Gabe Linke has been in the imaging profession for over 10 years as a technologist in MRI. He received his Bachelors in Radiation Sciences from the University of Nebraska Medical Center. 2 years ago he became the Cardiac Imaging & 3D Printing Coordinator for Children’s Hospital and Medical Center in Omaha Nebraska. His original duties involved overseeing Cardiac CT and MRI and starting their 3D printing program. This program started with 3D printing cardiac models for presurgical planning. It has since grown outside of cardiology and is hospital-wide serving multiple subspecialties with presurgical planning, educational modeling, and numerous research applications. Gabe will also be a speaker for our upcoming 3DHEALS OMAHA: AdvancedTek, Healthcare 3D Printing event.

Jenny: When was the first encounter you had with 3D printing? What was that experience like? What were you thinking at that moment?

Gabe: I experienced 3D printing for the first time when I accepted my position at Omaha Children’s Hospital. I was in my second interview for a cardiac imaging coordinator position and Dr. Scott Fletcher handed me a printed heart from a case they had done.  It blew me away to hold the replica of the child’s heart in my hand and I immediately could see the potential this technology would have to impact healthcare.

Jenny: What inspired you to start your journey in 3D printing (bio-fabrication/bio-printing)?

Gabe: After accepting the job at Omaha Children’s I was shown the printer that we had received as a gift to start our own in-house 3D printing program. The program started in Cardiology, but as I saw the way these 3D Models impacted the way our Cardio-thoracic surgeons I knew we had to do more. Seeing the impact in the first few cases inspired me to go to my directors and expand the program to a hospital-wide 3D printing service.

Jenny: Who inspired you the most along this journey in 3D printing (bio-printing/bio-fabrication)? This can be a mentor, a patient, a celebrity, anyone basically. You can name more than one as well.

Gabe: I think I would have to say Dr. Scott Fletcher after my answer earlier right? Scott gave me the gift of this job and I will forever be grateful to him. He has taught me so much about congenital cardiology and has supported me every step of the way as this program continues to grow.

Dr. Jorge Zuniga has taught me so much about the technology of 3D printing and the global impact we can have using this technology together. I very early on adopted his vision for open collaboration is paramount in a successful program. I am honored to call him a personal friend and colleague.

Jenny: What motivates you the most for your work?

Gabe: Our patients, period. I joined the medical profession for one reason and that was to help people. Seeing a child set down an iPad to better understand why he’s having an operation, hearing a surgeon speak on how they did a better procedure or operation due to a 3D model, or hearing how much better a nurse can do her job because she was handed a 3D model of a patient’s heart. All of these are helping a patient through one means or another to have better care.

Jenny: What is/are the biggest obstacle(s) in your line of work? If you have conquered them, what were your solutions?

Gabe: One of the biggest obstacles, was growing our program outside of Cardiology. My solution was easy:  Dr. Lincoln Wong. Dr. Wong, one of our radiologists, adopted this technology and showed it to everyone. He would be reading a case and see where the application could help a surgeon and would have a model made. He would take these models to the surgeons and that was it. Our hospital now prints for multiple subspecialties and we continue to grow. Dr. Wong’s passion for 3D printing has been paramount in the expansion of our program.

Jenny: What do you think is (are) the biggest challenge(s) in 3D Printing/bio-printing? What do you think the potential solution(s) is (are)?

Gabe: I have to admit that I have to answer this from a perspective that I do not personally know. Omaha Children’s has been very supportive of its 3D Printing Program, but in general, I think that funding for these programs is the biggest challenge. This will take care of itself in time, as I believe that reimbursement is inevitable based on the positive impacts 3D models are having on patient care.

Jenny: If you are granted three wishes by a higher being, what would they be?

Gabe:

1. A life full of love: it is the single most powerful thing in the universe and can overcome anything put in its way.
2. The cure for mental illness/addiction.
3. The Flashes Speed ( had to lighten the mood a little)

Jenny: What advice would you give to a smart driven college student in the “real world”? What bad advice you heard should they ignore?

Gabe: Find something that you’re passionate about and you enjoy doing and figure out how to turn it into your job.

Bad advice: Do a job just for the money.

