Wood instead of plastic? The dream of sustainable products -- COMPAMED Trade Fair
Menu

Illustration of the place in the knee where the implant is inserted; Copyright: Fraunhofer IAP / Jadwiga Galties

Fraunhofer IAP / Jadwiga Galties

3D bioprinting: Personalized implants for cartilage therapy

02.10.2024

The Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Polymer Research (IAP) and the Brandenburg University of Technology Cottbus-Senftenberg (BTU) are developing 3D printing inks with the body's own cartilage cells for personalized cartilage implants. The research is intended to create new treatment options for cartilage damage and strengthen the innovative power of Lusatia.
Read more
Image: 3D printer as preview image to the video

From dental crowns to prostheses: The versatile world of 3D printing

10.06.2024

Discover the dimensions of 3D printing in our latest video, which shows the possibilities of current printer models and highlights the diverse areas of application in the field of medical technology. Whether dentistry or orthopaedics, 3D printers can be used in a wide range of applications and the medical technology sector would be unthinkable without them.
Read more
Image: Two hands holding a 3D-printed bolt; Copyright: Envato/Tatiana_Mara

Envato/Tatiana_Mara

Innovation in 3D: Laser Powder Bed Fusion

08.05.2024

An innovative 3D printing process is breaking down traditional manufacturing boundaries and opening up unimagined possibilities from aerospace to medical technology: laser powder bed fusion (LPBF). In our interview, Tim Lantzsch from the Fraunhofer Institute for Laser Technology ILT explains current applications of this promising additive manufacturing technology.
Read more
Image: Products from the 3D printer on a black background; Copyright: Empa

Empa

Miracle material: cellulose aerogel combines sustainability with high-tech

24.04.2024

Researchers at Empa in Switzerland have developed a new type of material that combines several pioneering properties: the cellulose aerogel is biodegradable, can be printed in three dimensions and also offers excellent thermal insulation.
Read more
Image: Various 3D-printed small parts lying on a table; Copyright: beta-web GmbH / Messe Düsseldorf

PolyPrint: better therapies, fewer side effects – 3D printing for individualized medication

12.04.2024

The start-up goatAM wants to commercialize 3D printing technology for pharmaceuticals. goatAM CEO Tilmann Spitz and Dr. Julian Quodbach from Utrecht University explain the advantages of the process, why the individual dosing of drugs in 3D printing makes sense and how the properties of the polymers influence the release of the drugs.
Read more
Image: Implant shaft under 3D printer; Copyright: Fraunhofer CMI

ninelutsk / Envato

Biomimetic adhesive for tissue and bone from the 3D printer

02.04.2024

Researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Polymer Research together with the Fraunhofer Institute for Interfacial Engineering and Biotechnology (IGB) and the Fraunhofer USA Center for Manufacturing Innovation have developed a tissue adhesive based on the model of the mussel. The printable dopamine-based tissue adhesive can even be printed on curved, uneven surfaces.
Read more
Image: Graphic representation of the encapsulation of the mRNA active ingredient in the automated screening system as part of the RNAuto research project; Copyright: Fraunhofer IESE

Fraunhofer IESE

Automated production of mRNA therapeutics

31.01.2024

The price of a drug is not only dependent on the raw materials used, but is also determined by the manufacturing process. High prices are charged for some cancer drugs in particular, as they can only be produced in small quantities at great expense. Keyword: mRNA therapeutics.
Read more
Image: a printed hand in the 3D printer being pushed out by hands; Copyright: envato/FabrikaPhoto

envato/FabrikaPhoto

Patient-specific solutions from the 3D printer

20.12.2023

Complex 3D printing can be used to produce individualized parts for medical technology purposes. Robin Day, Head of the Energy Beam Processes department at the Fraunhofer Institute for Production Technology IPT, explains in an interview with COMPAMED-tradefair.com how companies are supported with advice and service.
Read more
Image: Printing the support frame using a 3D printer; Copyright: bellaSeno

bellaSeno

3D printing: composite material for bone healing

28.11.2023

After a bone fracture, some patients experience healing disorders. To enable effective treatment in these cases, the Fraunhofer Institute IFAM (Germany) is researching a new composite material for use in the operating theater as part of the SCABAEGO joint project.
Read more
Image: An older man is interviewed by a woman with a microphone; Copyright: beta-web GmbH / Messe Düsseldorf

