“São Paulo has the best public health system in the country , but even with that São Paulo’ population is still suffering on the hospital queues and dying because our system is too slow to meet the need of a 22 million population. Innovation can lead to a much better use of resources and ease this suffering.”
Community: São Paulo / Brazil
3DHEALS members can get in touch with Fabio Sanches Sant´Ana here.
Jenny: Fabio, please tell us one quote that represents you.
Fabio: (“If you can look, see. If you can see, notice.”) – José Saramago, Nobel Laureate, Literature. ( This means more in Portuguese [laughing] )
Jenny: Tell us a little about yourself. (Where are you from originally? Where are you located? What are you working on?)
Fabio: Born and Raise in São Paulo , Campo Belo Neighborhood , I started my career right after my precision mechanics degree in the CAD/CAM field working for Mastercam dealer for Brazil, after some time was hired by the company who democratized the CNC machining in Brazil by bringing high tech machines under good cost/benefit relation from Taiwan to the local market. My company started dealing for Swiss and CNC machine companies specialized in medical devices manufacturing, and since 2013, we are specialized in Additive Manufacturing Technology for Aerospace and Medical Industries.
Jenny: What made you decide to become a 3DHEALS community manager?
Fabio: Brazil needs to advance the use of additive manufacturing in healthcare. The country sustained a large economical loss in recent years, and this caused a big gap in the actual technological status of AM in Brazil.
Jenny: If you have already organized a 3DHEALS event, what were your experiences like? (Photos?) Anything unexpected happened?
Fabio: I just started , we just put Jenny in contact with the Inside3dprinting São Paulo event .
Jenny: What do you think of innovations in healthcare 3D printing or bioprinting? What do you hope to see in the next five years? 10 years?
Fabio: This is advancing fast, the use of biomodels is growing and saving lives and resources, the implant making is amazing and soon we are going to have additively made tissue to be used in human body.
Jenny: If you have done 3D printing before, what have you made/designed?
Fabio: I help customers to develop implants like hip joints and spinal cages. I normally do some models in my desktop machine or my suppliers make samples for them
Jenny: Most of our community managers are entrepreneurial and adventurous, what risks/adventures have you taken that you’d like to share with us? Any hopes or regrets?
Fabio: I’ve owned my business since 1998, and there were hard times. At that time I used to carry a 29-inch tube monitor in my small car to be able to do CAD/CAM and CNC presentations. The projectors were very expensive and not popular at that time, and that cost me a lot of back pain!! To be able to manage your company size and resources in a country not economically stable like Brazil is the main challenge I had to face.
Jenny: Who would you like to find and to include in the 3DHEALS community you are building?
Fabio: To be able to connect medical to engineering community is what I want the most.
Jenny: What would you like to accomplish with this new 3DHEALS community in the future?
Fabio: Enable additive manufacturing to make people’s lives better
Jenny: What do you think about the innovation environment (for health tech or for general technology) in your city? What can be done to improve it?
Fabio: It’s improving. Many new techniques are appearing through doctors and engineers separately, and I would like to see them connect!
Jenny: What are you most proud of about your city?
Fabio: São Paulo is the locomotive of the country!
Jenny: What are you most proud of about the innovation community in your city?
Fabio: São Paulo is the natural base for startups in all industries.
Jenny: What do you think are the top priorities in healthcare innovations for your city/community?
Fabio: São Paulo has the best public health system in the country, but even with that, São Paulo’s population is still suffering on the hospital queues and dying because our system is too slow to meet the need of a 22 million population. Innovation can lead to a much better use of resources and remove the suffering a bit .
Jenny: What do you hope to accomplish through your role as the 3DHEALS community manager?
Fabio: I hope to help, and this is my effort
Jenny: What do you do for fun?
Fabio: Fishing and hang out with friends for some beers and some Churrasco! Also after a successful bariatric surgery, I became a walker, I walk 5 km a day.
Jenny: Anything else?
Fabio: I am glad I joined the tribe!
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