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Mr. Janis Jatnieks has been working with industrial 3D printing for the last five years. Operating in a small market of Baltic States has always made them more aware of where the 3D printing technology is advancing and which are the niche products that are perfect for 3D printing. The first time he encountered a request for 3D printed prosthetic was 3 years ago and has been working with 3D printed prostheses and orthoses ever since. Mr. Janis Jatnieks will be a speaker at the #3DHEALS2018 conference on April 20-21st, 2018. 
Jenny: When was the first encounter you had with 3D printing? What was that experience like? What were you thinking at that moment?
Janis: The first time I encountered 3D printing was through a YouTube video. At the time I was working as a broker on wall street and my first thought was – what the hell am I doing here – this technology will change everything!
Jenny: What inspired you to start your journey in 3D printing (bio-fabrication/bio-printing)?
Janis: I saw an opportunity to bring that technology “home” to Northern Europe. This was my opportunity to move from advising people to actually manufacturing and I took the leap. Right now everything I do is revolving around additive manufacturing. The medical aspect of my work came as an unexpected pivot, but it was a welcome one. I truly believe that 3D printing and medical/bio-printing applications are the perfect fit – it is a space where you always need a custom product.

Jenny: Who inspired you the most along this journey in 3D printing (bio-printing/bio-fabrication)? This can be a mentor, a patient, a celebrity, anyone basically. You can name more than one as well.
Janis: I have been truly inspired by the work of Neri Oxman, who has been able to transfer nature forms to her 3D printed designs and products. Hugh Herr has a brilliant vision on how to envision the possibilities that technology can give you to replace a missing a limb. And Amy Karle has the most captivating approaches to combining 3D printing, art, technology, and biology.
Jenny: What motivates you the most for your work?
Janis: The first time my team gave a 3D printed prosthetic to a six-year-old boy and he was glimmering with pride. I saw at that moment that we have not only produced him a replacement limb, but we have given him a product that will let him stand out. He was excited to show it to everyone in his class at the kindergarten and not at all shameful of his different limb. I want to create more experiences like that.
Jenny: What is/are the biggest obstacle(s) in your line of work? If you have conquered them, what were your solutions?
Janis: Biggest obstacle – industry players interested in maintaining the status quo. Nothing can be harder than showing a new/different approach to professionals who believe that they are already doing the best job possible and that their personal way of doing things is the only right one. We never say we know better or that we can do better – we merely say there is another way – the digital way. But conveying the message the right way is a problem. The best way around is to educate. To educate about the benefits, the differences, and the challenges.
Jenny: What do you think is (are) the biggest challenge(s) in 3D Printing/bio-printing? What do you think the potential solution(s) is (are)?
Janis: Same as before. Trying to bring something new to the Prosthetics and Orthotics market is most difficult due to people not willing to change. My approach is to provide an alternative that does not necessarily replace the existing methods.
Jenny: What advice would you give to a smart driven college student in the “real world”? What bad advice you heard should they ignore?
Janis: My advice would be to try out as many things as possible while still at school. Our company has provided internships, training, and free 3D prints to any interested student. I believe there are many more options around that could be utilized to learn more about real work environments and the skills needed to thrive in them. Ask employers what they need – they will always give you an answer that you can work with to understand if you’re on the right path.
Jenny: What were/was the best investment you made in 3D printing/bio-printing/bio-fabrication?
Janis: My own companies! Establishing Baltic3D.eu and working on the WIDE project has been my two best investments.
Jenny: What were/was the worst investment you made in 3D printing/bio-printing/bio-fabrication?
Janis: Buying 3D Systems stock. 🙂
Jenny: What was/is the biggest risk you took in your career?
Janis: Changing the field of work and pursuing the 3D printing path. I have never looked back, but when I started there was no “path” to take – it was more like wandering around in the darkness.
Jenny: What do you enjoy in your spare time? What are you passionate about outside of your work/3d printing?
Janis: I enjoy spending time with my family. When not around them I spend my spare time doing sports like running or playing ice hockey. I enjoy watching movies and reading books. I also like to spend a sunny afternoon on the golf course.
Jenny: What does the word “3DHEALS” mean to you? =)
Janis: Health is a state of being; healthcare is just an industry; healing is the process of becoming healthier and improving one’s quality of life. I like how the word heals brings more meaning to the name of the event.
 
