3D printing medical titanium alloy
3D printed titanium alloys are ideal materials for medical implants due to their light weight, high strength, good corrosion resistance in physiological environments, excellent fatigue strength and low elastic modulus
3D Printed Medical Titanium: Opening a New Era in Healthcare
Technical background and development history
3D printing technology originated at the end of the 19th century, and related technologies appeared in the mid-90s of the 20th century, and only in the 21st century did it get a real sense of application and promotion. Titanium alloys have been used in the medical field, especially in orthopedics, for many years. Around 2008, there was a device that could print metal, initially mainly in the aerospace field to print special-shaped parts. In 2009, Peking University Third Hospital introduced 3D printing technology to the field of orthopedics, and in the early days, it mainly made models and teaching aids. In 2010, the Third Hospital of Beijing Medical University cooperated with AK Medical to introduce the Swedish patented titanium alloy 3D printing equipment and began to develop 3D printed titanium alloy orthopedic implants.
Market demand and prospects
The demand for 3D printed titanium alloys in the medical field is on the rise. Titanium alloy has the advantages of light weight, high strength, good corrosion resistance in physiological environment, excellent fatigue strength and low elastic modulus, making it an ideal material for medical implants. For example, in the field of orthopedics, it can be used to manufacture artificial joints, spinal implants, etc.; In the field of dentistry, dental implants can be made.
With the continuous advancement of technology, the market prospect of 3D printed titanium alloy in the medical field is broad. On the one hand, 3D printing can be customized to individualized surgical implants with specific structures and biosafety requirements according to the patient's condition, improving surgical outcomes and implant longevity. On the other hand, with the growth of demand for titanium alloys driven by the new trend of consumer electronics, 3D printing equipment and materials will also promote the development of 3D printing medical titanium alloy technology.
According to statistics, the titanium alloy 3D printing market size was valued at USD 214 million in 2023 and is expected to grow to USD 1.4 billion by 2032. With the increasing adoption of 3D printing technology across industries, the demand for titanium alloy powders will grow substantially. In the future, 3D printing medical titanium alloy technology will inject new vitality into the development of the medical field.
Advantages of 3D Printed Medical Titanium
Personalized to meet the needs of patients
One of the outstanding advantages of 3D printing technology in the medical field is the ability to achieve personalization. The human body has different bone morphologies, and it is often difficult for traditional standardized implants to fully adapt to the specific situation of patients. 3D printing technology can accurately design and print titanium alloy implants that closely fit the patient's skeletal anatomy according to the patient's CT, MRI and other medical imaging data. For example, Peking University Third Hospital has provided innovative surgical treatments for many cases, using 3D printing to tailor endoplants to patients. For patients with bone tumors, this personalized implant can better adapt to the special needs of the lesion site, improving the success rate and treatment effect of the surgery.
Biocompatibility promotes healing
Titanium alloys have good biocompatibility and have a positive impact on patient recovery. It coexists well with human tissues and is less prone to allergies or rejection. In the field of medical materials, titanium alloy has become the preferred material for medical products such as artificial joints, bone trauma, and spinal orthopedic internal fixation systems. It is non-toxic and non-magnetic, and as a human implant, it has no toxic side effects on the human body. The minimal biological reaction with the human body provides a reliable guarantee for the patient's recovery.
Improves treatment results with high precision
The high precision of 3D printed medical titanium alloys ensures a perfect match between the implant and the patient's body. As a special process, 3D printing can print objects of any shape and structure, as long as the computer can design them, no matter how complex the structure can be turned into a physical object. This high-precision manufacturing method allows the implant to fit closely to the patient's bone, ensuring the success of the procedure. For example, in orthopedic surgery, 3D-printed titanium implants can accurately mimic the natural structure of alveolar bone, with dense three-dimensional penetrating pits and fissures on the surface, inducing osteoblasts to regenerate in the cavity. Clinical histology has shown that 3D printed implants are osseointegration faster than conventional implants. At the same time, 3D printing technology can also design and print endometallic plants into microporous structures that attract bone cells around the implant site to grow into them, so that the implant can be integrated with the patient's bone and achieve permanent fusion.
