It is intended that the facility will bring together academics from different disciplines to explore the full potential of AM for medical devices. There are several active projects in place at the University of Birmingham to innovate new medical devices and technologies. In fact, the team is currently working to invent a new generation of medical devices that are both anatomically and therapeutically customised to the patient.
One project is exploring cranioplasty, a common procedure with a high infection rate. The University of Birmingham is working with a UK business, Accentus Medical, looking at applying technology to the surface of customised metal AM cranial plates that can reduce the chance of infection. This project could dramatically impact quality of life.
“AM increases the design freedom for medical devices,” explains Dr Sophie Cox, lecturer in healthcare technologies at the university’s Healthcare Technologies Institute. “Using the technology, we have flexibility in implant geometry and material choice. The installation of the RenAM 500M systems will create a new centre for custom medical devices at the University of Birmingham.
“We chose Renishaw because of its experience as a custom medical device manufacturer,” adds Cox. “Renishaw has a wealth of expertise in taking medical devices to market. As a university, we are working towards ISO 13485, something Renishaw has already achieved. This partnership is just the beginning of a pipeline of activities, where we will align our research capabilities with Renishaw’s know-how to realise the benefits of AM for patients.”