 
 

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Erik Birkeneder is an intellectual property attorney and a partner at Nixon Peabody that focuses on health care related patents. Erik also serves as outside general counsel for a number of digital health companies and helps them navigate the unique privacy, and other regulatory hurdles that are facing this industry, including in 3D printing. He has a Master’s in Biomedical Engineering from University of Wisconsin Madison where he performed research on the impact of neuropeptides on wound healing in diabetics, and has a law degree from University of Minnesota. Mr. Erik Birkeneder will be a speaker at the #3DHEALS2018 conference on April 20-21st, 2018.
Jenny: When was the first encounter you had with 3D printing? What was that experience like? What were you thinking at that moment?
Erik: In 2012, when I first read “Makers, the New Industrial Revolution” by Chris Anderson I realized how transformation this technology would be and how it would impact intellectual property. I read as much as I could after that and began to seek out work in this field. After that, when I met Jenny some years ago, I was excited to walk with her on this journey of making 3D printing more accessible in health care. That motivated me to learn as much as I could about the industry, and study the IP and patent implications very carefully.
Jenny: What inspired you to start your journey/company/career/research in 3D printing (bio-fabrication/bio-printing)?
Erik: See above.
Jenny: What motivates you the most for your work?
Erik: As a lawyer with a biomedical engineering background, I love the opportunity to work on technologies and for companies that are changing the world. Much of this innovations are coming through the digital health and 3D printing space, and to be a small part of that is humbling.
Jenny: What is/are the biggest obstacle(s) in your line of work? If you have conquered them, what were your solutions?
Erik: One is that startups have such little knowledge of how IP laws impact their businesses and many of them make irreversible mistakes early on before they can afford good legal counsel. I have done a series of presentations at incubators that have helped solve that problem, and have a relatively open door to answer entry level questions for companies working on technologies I believe in.
Jenny: What do you think is (are) the biggest challenge(s) in 3D Printing/bio-printing? What do you think the potential solution(s) is (are)?
Erik: From my perspective, I think understanding how intellectual property can be protected will be one of the biggest challenges, as 3D printing creates a host of opportunities and pitfalls for IP. If they are not properly protected, much loss of IP will occur with new companies in this space. I think identifying legal counsel with deep expertise in the space will be critical to avoid these pitfalls.
Jenny: What advice would you give to a smart driven college student in the “real world”? What bad advice you heard should they ignore?
Erik: Take ownership of your life and your career path. Ignore the “shoulds” and expected and well-worn paths.
Jenny: What were/was the best investment you made in 3D printing/bio-printing/bio-fabrication?
Erik: Reading many books on the topic and researching many of the patent and legal issues.
Jenny: What was/is the biggest risk you took in your career?
Erik: Betting my future on expertise in digital health and 3D printing.
Jenny: What do you enjoy in your spare time? What are you passionate about outside of your work/3d printing?
Erik: Hiking, meditation, reading, and food!
 
 
 
 

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Pedro Martinez Seijas MD. Ph.D. MSc. MSc. Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon at Donostia University Hospital (San Sebastian. Spain). HM Hospital Vigo (Spain). He is a visiting Professor in Biomedical Engineering at Mondragon University (Spain) and European Fellow Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery (Bruges. Belgium). Doctorate (2015) with doctoral thesis “Variability control using 3D printing biomodels in head and neck reconstruction with auto-transplant. Clinical Process Management”. His work is focused on personalized medicine for dental implants restoration, head, and neck surgical oncologic and surgical reconstruction, cranial and maxillofacial deformities.
Clinical investigation: Personalized Medicine using 3D printing in surgical oncology, surgical auto-transplant free flaps reconstruction and cranial and maxillofacial deformities (2001-2017). Study on synthetic and natural biomaterials for biomedical applications (2003). 3D printing biomodel guided surgery  (2005-2018). Regenerative medicine: Design, Development, and experimental use of resorbable polymer plates coated with hydroxyapatite for the improvement of bone regeneration in the treatment of craniofacial fractures with critical bone defect (2008). Mixed guided surgical computer assistance with 3D printing biomodels (2009-2017). First and second Spanish hemimandible custom made prosthesis (2009). Description of new surgical procedures:  “New Technique in Funcional Neck Dissection. A variant in Oswaldo Suarez´S Manoeuvre (2010)”; “A New Facial “Wings Maxillary” Osteotomomy in a Crouzon´s Syndrome. Mixed Guided Surgical Computer Assistance with 3D Printing Biomodels (2011)” and “Polymethyl Methacrylate Custom-Made Prosthesis: A novel 3D printing-aided Fabrication Technique for Cranial and/or Orbital Reconstruction (2011)”. Dr. Pedro Martinez Seijas will be a speaker at the #3DHEALS2018 conference on April 20-21st, 2018. 
 
