Materialise has just released the latest iteration of their Mimics Innovation Suite, a complete set of 3D software tools developed for biomedical professionals.  

The Materialise Knee Guide System, a solution consisting of easy-to-use 3D surgical planning software and patient-specific surgical guides for knee surgery, allows surgeons to efficiently and accurately plan knee surgeries based on the patient's unique anatomy and structural damage. Based on that pre-operative plan, patient-specific guides are designed and 3D printed for use during surgery. This widely-used system will now include Consensus Orthopedics.

Recently at UCLA, doctors were able to use a 3D printed heart model to go forth with a very complicated surgery on 66-year-old Richard Whitaker. Whitaker had been suffering from congestive heart failure, which resulted in two hospital stays over a period of months, and needed something done in order to save his life.

The ACO Hip Guide System, a platform of 3D surgical planning software and patient-specific surgical guides for hip surgery from Materialise, will now be joined by Consensus Orthopedics following their adoption of a version for knee surgeries earlier this year.

According to Materialise’s Board Chairman, Peter Leys, "Materialise highly anticipates working closely together with Fuwai Hospital, and Chinese regulatory authorities, to enable doctors and patients to benefit from 3D Printed heart models.

“We are harnessing the latest technologies such as 3-D printing to help us better address the most complicated cases,” said Dr. Jamil Aboulhosn, director of the Ahmanson/UCLA Adult Congenital Heart Disease Center. 

Fried Vancraen, CEO of Materialise has called upon stakeholders for agreement of common standards of clinical, economical and patient benefits of medical 3D printing. He stated that success can only be achieved with globally accepted set of guidelines helping the medical 3D printing industry to better persuade physicians, hospitals, and policy makers to adopt this increasingly valuable technology.

10 months old conjoined twins, Knatalye Hope and Adeline Faith were facing difficulties as their organs were attached and couldn't be operated easily. However, surgeons at Texas Children’s Hospital used Materialise’s Mimics software to design a 3D-printed model using CT scans and finally separated them successfully after 30 hours and 26 clinicians team.

Materialise announced the signing of an agreement to see Canon Lifecare Solutions distributing software solutions from the Materialise Mimics Innovation and Care Suites in Japan. With this agreement, users of workstations and 3D printers offered by Canon Lifecare Solutions will be able to benefit from Materialise’s open and flexible software solutions.

Materialise and Belgian Desginer, Dávid Ring, produced luxury custom eyeglasses which are completely printed using 3D Print Technology. For the lenses, the team used Stereolithography while for the frames, Laser Sintered was used.

At the American Association of Orthopaedic Surgeons’ (AAOS) Annual Meeting in Orlando, Materialise will be introducing a new software suite for 3D printing in hospitals. The suite will allow hospitals to create better pre-operation plans, master 3D printing file preparations, 3D print anatomical models for complex cases, and integrate 3D printing into the surgical workflow.

Yano De Laet was born with cerebral palsy but with help from 3D printed assistive devices, he is now able to walk with a new hands-free walker called the Hibbot. Hibbot is an ergonomic walking assistance system designed with collaboration between engineer Dirk Wenmakers and physiotherapist Ria Cuppers.

Materialise announced release of its Mimic Innovation Suite 19 which will help engineers and researchers to perform better 3D reconstruction. This software will provide faster image segmentation and accurate 3D reconstruction along with easier Finite Element Meshing, especially from CT and MRI scans.

Materialise announced the opening of a new 3D Printing Centre of Excellence in Malaysia which will aim to become a competence center for DLP 3D printing technologies. The teams at the facility will also investigate 3D printing anatomical models and other medical devices with DLP technology to further enhance the functionality of Materialise’s 3D printing software suites for the benefit of end-users working with DLP 3D printers.

England's Bennett Engineering Design Solutions, established in 1999 gained interest in 3D Printing after Materialise offered them teach the way of working with 3D printing. By the far end, Bennett Engineering have already 3D Printed over 30 products on client requests and now are looking forward to learn about metal printing materials like titanium, aluminum and stainless steel with the help of Materialise.

With increasing popularity of 3D Printing Revolutions, Materialise has decided to construct Europe’s largest and most modern 3D printing factory which will be built in the Polish village of Bielany Wrocławskie. The construction is start later this year and is planned to end in mid-2017. This new factory will be a perfect opportunity for Materialise to extend their presence in the automotive, aerospace and medical industries. However, local Materialise branch leader Piotr Adamczewski has stated it will be focused on medical care.