RapidMade Masks Help You Face Flying

One of the most anxiety-ridden activities these days is flying. Even if face masks weren’t mandated, most travelers would gladly wear them to enhance their personal safety. In locations where physical distancing is more difficult, people often prefer something more robust than a simple cloth mask.

Our thermoformed, filter-based face masks were enthusiastically worn by one family on a recent flight.

These masks gave us the peace of mind we needed to fly during the COVID pandemic! The masks fit snugly, but are easily breathable. We wouldn’t have flown without the security these masks provided!”

These reusable face masks can be thoroughly sanitized between uses, and the filters can be replaced as needed. If you’d like to order, please click here.

RapidMade is fabricating High-Quality PPE for COVID-19 - Masks, Filters & Face Shields

We’ve all heard the stories about the PPE shortages, and, like everyone, we want to ensure people who need PPE can get them. So we’ve converted some of our production facilities to support the emergency response. In addition to donating where we can, we are now offering to sell PPE to interested parties. Visit our COVID-19 PPE Fabrication page for more information on prices, availability and how to order. Stay safe!

RapidMade CEO Promotes STEM Careers to Skyview High School Students

RapidMade supports nConnect, a non-profit organization that connects professionals and schools, to promote career planning and college preparation. 

It's always great to get back into the classroom!  On Friday, RapidMade's CEO Renee Eaton  participated in nConnect's Speed Networking event at Skyview High School in Vancouver.  Students especially enjoyed seeing all of the 3D printed objects she brought.  And they loved hearing how additive manufacturing is changing the fields of medicine, aerospace, marketing and manufacturing - and how important STEM professionals are to the industry's growth and success.

These events are always a lot of fun for presenters and participants.  Based on the questions asked, there were many highly motivated first year students.

Afterward, Renee had a chance to meet the school's Manufacturing faculty and see their bank of desktop 3D printers.

Patients May Get Lucky "Break" with 3D Printed Plates Thanks to FDA Approval

My standard-issue wrist plate may soon be a thing of the past...

When I shattered my wrist in 2014, the surgeon pieced together the fragments using a standard-issue, low-tech wrist plate and permanently screwed it into place.  Now, with the recent FDA approval of Additive Orthoapedics' 3D printed Locking Lattice Plating System, patients may soon have access to customized plates for "stabilization and fusion of fractures, osteotomies and arthrodesis of small bones."

“‘We are excited to be one of the first companies to leverage the geometric flexibility, clinical advantages and manufacturing cost benefits of additive manufacturing in the orthopaedic plating market.  These plates can be implanted either alone with locking or non-locking screws, or in conjunction with our 3D printed bone segments through the use of a connection screw. This allows the surgeon to mix and match any wedge and plate combination for various deformities, complex revisions, or other limb salvage procedures,’ president Greg Kowalczyk said in a press release.”

Since I have subsequently broken a foot and my other wrist, I will be sure to keep this company in mind, just in case.

Now You Can Scratch That Itch Using a 3D Printed Cast

My traditional cast for my broken right wrist

I am now 3 weeks into my cast-restricted convalescence.  And yes, it is as annoying, smelly and uncomfortable as everyone says.  So when my accident occurred (a large dog was desperate to greet Luke and I was in its way), I toyed with getting our team to scan and 3D print a cast. The doctors were not keen, and since traditional casts are reliable, cheap and quick, I didn't argue.

If I had gone that route, what would have been involved?  Well, as in the traditional approach, we would have waited a week for the swelling to go down.  Then I would have had a 3D scan to get an exact image of my arm.  The resulting file would then be modified to 3D print the lattice-like open "exo-skeleton" cast which would snap into place.  Oh, to be able to scratch and shower undeterred!  But I'm under no illusions; it could have been a pricey and time-consuming project - the design would have to withstand use and be printed in a non-toxic material, so while I was in a traditional cast 1 week after my fracture, it would likely have taken longer for a high-tech alternative.

But there are times when I'd give almost anything to scratch that itch.

Research Study Demonstrates Benefits of 3D Printing in Surgical Outcomes

Study confirms value of 3D printed models in planning wrist surgeries

If you read our blog, you know that we are especially interested in the medical applications of 3D printing.  I've written a few times about its adoption in surgery planning.  Now a recent published study conducted by Italian surgeon Dr. Nicola Bizzoto quantifies three advantages of 3D printing a patient's wrist (distal radius) fracture before operating.  

Having an exact replica of the broken bones allows the physician to thoroughly plan the surgery in advance, knowing where to place screws and which plate size to implant. This preparation reduces operating room and anesthesia times.  Shorter surgeries save hospitals money and less anesthesia improves patient outcomes.  The model can also be used to improve patient education.

I only wish this practice had become widespread before my wrist surgery in 2014. The operation took longer than planned because my wrist was worse than expected - there were bone fragments that had to be removed.  As a result, the anesthesiologist had to fully sedate me, and I ended up spending New Year's Eve in the hospital - not a Happy start to 2015, so while I hope to never go through a similar procedure again, I'm heartened by the increased popularity of 3D printing in medicine.

3D Printed Titanium Vertebrae Saves Life of Cancer Patient

Credit: 3Dprint.com

Dr. Ralph Mobbs of the Sydney Spine Clinic turned to 3D printing to save the life of a patient suffering from a rare form of cancer. Drage Josevski was diagnosed with chordoma, a cancer that affects the spine.  His case was especially difficult because  the tumor was located in his top two vertebrae. Dr. Mobbs performed a landmark procedure that replaced the vertebrae with a 3D printed titanium implant. Josevski’s surgery was a success, and he is in rehabilitation to adjust to the implant. This achievement is yet another example of the possibilities 3D printing creates for the medical field.

Researchers at Wake Forest 3D Print Ear, Bone and Muscle Structures

The prospect of medical teams being able to print replacement body parts is exciting.  As someone who has experienced reconstructive surgery, the idea that surgeons can perfectly recreate an exact match brings great hope.  Patients would no longer have to rely on artistry and good fortune - or repeated surgeries - to obtain symmetrical, life-like results.

New 3D printing technology created by a team at Wake Forest University in North Carolina is showing great promise reliably printing human tissue and organs. Bioprinting, as it is known, is a big leap for medical technology and is now coming into its own as an effective and beneficial means of healthcare and healing. The bioprinter works similarly to other 3D printers, but instead of printing in metals or plastics, it prints hydrogels containing human cells. What is special about this new printer is that the tissue that it prints is able to accept blood vessels and therefore essentially keep the cells alive. This research is especially exciting for the medical community, which is already looking to the future and the potential that this technology has for us.