Renishaw collaboration receives health and wellbeing award shortlist
September 2016
Additive-manufacture for Design-led Efficient Patient Treatment (ADEPT) has been shortlisted for a Collaborate to Innovate award, in the Health and Wellbeing category. The collaborative project aims to revolutionise maxillofacial implants through design and laser melting by drawing on expertise from several partners, including global engineering company Renishaw. The awards, organised by The Engineer magazine, celebrate impressive and innovative engineering collaborations and will be held in London on September 7th, 2016.
The three-year project focuses on advancing design and 3D printing in cranio-maxillofacial surgery in order to produce bespoke implants. The project aims to create new software to produce commercially viable implants using a method that is significantly more efficient than other existing technology. The prototype ADEPT software automates a large amount of implant design, which makes it easier to order patient-specific implants.
The project involves the collaboration of four UK partners; engineering company Renishaw, industry partner LPW Technology Ltd, leaders in the application of computer-aided technologies (CAT) in maxillofacial surgery, the Abertawe Bro Morgannwg University Health Board and academic partner PDR located within Cardiff Metropolitan University. The PDR surgical and prosthetic design team led the project research. ADEPT is funded by Innovate UK and the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council.
“This project aims to transform the patient specific cranial-maxillofacial implants market by overcoming the barriers of cost and efficiency in bespoke implants,” explained Bryan Austin, Director and General Manager of the Medical Dental Products Division at Renishaw and ADEPT Chairman. “The work is now in the latest stage of user trials. This collaboration strengthens UK expertise in innovative manufacturing for cranio-maxillofacial surgery and we hope to achieve wider benefits through quality of care, efficiency and accessibility of advanced techniques.”
PDR recently collaborated with the Teknon Medical Center in Barcelona to help design a patient specific implant for a cranioplasty and a custom surgical cutting guide for a craniotomy. The parts were manufactured on a Renishaw AM250 metal 3D printing system in titanium with a satin finish.
The awards are judged by a panel of industry experts. The winners of the seven categories will attend a conference at the Lloyds Bank Advanced Manufacturing Training Centre in Coventry, on November 17th, 2016.
Renishaw has previously won 18 Queen's Awards for its technological achievements, export achievements and innovation. The company is involved in numerous collaborative projects in a variety of industry sectors.
To find out more about the project and preview the software, visit the ADEPT website.