Jenny: When was the first encounter you had with 3D printing? What was that experience like? What were you thinking at that moment?
Pedro: First use was in 2001 and then we improved the biomodel, simulation surgery and custom-made mesh for surgery.
Now after using 3D printing since eighteen years ago, I think that it’s an important tool in complex surgical procedures.
After Vigo´s (Spain) 3DHeals in November 2017 “3D Printing in Personalized Medicine”, a new future opens in Spain for 3d printing. In this way, 3D printing has come to stay with us for the present.
Jenny: What inspired you to start your research in 3D printing?
Pedro: Starting use of 3D printing was that standard hardware could not help us for some complex patients, and in the other hand 3D printing could increase to safety in surgical procedures and we could see results before surgery using surgical simulation planning.
                                               
Oncologic Surgical simulation of resection and autotransplant reconstruction. The result after surgery CT control. – 
Is it the same stimulation?                                                                  
After the beginning, I used 3D printing for “tailored medicine” that is personalized medicine in macro level using 3D printing guides in complex surgical procedures, I could mix 3D printing with computer-assisted surgery using surgical navigation, we could use custom-made prosthesis, I could teach other medical doctors and We could explain and inform the patients of biomodels and We could improve better communication in the surgical team.
3D printing mixed with CAS and custom-made prosthesis: 3D printing biomodel simulation, logistics and fabrication custom-made prosthesis in polymethyl methacrylate.
Jenny: Who inspired you the most along this journey in 3D printing (bio-printing/bio-fabrication)? This can be a mentor, a patient, a celebrity, anyone basically. You can name more than one as well.
Pedro: The inspiration in 2001 appeared with my chief when we were seeing ahead 3D CT scan reconstruction and we were speaking about take on our hands a copy of the patient for improve simulation surgery, molding osteosynthesis plates previous surgery or make custom made prosthesis.
Jenny: What motivates you the most for your work?
Pedro: Now such the past the patients are the most motivate me for finding excellence in my work, surgical procedures and patients information.  We can avoid side effects in some complex surgeries with better surgical results.
Now I am improving regenerative surgery in oral and maxillofacial surgery osteosynthesis.
Jenny: What is/are the biggest obstacle(s) in your line of work? If you have conquered them, what were your solutions?
Pedro: The biggest obstacle is that there are a lot of medical doctors that they cannot see what 3D printing can offer to the patients. In this way, 3D heals offer a great communication channel for inform MD and people.
For the future is increasing information, a colleague teaching 3D printing and we avoid bad uses of the 3D printing. In the same way, MD must become a leader in medical 3D printing because of we responsible for its proper use.
Jenny: What do you think is (are) the biggest challenge(s) in 3D Printing/bio-printing? What do you think the potential solution(s) is (are)?
Pedro: There are a lot of people working in 3D printing and 3D bio-printing but it is our responsibility to explain the things that we can do now, what things will be probable and what things will be possible, in other words, that we must have our feet firmly on the ground and avoid creating false expectations for the patients.
Jenny: If you are granted three wishes by a higher being, what would they be?
Pedro: We never forget: humility, knowledge and common sense.
Jenny: What advice would you give to a smart driven college student in the “real world”? What bad advice you heard should they ignore?
Pedro: I think: “We must study and we can learn then we must use your knowledge and common sense for helping other people in this way, our own evolution improves your life quality.”
Jenny: If you could have a giant billboard to promote a message to millions and even billions of people in our community (i.e. healthcare 3D printing and bio-fabrication), what message would that be?
Pedro: Be careful with everything that you can do with 3D printing, think different but ask yourself:  Must I do it? Will you use 3D printing on yourself?
Jenny: What were/was the best investment you made in 3D printing/bio-printing/bio-fabrication?
Pedro: The best investment has externalized the process of 3D printing because there are a lot of suppliers in different materials with multiple options.
Jenny: What were/was the worst investment you made in 3D printing/bio-printing/bio-fabrication?
Pedro: Instead there were the worst investments they ever help me for operating in complex surgeries.
Jenny: What was/is the biggest risk you took in your career?
Pedro: The first time in 2009 when I implanted the first Spanish custom-made prosthesis for reconstructing a hemi mandible in a child. Until now this child became an adult and I see them every year and he said to me this year “each step requires a lot of effort, but it’s worth the risk, it’s worth betting one’s very life”.
                   
