3D Systems announced that in collaboration with the University Hospital Basel (Switzerland), the company’s point-of-care additive manufacturing solution has been used to design and produce the world’s first Medical Device Regulation (MDR)-compliant 3D-printed PEEK facial implant.
Prof. Florian Thieringer and Dr. Neha Sharma, together with their team of biomedical engineers, successfully designed and manufactured a custom device to address a patient’s unique need using 3D Systems technology and product manufacturing expertise. They used this implant as part of a successful surgery completed at the hospital on March 18, 2025. Production of the first MDR-compliant facial implant was completed using VESTAKEEP i4 3DF PEEK by Evonik on 3D Systems’ EXT 220 MED. The cleanroom-based architecture of the printer and simplified post-processing workflows enable the efficient production of patient-specific medical devices directly at the hospital.
“Our goal is always to provide the best possible care for our patients,” said Prof. Thieringer. “Being directly involved in both the design and manufacturing of patient-specific implants — right here in our hospital — allows us to tailor treatments precisely to individual needs, respond faster, and improve surgical outcomes. The ability to produce implants on demand represents a new era in personalized care.”
