bodycad OnCall, its personalized, individually manufactured orthopaedic restorations for complex cases. The Bodycad OnCall is supposed to help surgeons with flexibility in design and manufacturing of a fully personalized restoration and considered ideal for oncology, revision and osteotomy.

3D Systems, a 3D printer company, recently announced its standardized curriculum for Bronchoscopy on the Simbionix BRONCH Mentor™ virtual reality training simulator in collaboration with American College of Chest Physicians(CHEST). This Curriculum Module for Essential Bronchoscopic Skills and Diagnostic Bronchoscopy is targeted to provide most relevant training and assessment within a realistic mode of practice.

4WEB Medical recently announced at the North American Spine Society annual meeting in Chicago that the company has launched its Posterior Spine Truss System in the U.S. market. This Posterior Spine Truss System will provide treatment options to lumbar spine patients and one of the finest implants.

Ottawa Hospital of Canada is revolutionizing the medicine with 3D Printed Body parts and research prototypes. With replica body parts as surgical guides, customized prosthetics, low-cost medical devices, surgical tools and even new skin for burn patients, Dr. Frank Rybicki is seeing to generate a commercial hub for themselves.

Cell Applications, Inc. and Cyfuse Biomedical K.K. have announced that advanced tissue-engineering services are now available in North America using a new three-dimensional (3D) bioprinting approach called the "Kenzan Method". Using Cyfuse Biomedical's Regenova® 3D Bio Printer, Cell Applications has created a pay-for-service bio-printing model that makes scaffold-free tissue available immediately to scientists in the U.S. and Canada for research use.

Researchers from the University of Waterloo in Ontario performed a study regarding 3D printing processes with metal and layer thicknesses in material and used Titanium Powder with particle size range of 38–45 μm which was 3D printed on the ZPrinter 310 Plus by 3D Systems . Several different studies considered Particle size, Sintering temperature and Powder compaction level from which they found how layer thickness affects powder compaction during 3D printing, as well as how temperature variations affect bonding and they can now aim to help close any gaps that might occur as implants loosen and cause inflammation and other issues for patients.

The Four Universities are working their own way to develop 3D Printing for medical uses and these include Indiana University-layering by applying a viscous bio-ink; Wake Forest University- Integrated Tissue and Organ Printing System (ITOP), which deposits biodegradables to form the tissue's shape, and water-based gels that contain the cells; Pennsylvania State University- artificial cartilage produced by the team is very similar to native cow cartilage and lastly, Advanced Solutions Life Sciences working with capillary beds, which they can flow blood through in the lab.

A research team at American Association of Physicists in Medicine recently published an article revealing how effective 3D Printing is for producing Organ Phantoms (models of organs to test things like proper medication dosage). Three questions were explored including the resolution of 3D Printing, materials used against scanning modality and feasibility of radioactive solutions as per 3D Printing is concerned. 50 studies conducted later concluded that 3D Printing undoubtedly has some limits, but is the fastest growing and can be definitely considered the best approach for Organ Phantoms as the new materials are unveiled.

A group of researchers from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) are working on using an SLA 3D printing method to manufacture temporary teeth restorations. Temperature Controlled Mask image projection-based stereolithography (TCMIP-SL) processes use a set of horizontal planes to slice a 3D object, and each slice is converted into a 2D mask image. Then, a 2D patterned light beam, which is controlled by a digital micromirror device (DMD), is projected on the surface of a photocurable material, which is then cured layer by layer to build the 3D object.

7-year-old Isaiah Onassis Goberdhan, son of Barnaby Goberdhan had an aggressive tumor in his palate and nasal cavity and required surgery to remove it and approached Dr. Neha A. Patel, MD, Nortwell Pediatric Otolaryngologist at Cohen Children’s Medical Center. Working with Todd Goldstein, PhD, a Northwell Health Researcher, Dr. Patel create a personalized 3D rendering of Isaiah’s palate, using his CT and MRI scans and Formlabs technology was used to 3D print an anatomical model with the tumor, and one with it removed, in order to help the doctors and the family physically visualize the entire procedure ahead of time.

Liqun Ning, a post-doctoral fellow in the Tissue Engineering Research Group at the University of Saskatchewan, is working on 3D Printing Scaffolds of Schwann Cells, the supporting cells in the nervous system that can force nerve cells to grow properly, which were created using the Canadian Light Source center at the University of Saskatchewan. The scaffolds are expected to stimulate new, healthy nerve cells to grow. The results of the study show that the 3D printed scaffolds can promote the alignment of the Schwann cells and provide cues to direct the extension of dorsal root ganglion along the printed strands.

Halifax resident Jacob Boudreau, who works for a logistics company, was inspired to open his own non-profit e-NABLE chapter, called Kindness3D. After legalization of marijuana in Canada, he stood for the waste management by recycling plastic waste from what he refers to as the “excessive cannabis packaging conundrum” of the NSLC (Nova Scotia Liquor Corporation), the province’s legal cannabis distributor. Using Kindness3D modified a paper shredder at Boudreau’s Dalhousie University Sexton Campus operation, recycled plastic was converted into 3D Printed Prosthetics for children. Additionally, he started a petition in hopes of convincing the NSLC to collect and donate all of its used cannabis packaging to Kindness3D.

Source: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/cannabis-packaging-3d-printer-prosthetic-limbs-1.4878440