Custom made hemimandibular prosthesis design.          Medical grade titanium custom made
                                                                                         hemimandibular prosthesis.
In other way Eider came to me after MD said to her that they couldn’t do anything more. She was crying and was depressed for days when she received the notice. Then I thought several options for her and we spoke about them, I presented 3D printed custom made prosthesis and she said: “Ok this is the way”. After surgery she said to me: “3D printing changed my life it’s like being born again after the surgery”.
Jenny: What do you enjoy in your spare time? What are you passionate about outside of your work/3d printing?
Pedro: Medicine is my passion but in other ways I like to see soccer. I like to meet with my friends and family and speak around a table after we have a dinner while we sip good wine.
Jenny: What is your favorite quote? Why?
Pedro: “Errare humanum est, perseverare diabolicum” (“to err is human, but to persist is diabolical”)
 Lucius Annaeus Seneca.  Every person could err and I learn from mistakes made that they are big mountains, they humble me.
“Think different” Steve Jobs. I think that without it the evolution will not occur.
“In times of crisis imagination is more important than knowledge”. Albert Einstein. In this way for my imagination, the light of intuition can integrate more things than only knowledge.
Jenny: What does the word “3DHEALS” mean to you?
Pedro: It´s a future now: 3D printing.
 
 
 
 
 
 

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 Shannon Walters is an innovation enabler and workflow optimization enthusiast. At Stanford 3D and Quantitative Imaging Lab, Shannon works closely with healthcare providers, researchers, and educators to enable effective health visualization. Recent innovations are of particular interest to Shannon such as 3D Printing, immersive volumetric visualization, and concise reporting of changes over time. Mr. Walters will be a speaker at the upcoming 3DHEALS2020.

Jenny: When was the first encounter you had with 3D printing? What was that experience like? What were you thinking at that moment?
Shannon: The first encounter I remember is coaching a college intern through the requirements we might have in healthcare for 3D Printing. At that point, I was unaware that other hospitals were systematically providing 3D Prints, and the process to convert DICOM images to STL was not well defined. This intern was able to help determine a pathway and we used the process about 8 months later for our first 3D Print.
Jenny: What inspired you to start your journey/company/career/research in 3D printing (bio-fabrication/bio-printing)?
Shannon: Our medical director saw this trend coming down the pipeline and he mentioned that we need to basically catch that wave before it passes. Since then I have been evaluating the landscape and determining which elements are critical, optional, unnecessary and have been iterating toward an ever-more-efficient 3D printing process for medical models.
Jenny: Who inspired you the most along this journey in 3D printing (bio-printing/bio-fabrication)? This can be a mentor, a patient, a celebrity, anyone basically. You can name more than one as well.
Shannon: Dominik Fleischmann, Medical Director at Stanford 3DQ Lab.

3D Printed Brain & Electrodes
Jenny: What motivates you the most for your work?
Shannon: The ability to help make things better for the most amount of people.
Jenny: What is/are the biggest obstacle(s) in your line of work? If you have conquered them, what were your solutions?
Shannon: The current obstacles are staffing and space requirements. In the past, I have conquered these by demonstrating the trajectory of 3DP volume growth and demonstrating the amount of space and staff I would need to meet future demands. This problem will continue to present itself until there are cyclic funding and justification to feel secure in larger investments.
Jenny: What do you think is (are) the biggest challenge(s) in 3D Printing/bio-printing? What do you think the potential solution(s) is (are)?
Shannon: The costs will remain high if physicians continue to drive the majority of the efforts. I think the challenge is to define efficient workflows and offload these to professionals with lower salaries than physicians (technologists, biomedical engineers, etc..). This is a control and paradigm shift that might be difficult to accept, which is why I think it’s the biggest challenge. Failure to do this will keep the costs of 3DP high, and reduce the chances that insurance or patients will pay for the service.
Jenny: If you are granted three wishes by a higher being, what would they be?
Shannon: In regards to 3D Printing…
1. Clear flexible resin with multiple colors and other rigidities. 
2. A software that can truly send a DICOM segmentation object to a printer and colorize it based on intensities 
3. Swift completion and validation of all the official 3DP research so that Medicare, FDA, and insurance companies will all be onboard with the new technology.
Jenny: What advice would you give to a smart driven college student in the “real world”? What bad advice you heard should they ignore?
Shannon: Focus on what you provide to other people rather than how well you perform the job description. Many others around you are also doing well, usually in a different way than you, but depending on the situation it may be more valuable. Constantly seeking how your abilities can positively impact others will promote success and become your safety net in case of failure.
Jenny: If you could have a giant billboard to promote a message to millions and even billions of people in our community (i.e. healthcare 3D printing and bio-fabrication), what message would that be?
Shannon: It starts with the imaging, high-quality 3D printing or any derivation thereof, requires quality input. Ensure CT and MR scans are generating quality data, reduce motion and other artifacts, plan to image with 3D Printing in mind.