Application examples of 3D printed medical titanium alloys
Applications of Spine Surgery
In the field of spine surgery, 3D printed titanium interbody fusion devices have demonstrated excellent performance. Taking Shandong Provincial Hospital as an example, its first 2 cases of 3D-printed titanium interbody fusion device implantation surgery have achieved remarkable results. The 3D-printed titanium alloy fusion device is used for intervertebral bone graft fusion in cervical spondylosis and lumbar spinal stenosis, respectively. This fusion device has a microporous structure with a porosity of 80% and a pore size of 800±200μm, which is conducive to the growth of autologous bone. Its elastic modulus is closer to the normal bone mass of the human body, which can reduce the incidence of complications such as long-term fracture, collapse and nonunion. At the same time, the fusion device can form an all-round gap-free fusion with the vertebral endplate and the surrounding bone at 360° before and after the Cage, as well as the upper and lower sides, so as to obtain initial stability with the surrounding bone at an early stage. In addition, its microporous structure provides a large bone contact surface, which is conducive to the flow of interstitial fluid, promotes the migration and proliferation of bone cells, and also has a certain anti-infection ability.
In single-level lumbar spine surgery, 3D printed intervertebral fusion devices also have a good fusion effect. The Department of Spine Surgery, Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, conducted a study on 73 patients undergoing single-level posterior lumbar decompression bone graft fusion and internal fixation, and divided them into 3D printed titanium alloy interbody fusion device group and polyetheretherketone interbody fusion device group. The results showed that all patients successfully completed the surgery and were followed up for 3 months after surgery. There were no significant differences in operation time, intraoperative blood loss, postoperative drainage volume, visual analogue score of pain at 3 months after surgery, and Oswestry dysfunction index between the two groups. However, the amount of allogeneic bone implantation was lower in the 3D cage group than in the PEEK cage group, and for patients with osteoporosis, the loss of lumbar lordosis angle and intervertebral space height was smaller in the 3D cage group than in the PEEK cage group. At 3 months postoperatively, the fusion rates in the 3D cage group and PEEK cage group were 72.97% and 69.44%, respectively, with no statistically significant difference.
Exploration of applications in other fields
In the field of sports medicine, Chunli Medical's "3D printed titanium alloy anchor" was approved for marketing. The anchor consists of an anchor and an inserter, and is made of TC4ELI titanium alloy powder that meets the requirements of the standard through a laser beam melting process, which has advantages in terms of precision control and cost loss. It has better fixing strength, can be combined with the same series of sutures, excellent self-tapping performance, and adopts an independent thread hole design to avoid suture entanglement and knotting. At the same time, the 3D printing process can effectively control the mechanical properties such as the elastic modulus of the product to make it closer to human bone, reduce the damage to bone caused by post-implantation activities, and facilitate the recovery of patients.
In the field of otolaryngology, 3D printing technology is also widely used. The team led by Zifraro, a leading otolaryngologist in South Africa, successfully used 3D titanium printing technology to create artificial versions of the middle ear ossicles, including malleus, incus and stapes, and performed transplant surgery, bringing hope to the deaf to restore their hearing. This medical innovation is the first of its kind in the world and sets a new record for the medical use of 3D printing. France uses 3D printing technology to "grow" a nose on the patient's arm and successfully mount it to the face, and after grafting skin to cover it, it looks the same as a naturally growing nose. 3D printing technology can be used in otolaryngology to replace noses, ears, etc., and can also print bones for bony structure replacement, and at the same time has a great guiding role for clinicians, such as model establishment through 3D printing technology, simulating the surgical process, and reducing surgical risks.
Technological development of 3D printing medical titanium alloys
Material innovation drives technological progress
With the increasing demand for titanium alloy 3D printing technology, the research and development of new titanium alloy materials is in full swing. For example, research is underway to develop Gum alloys containing Ti-Nb-Ta-Zr, TLM alloys containing Ti-Nb-Zr-Mo-Sn, and Ti2448 alloys containing Ti-Nb-Zr-Sn. These new alloys use biocompatible elements such as Nb, Zr, and Mo, and their biological properties such as bone promotion and sensitization are better than those of Ti-6Al-4V and Ti-6Al-7Nb used in traditional implants. Material innovations not only provide more options for 3D printing medical titanium alloy technology, but also further improve the performance of implants and patient rehabilitation.
