Italian medical device manufacturer LimaCorporate is set to open an on-site 3D printing facility at Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) in Manhattan, US for custom implants.
LimaCorporate is partnering with New York City’s HSS hospital with an aim to improve the availability and accessibility of personalized orthopaedic care within the U.S.
The nearly 75-year-old Italian company produces a range of implants for hips, knees, and shoulders. They began 3D printing in 2007 with their patented “Trabecular Titanium” technology, a method for fabricating pure titanium implants that mimic the natural spongy structure of cancellous bone.
The new facility will be located on HSS’ main campus in the Upper East Side in New York. By instituting a dedicated AM facility within the hospital setting, the wait times for producing and shipping custom implants will be reduced, facilitating treatment processes for medical professionals and ultimately improving care for patients.
The AM centre at HSS will be operated by Lima and will combine the company’s advanced manufacturing technologies with the hospital’s expertise in clinical care and bio-mechanical engineering. The partners will also aim to develop new and innovative medical products to improve treatment solutions for complex orthopaedic joint care across the country.
“The close integration between surgeons and engineers is invaluable for designing and refining joint replacements and identifying new solutions for the most complex patient cases,” commented Leonard Achan, RN, MA, ANP, Chief Innovation Officer at HSS.
Luigi Ferrari, CEO of LimaCorporate, echoed this enthusiasm, saying: “We are proud to be the first company to bring 3D printing of implants directly to a hospital organization, where the collaboration between top ranked surgeons and engineers can drive innovation and easier access to patients in the US. This is what defines Lima. A company that has in the past, and will continue in the future, strive to transform orthopaedics by challenging the status quo.”
The new facility based at HSS is expected to be operational by early 2020. When it opens, it will primarily serve hospitals in the region with the production of custom orthopaedic implants, though it will eventually manufacturing devices for providers across the U.S. as it ramps up its operations. All implants and medical devices produced at the new facility will be registered under LimaCorporate.
The Hospital for Special Surgery in Manhattan is the oldest orthopedic hospital in the U.S., and has ranked no. 1 for adult orthopedics in the U.S. News Best Hospitals list for 9 years in a row.