Jenny: What do you enjoy in your spare time? What are you passionate about outside of your work/3d printing?
Shannon: Steadily increasing my personal time with exercise, spending time as a Scout volunteer with my children, camping, and hiking or other outdoor activities.
Jenny: What does the word “3DHEALS” mean to you?
Shannon: To me it represents my life, I have been working in 3D/Advanced visualization since 2007 and it’s an honor to analyze patient information to provide a complete dataset to those interested in providing care. Many people likely think 3D Heals is an overstatement, but I see it completely the other way. Rather than the 3-5 minutes per CT or MR scan, providing 3D analysis give patients individualized attention and the data is scrutinized much more carefully for details that can ultimately lead to a better plan, improved, surgery, or even reversal of diagnosis at times.
 
 
 
 
 

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Rik Jacobs is a founder and the former CEO of NextDent B.V. The company was founded in 2012 in the Netherlands as an independent subsidiary of Vertex Global Holding to complement the dental materials portfolio of its affiliate Vertex-Dental B.V., which has a 77-year track record in developing and producing traditional denture materials and products. Within four years, NextDent became the leading developer and manufacturer of biocompatible dental 3D printing materials. In January 2017, Vertex Global Holding merged with 3D Systems, a company that provides comprehensive Additive Manufacturing products and services, including 3D printers specifically designed for dental applications, print materials, on-demand parts services and digital design tools. Upon this merger, Rik became the General Manager of the Dental business. He holds a degree in International Marketing Management from NHL University of Applied Science. Mr. Jacobs will be a speaker at 3DHEALS2018.
Jenny: When was the first encounter you had with 3D printing? What was that experience like? What were you thinking at that moment?
Rik: This was in 2008 when I visited a hearing aid production lab using a Viper SLA printer and 3Shape software. I thought I have to be the first in Dental!
Jenny: What inspired you to start your journey/company/career/research in 3D printing (bio-fabrication/bio-printing)?
Rik:

• Freedom in Geometrics
• New biocompatible formulations can be used
• Sustainable solution
• Improves oral care
• Speed
• Productivity

Jenny: Who inspired you the most along this journey in 3D printing (bio-printing/bio-fabrication)? This can be a mentor, a patient, a celebrity, anyone basically. You can name more than one as well.
Rik: Prof. Dr. Daniel Wismeijer (ACTA University Amsterdam).
Jenny: What motivates you the most for your work?
Rik: To be innovative.
Jenny: What is/are the biggest obstacle(s) in your line of work? If you have conquered them, what were your solutions?
Rik: Regulatory aspects in relation to getting these materials registered.
Jenny: What do you think is (are) the biggest challenge(s) in 3D Printing/bio-printing? What do you think the potential solution(s) is (are)?
Rik: Mass adaption in a conservative niche.
Jenny: If you are granted three wishes by a higher being, what would they be?
Rik: Mass adaption.
Jenny: What advice would you give to a smart driven college student in the “real world”? What bad advices you heard should they ignore?
Rik:
Think out of the box!
Stick to the rules!

Jenny: If you could have a giant billboard to promote a message to millions and even billions of people in our community (i.e. healthcare 3D printing and bio-fabrication), what message would that be?
Rik: Always think in solutions and create partnerships.
Jenny: What were/was the best investment you made in 3D printing/bio-printing/bio-fabrication?
Rik: R&D and Regulatory.
Jenny: What were/was the worst investment you made in 3D printing/bio-printing/bio-fabrication?
Rik: None.
Jenny: What was/is the biggest risk you took in your career?
Rik: Investing all my money in it!
Jenny: What do you enjoy in your spare time? What are you passionate about outside of your work/3d printing?
Rik: Sports.
Jenny: What is your favorite quote? Why?
Rik: “It takes effort to win a game but it takes courage to change a game”- Michael Jordan.
Jenny: What does the word “3DHEALS” mean to you? =)
Rik: The Future.

