It’s a sad fact of life that the older we get, the more our bodies begin to break down. In days past, this might have meant a one-way trip to sea on the nearest ice floe. But, thanks to modern medical technology, humans can look forward to longer, more ache-free lives.
One of the coolest, most advanced enablers of these modern medical technologies? Additive manufacturing (AM), of course.
With AM, physicians can design patient-specific replacement parts for aging hips and knees. They can develop custom orthoses, repair various physical injuries, print 3D-realistic models for training and surgical planning, and produce medical devices that were previously impractical or downright impossible to manufacture. While this results in lower costs and improved patient outcomes, in many cases, 3D printing can also be a life or death differentiator.
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My mission with Fraunhofer USA is to facilitate meaningful R&D projects and lead the strategic management of technological innovation and technology transfer to focus our R&D efforts on important topics with socioeconomic impact and to increase Fraunhofer USA relevance in the world’s largest and most competitive R&D-market.