Innovation in medicine: DiHeSys presents 3D printing technology for personalized medicines

13.11.2023

At COMPAMED 2023, DiHeSys - Digital Health Systems GmbH, presents customized drug production using 3D printing technology, which is designed to set new standards in the field of personalized medicine.
Read more
Image: At the pilot plant, a 3D printer builds the scaffold from the composite material; Copyright: BellaSeno

BellaSeno

COMPAMED 2023: Bioactive composite supports healing of broken bones

09.11.2023

A broken bone failing to heal represents an enormous burden for patients. Fraunhofer researchers have worked alongside partners to develop a composite material to be used in the treatment of such non-union cases. The resulting implant is designed to significantly improve treatment success rates and speed up the healing process.
Read more
Image: Preview picture of video

A visit at Comate – Trends in medical product development and design

01.11.2023

In the field of medical design, constant development is required: from the design of medical devices to components and materials to new production processes. In this video, engineer Joris Bellens and business developer Lukas Stabel explain how the Belgian company Comate develops state-of-the-art products from the initial idea to the market-ready product.
Read more
Image: The transverse link with imprinted force sensor measures the stresses acting in the application at any time; Copyright: Fraunhofer ILT, Aachen.

Fraunhofer ILT, Aachen

Integrated sensor technology: the next step in additive manufacturing

28.09.2023

Trends such as Industry 4.0 and the Internet of Things are making the precise recording of the condition of machines and components increasingly important. To face the challenges in collecting sufficient data, the Fraunhofer Institute for Laser Technology ILT has developed a sensor infrastructure for smart industrial applications and implemented it using additive manufacturing processes.
Read more
Image: Several disposable masks on a pile of garbage; Copyright: Rimidolove

Rimidolove

Sustainable materials and recycling in the medical industry

19.09.2023

Recycling instead of disposing sounds easy. But where are the difficulties and what opportunities exist for the industry to become more sustainable, despite strict safety regulations?
Read more
Image: A blue 3D printed bandage on a hand; Copyright: Faraz Faruqi and Stefanie Mueller

Faraz Faruqi and Stefanie Mueller

AI-driven tool to personalize 3D-printable models

19.09.2023

MIT researchers developed a generative-AI-driven tool that enables the user to add custom design elements to 3D models without compromising the functionality of the fabricated objects. A designer could utilize this tool, called Style2Fab, to personalize 3D models of objects using only natural language prompts to describe their desired design.
Read more
Image: some computer mouse shells made of printed wood fiber on a table; Copyright: Empa

Empa

Wood instead of plastic? The dream of sustainable products

06.09.2023

In our everyday life, the desire to use sustainable products instead of those made of plastic is common and can usually be implemented well. But what about medical technology manufacturers? Could they do without plastics at all in order to become more sustainable? After all, they often use a lot of electronics.
Read more
Image: A man working with a 3D printer; Copyright: Patrick Mansell/Penn State

Patrick Mansell/Penn State

Grant to facilitate high-speed bioprinting of bones, tracheas, organs

26.07.2023

Developing technology to quickly and efficiently bioprint human tissues at scale is the goal of a new project led by Penn State researchers. When fully developed, the technology will be the first to enable the fabrication of scalable, native tissues such as bones, tracheas and organs.
Read more
Image:  Doctoral candidate Lukas Hiendlmeier working on the self-folding electrodes; Copyright: Andreas Heddergott / TUM