In addition, the latest research by RMIT University's School of Engineering and Siemens aims to fill the gap in the powder bed thickness of Ti6Al4V alloy in the range of 60μm to 300μm, providing scientific guidance and research to promote the faster manufacturing of high-quality Ti6Al4V parts for additive manufacturing applications in medical, defense and aerospace applications. The results show that productivity increases with the thickness of the powder bed, but it also brings some challenges, such as increased porosity and decreased ductility. However, with further research and optimization of process parameters, it is possible to maintain high relative density and strength while increasing production efficiency.
Improve production efficiency to meet market demand
To meet the growing demands of the medical market, it is critical to increase the efficiency of 3D printing production. On the one hand, it can be achieved by developing more high-speed, high-precision 3D printers. These printers enable faster printing processes and increased productivity. For example, more devices capable of high-speed printing are expected to be available in the future, driving the adoption of titanium alloy 3D printing technology in mass production.
On the other hand, the printing process parameters can be optimized to improve the printing speed and quality. For example, the Fourier number method was used to scale the process parameters, which was machine and material agnostic and helped to apply the results to different layer thicknesses and materials. At the same time, production efficiency can be improved by optimizing parameters such as laser power and scanning speed. In addition, for large castings, multiple printers can be used to print and reassemble different parts at the same time to improve production efficiency.
Challenges and solutions for technological development
There are some challenges in the development of 3D printing medical titanium alloy technology. When using 3D printing technology to form titanium alloy parts, due to the special processing properties of powder/wire or improper selection of process parameters, the workpiece is prone to defects such as spheroidization, cracks, porosity and warpage deformation, which seriously affects the mechanical properties and forming accuracy of titanium alloy. In order to solve this problem, it is necessary to further study the classification, hazards and causes of defects, and discuss the improvement methods of alloy defects in combination with the research progress at home and abroad.
In addition, the establishment of technical standards and certification systems is an important challenge. At present, the standard and certification system of 3D printing medical titanium alloy technology is not perfect, and relevant research and development work needs to be strengthened to ensure the quality and safety of products. At the same time, it is also necessary to strengthen cooperation with clinicians to understand clinical needs and improve the applicability and reliability of products.
Future outlook of 3D printed medical titanium alloys
3D printing medical titanium alloy technology undoubtedly has great importance and broad development potential. In the medical field, it brings personalized treatment plans to patients, improves the success rate and treatment effect of surgery, and promotes patients' recovery. From spine surgery to pelvic cancer treatment to sports medicine and otolaryngology, 3D printed medical titanium alloys are proving their great value in the medical field.
With the continuous progress of technology, the application prospect of 3D printing medical titanium alloy technology in the future is full of expectations. In terms of material innovation, more new titanium alloy materials with excellent performance will continue to be developed to meet the needs of different medical application scenarios. For example, alloys with higher biocompatibility and stronger mechanical properties will bring greater improvements in the quality of implants and patient rehabilitation.
The increase in production efficiency will enable 3D printed medical titanium alloy technology to better meet market demand. The continuous introduction of high-speed and high-precision 3D printers, as well as the optimization of printing process parameters, will accelerate the application of titanium alloy 3D printing technology in mass production. This can not only reduce production costs, but also improve the supply capacity of the product, benefiting more patients.
At the same time, the challenges of technological development will be gradually solved. By strengthening the research on material selection and optimization, controlling the oxidation problem of materials, improving the quality control in the printing process, and establishing a sound technical standard and certification system, the 3D printing medical titanium alloy technology will be more mature and reliable.
In the future, we can foresee that 3D printing medical titanium alloy technology will be applied in more medical fields. For example, in the cardiovascular field, 3D printed titanium heart stents may emerge, providing new options for the treatment of cardiovascular diseases. In the field of neurosurgery, 3D printed titanium skull repair materials may become more popular, improving the quality of life of patients.
As a cutting-edge medical technology, 3D printing medical titanium alloy technology has great development potential and broad application prospects. We have reason to believe that in the future medical field, it will play a more important role and make greater contributions to the cause of human health.