Irpd AG also provides support during the development of new implants, instruments and training models. "The Egg" training model was created in collaboration with the St. Gallen Cantonal Hospital, which is used to train prospective doctors and surgeons. This demonstrates the great potential of additive manufacturing in medical areas.
Pre-operative planning
Additive manufacturing processes are becoming increasingly popular in the medical industry. Especially in the field of pre-operative planning, more and more patient-specific CT/MRI data is processed by us. Surgeons obtain physical models or 3D visualizations of their patients or areas of the body where surgery is needed.
Patient-specific implants
The loss of complex or large-scale bone structures due to an accident or tumor is a considerable physical and psychological burden for the patient and poses a major question to the clinician as to the best way to cover the defect. Irpd AG supports physicians and developers with engineering, visualization methods and additive processes in the development of medical devices and surgical methods from the idea to the product.
Training models
The need for training models for the training of medical staff is steadily increasing. Unlike most highly expensive simulation software-based training models for various operations, a 3D training model provides tactile feedback and allows for fast and easy repetition.
In cooperation with neurosurgery and the ENT department of the Cantonal Hospital St. Gallen, Irpd AG has developed a training model with which the processes and movements of a pituitary adenoma operation can be practiced by means of repetitive training. The required 3D data was segmented from CT images and then built up layer by layer using the Selective Laser Sintering (SLS) method. "The Egg" training model is the first model validated for the basic performance metrics of transnasal endoscopic pituitary gland surgery.