Andreas Heddergott / TUM

Electrodes: 4D printing for nerve stimulation

18.07.2023

Specific nerves may be stimulated artificially, for example to treat pain. The finer the nerves, the more difficult it is to attach the required electrodes. Researchers have now developed flexible electrodes produced with 4D printing technology. On contact with moisture, they automatically fold and wrap themselves around thin nerves.
Read more
Image: Image showing the preparation of hydrogels that enhance the viability of NK cells; Copyright: KIMM

KIMM

3D bioprinting technology to be used for removing cancer cells

13.07.2023

KIMM develops the world’s first 3D bioprinting technology that enhances the function of NK immune cells. The new technology is expected to improve effectiveness of cancer treatment.
Read more
Image: Six artificial fingerprint patterns with different properties to visualise individual fluorescence and topography; Copyright: Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces / Dr Felix Loeffler

Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces / Dr Felix Loeffler

Product safety: anti-counterfeiting through laser printing

15.06.2023

A team of researchers at the Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces (MPICI) has developed a method that could make it more difficult to counterfeit products in the future. The new and patented method makes it possible to produce unique, non-copyable fluorescent patterns quickly, environmentally friendly and at low costs.
Read more
Image: The developed mini scanner and a two Euro coin for size comparison; Copyright: Fraunhofer ILT, Aachen

Fraunhofer ILT, Aachen

Compact laser scanner with 90 percent less construction volume

30.05.2023

Galvanometer scanners have been in use in laser material processing for decades. However, a team from the Fraunhofer Institute for Laser Technology ILT has now developed a new, particularly compact scanner module for applications in 3D printing, micromachining or medical technology.
Read more
Image: Close-up of a WFIRM gyroid-shaped construct on a blue-gloved hand; Copyright: WFIRM

WFIRM

Bioprinting research makes history when it soars to the ISS

17.05.2023

The Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine (WFIRM) will make history this month when the first bioprinted solid tissue constructs soar to the International Space Station (ISS) on board the next all private astronaut mission by commercial space leader Axiom Space.
Read more
Image: Barnika Chakraborty, Professor Rainer Adelung and Dr Leonard Siebert; Copyright: Julia Siekmann, Uni Kiel

Julia Siekmann, Uni Kiel

New sensors for healthier indoor air

16.05.2023

People spend an average of 22 hours a day indoors, where furniture, carpets or wall paints can release harmful solvents over time. The scientists in the international doctoral programme "SENNET" aim to detect such pollutants. They want to develop reliable sensors based on special, porous materials.
Read more
Image: flat printed model of a deformable finger orthosis on a light background; Copyright: Fraunhofer IWU

Fraunhofer IWU

2.5D printing: "It only takes about five minutes to print an orthosis"

15.05.2023

Customized finger orthoses that can be printed quickly: Lukas Boxberger from the Fraunhofer Institute for Machine Tools and Forming Technology IWU in Dresden focuses his research on this subject. In the future, the WEAM orthosis will support the customization of standard orthoses. In this interview, he explains the processes and materials that will turn this concept into a reality.
Read more
Image: A smart bandage rests on a gloved finger; Copyright: Caltech

Caltech

'Smart' bandages monitor wounds and provide targeted treatment

05.04.2023

A new kind of smart bandage developed at Caltech may make treatment of chronic wounds easier, more effective, and less expensive. These smart bandages were developed in the lab of Wei Gao, assistant professor of medical engineering, Heritage Medical Research Institute Investigator, and Ronald and JoAnne Willens Scholar.
Read more
Image: Shape of a bird in the center of several concentric shells; Copyright: Kai Melde, MPI for Medical Research

Fraunhofer IWM

Creating 3D objects with sound

15.02.2023

Scientists from the Micro, Nano and Molecular Systems Lab at the Max Planck Institute for Medical Research and the Institute for Molecular Systems Engineering and Advanced Materials at Heidelberg University have created a new technology to assemble matter in 3D. Their concept uses multiple acoustic holograms to generate pressure fields.
Read more