Allison Harbaugh, medical business manager at Stratasys, says her company is involved across several aspects of the medical manufacturing industry, whether that's prototyping, tooling, making jigs and fixtures, marketing samples or supporting surgeons with planning models and simulations.
Last year, Stratasys began a study using 3D-printed models for pre-operative planning and tumor excision in orthopedic oncology. Harbaugh said the study is allowing surgeons to assess how having patient-specific models can help with planning, accuracy, operating room time and patient recovery. Having a 3D-printed model that shows the precise location of tumors has also been helpful in communicating with patients prior to procedures.
"Imagine you were told you have a tumor in your kidney, and now you're only being shown by your surgeon a black-and-white image on a screen," she said. "Now you have a chance to take a model in your hand and really understand how large that tumor is or what vessels are really close to it that might affect the surgical approach or procedure...I think it just allows for much more comfort and understanding for patients to know what they're going through and what they're about to experience."
Harbaugh also discussed Stratasys' recent work with Collplant on regenerative breast implants and the significance of the company's new certifications for its manufacturing facility in Arizona.
