It’s not easy to prototype micro-scale parts for delicate MedTech applications. Consider the standard options. Injection molds are too expensive and inefficient for the rapid iteration needed in the early development cycle. They also fall short when extreme precision and more complex geometries are required. CNC machining — the industry standby — has lower setup costs, but lead times can still be long. With lead times measured in months, each stage of design and testing moves along at a snail’s pace.
Another process, commonly known as 3D printing, is now raising eyebrows as a third way. Advancements in this technology have shown vast potential for cost-efficient and rapid prototyping of end-state-quality parts. This is a revolutionary moment for microscale metal manufacturing, whether your MedTech components are still under development or ready for full production runs.
Read on to discover how manufacturers are getting parts for numerous applications in a matter of weeks.
Additive Manufacturing is Slashing Lead Times in MedTech
Microscale metal manufacturing techniques including CNC machining, metal injection molding (MIM), and additive manufacturing (3D printing) have all advanced rapidly during the recent resurgence of American manufacturing. And yet, the older CNC and MIM methods haven’t matched the pace of advancements in additive processes. 3D printing is a younger process that’s had more room for fresh technological developments.
Not all 3D printing technologies are equal, though. There’s some lingering bias in the MedTech industry against a process that’s often been associated with cheap plastics and hobbyists in the early stages of its growth.
- CNC Quality: Revolutionary changes in additive manufacturing technology have made it possible to produce micro-scale metal parts that match (or even exceed) the quality, precision, and complexity of CNC machining.
- Speed & Complexity: Best of all, this is generally at a faster rate of production — especially as the complexity of the part increases — and nearly always with much faster initial preparation and lead times.
- Scalable Production: Due to the high expense and long setup required for mold creation, additive manufacturing can even produce parts faster than MIM in all but the highest volume production runs.
The All-New Additive Manufacturing Process That’s Changing Everything
The advanced, industrial-grade additive process that’s now changing the competitive dynamics of MedTech manufacturing is called Resin Infused Powder Lithography (RIPL). With smooth surface finish and intricate micro details, observers assume RIPL-made parts have been machined.
This new process improves upon earlier 3D printing approaches in precision, durability, and surface finish, while retaining additive design flexibility. RIPL is capable of producing prototypes and end-state products for medical devices at 5-micron resolution (0.0002”), with Ra32 native surface finish and tolerances as tight as 0.0005".
MedTech Applications Using Micro Scale Manufacturing
Additive manufacturing with the RIPL process is capable of high-precision microscale metal part production for a wide range of medical applications, such as the following:
1. Surgical Devices
You may need micro-scale parts for delicate implements used in many forms of surgery. Microsurgery uses tiny instruments and high magnification.
Consider procedures that involve dissecting, removing, or sampling tissues. They must be precise so as to avoid damage to surrounding nerves and blood vessels. Surgeons trained in microsurgery techniques often make incisions and repairs at less than a millimeter scale.
2. Robotic Surgery
Robot-assisted surgery helps surgeons perform minimally invasive procedures and avoid complications in areas surrounding the surgical site. Parts in the robotic assemblies must have tight tolerances. They must also meet a high standard of surface smoothness to minimize the risk of contamination.
As this technology continues to develop, 3D printing has the potential to produce procedure-specific robotic surgical instrumentation due to the flexibility and rapid customization possible in production (compared to injection-molded or CNC-machined parts).
3. Diagnostic Devices
Traditional medical diagnostic devices, such as stethoscopes and blood pressure monitors, can only provide rather general health information. A patient may require a series of increasingly invasive interventions before physicians can determine a diagnosis.
Microscale metal manufacturing allows the production of devices that can provide quick and accurate point-of-care diagnoses. Research has suggested that portable, microfluidic platforms and other micro/nano devices can provide fast, accurate, and even multiplex diagnostic information at point-of-care.
4. Cardiac Rhythm Devices
Several types of devices that help to monitor or maintain cardiac rhythms depend upon quality microscale parts. Pacemakers, for example, produce electrical signals that assist normal cardiac function. Advances in microscale technology have allowed these devices to become smaller and less obtrusive. Additive manufacturing can produce parts on the necessary scales.
5. Vascular Devices
A variety of devices can improve cardiac function and allow access to veins for checkups and further treatment. These may include stents, catheters, and synthetic blood vessels. Microscale additive manufacturing can produce devices specifically adapted to a patient’s needs.
6. Other Interventional Equipment
Doctors and other medical professionals may use interventional equipment in almost any part of the human body to assist with diagnosis or treatment. Microscale manufacturing can create parts for devices that allow minimally invasive interventions.
7. Micro-Needle Applications
Microscale metal manufacturing can produce parts for complex and miniscule drug delivery systems such as microneedles that offer precise dosages on carefully maintained schedules. Metal drug delivery microstructures can be involved in transdermal, transmucosal, pulmonary, and intravenous injection.
Current methods of administering some medications and other treatments rely on hypodermic needles. These can cause discomfort, which leads to lower compliance rates and worse outcomes for patients. Microneedles are sturdy and sharp enough to penetrate the outer layer of the skin, but small enough to eliminate the pain caused by larger needles. Advances in microscale manufacturing have finally made microneedles a viable technology.
8. Ophthalmology
Medical treatment of the eye requires a careful approach to avoid causing further pain and damage. With micron resolution manufacturing, it’s possible to facilitate interventions for diagnosis and treatment such as:
- Drug delivery systems to treat glaucoma; and
- Ongoing monitoring of intraocular pressure.
Contact Trio Labs Today to Learn More About Microscale Manufacturing for Medical Technology
No other metal manufacturing process can meet Trio's precision, speed, cost, and quality. Meet with us to request samples produced through the RIPL process, get a quote, or learn more about our capabilities. A member of the team will reach out ASAP.