 
 
 

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Want to write a piece for 3DHEALS Expert Corner? Email us: info@3dheals.com

After 6 months of extensive research and interviews, 3DHEALS team is finally ready to publish this anticipated white paper explaining the complex world of biocompatible materials for 3D printing/ 3D printed medical devices.

While many have recognized and advocated the vast potential of 3D printing technology in healthcare, based on recent survey results, hesitance is palpable within the ecosystem, ranging from 3D printing entrepreneurs, device makers, healthcare organizations, to other corporations in the healthcare field. Part of this uncertainty comes from the fact that 3D printing is a relatively new and different manufacturing process from traditional ones and the existing biocompatible materials used for traditional manufacturing processes may not demonstrate similar behaviors if translated for use in 3D printing. For example, in the 3D printing manufacturing process of metal powders, there is partial re-melting and solidification of the initial powder that may change the material physical and/or chemical properties of the printed object. Also, because of the added structural complexity (often an advantage of 3D printing), the behaviors of the final device are also not well known and need to be validated for both “safety” and “effectiveness”. Another example is the 3D printing of objects with non-solid fill (e.g., a honeycomb fill) has been used to decrease their weight and create structures that more closely mimic biological materials (e.g., the internal structure of bone). The cleaning of these complex geometries and the gas or liquid within these structures needs to be evaluated for safety during the regulatory process of a medical device.
The objectives of this white paper are to provide clarification and in-depth discussion of the topics below, which are critical elements to the additive manufacturing industry in healthcare: 

Definition of biocompatibility.
Discussion on how biocompatibility is assessed within the current regulations of materials and medical devices by major regulatory agencies.
Summary of how different regulatory agencies are managing the introduction of 3D printing into the healthcare space to date.
List of major available biocompatibility materials and those in development.We are open to feedback and suggestions for a future edition. We are very honored and excited to be part of this innovative journey.

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Hannah is a research associate at the Institute for Factory Automation and Production Systems of the FAU Erlangen-Nuremberg. She lives in Munich, where she also studied medical technologies at the faculty of mechanical engineering at the TU Munich. Her research concentrates on 3D printing of medical models and devices based on anatomical image data. Hannah is also current Munich community manager and will be a speaker at the Munich event on November 23rd, 2017.

Q: What inspired you to use 3D printing for your work?

A: 3D printing allows us to manufacture anatomical designs more freely, without as many constraints as conventional manufacturing. Many of the models we are working on would not have been possible without it.

Q: What is the biggest motivation for your work?

A: I like seeing how a simple idea can turn into something real and useful. There are still so many possibilities about how to use 3D printing in medicine; we just have to start thinking about them.

Q: What is the biggest challenge in your work?

A: Since anatomical structures, compared to mechanical structures, have almost exclusively free-form surfaces, designing and handling them is not standardized and only certain software tools can be used it. Another challenge is 3D printing itself since it is still relatively new and in constant development, which means there is still a lot to be learned.

Q: How do you approach working with people with different backgrounds?

A: I am a medical engineer and have been lucky to be included in many interdisciplinary projects, which taught me that the interests and focuses of medical professionals, manufacturers, and IT experts vary a lot.

Q: How do you plan to conquer this challenge?

A: I just try to listen and focus on what is important for each group.

Q: What is your vision on the potential impact of your current work to the future of medicine?

A: I hope the anatomical models we are working on can support the education of medical professionals, help the evaluation of newly developed medical products and one day will also be patient specific and used to improve individual surgery outcomes.

Q: What is the biggest change/improvement since last year this time?

A: Our first actual prototypes have been designed, manufactured and most importantly tested in a surgical education session.

Q: What are you passionate about?

A: Life.

Q: What is the biggest risk you took in your career?

A: I took a job at FAU Erlangen instead of in my hometown Munich.

Q: What do you enjoy in your spare time?

A: I like traveling, being the outdoors and spending time with friends.

ACEO Biomodeling, 3D-Silicon-Druck, Hannah Riedle

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