MEDTECH specialist Axial 3D, which has revolutionised the UK market by manufacturing orthopaedic models for the medical industry, has opened new 3D medical printing centre of excellence in Belfast.
The company said the new facility will make it easier for hospitals, medical device manufacturers and medical research companies to access accurate, realistic 3D printed anatomical models.
The centre is equipped with the latest 3D printing technology from Stratasys in Israel, the world's leading medical 3D printer company.
Axial3D’s models will enable pre-surgical planning, simulation, device testing, patient-specific device design, and more.
The Belfast centre will also be able to provide models that mimic human tissue and bone and provide unmatched clinical versatility, repeatability, and accuracy for healthcare professionals and medical device companies.
Founded in 2015 by Daniel Crawford, Axial3D has created an AI-powered service that can 2D medical images into patient-specific 3D models.
He said: “When I established Axial3D, our goal was to make patient-specific care routine, and this new centre will allow us to help more clinicians and surgeons improve patient outcomes and provide medical device companies an affordable way to accelerate their patient specific programmes.”
He added: “The opening of our new medical 3D printing centre of excellence represents a significant milestone for the company and for the field of medicine, allowing us to continue pushing the boundaries of what is possible with 3D printing technology."
Last November Axial3D finalised a $15 million (£13.4m) investment round, of which $10 million (£8.9m) came from Stratasys, a leader in polymer 3D printing solutions.
It said at the time that as a result of the partnership, the two companies would provide a joint offering to make patient-specific 3D printing solutions for hospitals and medical device manufacturers more accessible so it becomes a mainstream healthcare solution.
Axial3D has been supported by Invest NI since its inception, and initial investment came from Techstart Ventures. It has previously also raised funding from London-based Imprimatur Capital Fund Management and angel investors from the surgical sector in the US.