Behind the Scenes at an OSSIS 3D Titanium Implant Factory.
OSSIS has the ability to design, produce and deliver orthopedic implants very quickly. There are several reasons for this “Just in Time” capability: the expertise of our implant designers and engineers; the excellent communications between the OSSIS team and surgeons; and the specific technology used for the implants, 3D titanium printing.
In New Zealand, a crucial piece in this puzzle is the work of Zenith Tecnica. The Auckland-based manufacturer of 3D titanium printed products brings OSSIS designs into reality—extremely quickly.
3D Titanium Printing
Zenith Tecnica is a metal additive manufacturer that prints 3D titanium parts. As well as medical implants for OSSIS, they also work with the aerospace industry, building satellite components, and the marine industry, building components for racing boats, including America’s Cup yachts.
Zenith’s technology is called electron beam melting: in simple terms, this is somewhat like a cathode-ray gun, but a lot more powerful. Starting with a bed of titanium powder, they build the orthopedic implants by melting the titanium layer by layer. Multiple implants can be built at the same time, if necessary.
With a background in manufacturing medical devices, Zenith has machines that have been through rigorous operational qualification processes to ensure they are of the highest standard for manufacturing medical-grade devices. So, when OSSIS came to them seeking 3D titanium orthopedic implants, they didn’t miss a beat.
Inherently Rapid
3D printing, particularly with titanium, is inherently fast. But, gains made in manufacturing can be lost when you factor in shipping from suppliers around the world or to distant hospitals. Distance can also lead to uavoidable delays in communications when working around time zones, and time lags caused by shipping.
Having previously worked with suppliers in other countries, OSSIS wanted to work with a local New Zealand supplier to improve turnaround times for surgeons working in the South Pacific region. The manufacturing relationship with Zenith has sped up the process significantly. This has been game-changer for surgeons and patients in the Australasian market, as it allows OSSIS to provide a level of service that would otherwise be impossible.
OSSIS head engineer Bethany Oates comments that working with a local manufacturer has also revolutionised OSSIS processes. They don’t need to worry about time zone differences when communicating, as they did when working with a manufacturer that might otherwise be distant from both the implant’s desgn team and the surgeon. Delivery of the final pieces can now usually be done in one day, rather than three to five.
“We’re local, and that takes a lot of the lead time out of the orthopedic implant manufacturing process.”
Zenith can manufacture orthopedic implants in as little as four days. While not all implants can be manufactured in this timeframe, when the conditions are right and time is of the essence, they certainly can be.
In the best-case, most-rapid scenario, if OSSIS sends implant design files to Zenith by midday Thursday, Zenith can launch a build on a Friday. The machines run over the weekend and the parts are taken out of the printing machine on Monday. They’re processed, then sent on to OSSIS in Christchurch on Tuesday.
“If we’re just looking at the manufacturing side of things, from the time we press play on the machine, we can have an orthopedic implant in under 30 hours.”
Zenith’s machines stay on standby for orders from OSSIS, and are launched as soon as an order for a titanium implant comes in. OSSIS orders are prioritised at Zenith, which means happier surgeons and delighted patients.
In practical terms, OSSIS delivers "Just in Time" patient-specific implants for tumour patients, made possible by an industry leading 4-week design and delivery period. Their goal is to make the OSSIS technology and knowhow (from the very complex end of the spectrum) available for more routine procedures; to make affordable patient-specific implants available to everyone who needs one.
OSSIS believe surgeons and patients should always have the choice of using a custom implant, rather than be constrained by the limitations of off-the-shelf implants.
With this goal in mind, OSSIS has established a global "local manufacturing” network of approved 3D printing manufacturers: in the USA to service the Americas; in Belgium to service Europe; and in New Zealand to service the South Pacific. And they are actively seeking to grow this network as more capability and demand comes online.
They believe their 4-week turnaround for custom implants also makes Zero Implant Inventory a realistic option for hospitals. Within a Zero Inventory framework, hospitals no longer need to carry the cost and inconvenience of conventional implant inventories—they order what their surgeons and patients need, when they need it.
Clearly, speed is crucial for some patients awaiting an orthopedic implant. They may be in significant pain or have a poor prognosis without quick intervention. In some cases, the rapid turnaround time with an OSSIS implant avoids the need for amputation or enables patients to be treated who couldn’t have waited any longer for any implant—let alone their very own custom titanium implant.