3D Systems Solution Makes Possible Facial Implant Manufacturing

3D Systems, in collaboration with the University Hospital Basel (Switzerland), reports that 3D Systems' point-of-care additive manufacturing solution has been used to design and produce a medical device regulation (MDR)-compliant 3D-printed PEEK facial implant.

Prof. Florian Thieringer and Dr. Neha Sharma, alongside their team of biomedical engineers, have designed and manufactured a custom device to address patient need using 3D Systems technology and product manufacturing expertise. They used this implant as part of a surgery completed at the hospital on March 18, 2025.

Production of the first MDR-compliant facial implant was completed using VESTAKEEP i4 3DF PEEK by Evonik on 3D Systems’ EXT 220 MED. The cleanroom-based architecture of the printer and post-processing workflows enable production of patient-specific medical devices directly at the hospital.

“Our goal is always to provide the best possible care for our patients,” says Prof. Thieringer. “Being directly involved in both the design and manufacturing of patient-specific implants—right here in our hospital—allows us to tailor treatments precisely to individual needs, respond faster, and improve surgical outcomes. The ability to produce implants on demand represents a new era in personalized care.”

“The rapid adoption of the EXT 220 MED by leading healthcare institutions combined with our expanding applications pipeline, underscores the transformative power of 3D printing in clinical settings,” says Stefan Leonhardt, Ph.D., director, medical devices, 3D Systems. “We are proud to collaborate with the pioneering clinicians at University Hospital Basel and other leading hospitals worldwide to expand the applications that can be addressed with additive manufacturing. Since its launch in August 2023, our innovative solution has already been utilized in more than 80 successful cranial implant surgeries at partner hospitals, demonstrating its swift integration and real-world effectiveness in delivering personalized patient care.”

It is anticipated that the use of 3D-printed facial implants will accelerate based on availability of advanced technologies, according to 3D Systems. According to Market Research Future, the 3D-printed maxillofacial implant market size was estimated at more than $2 billion in 2024 and is anticipated to more than double to over $4 billion by the end of 2034.

Sources: Press materials received from the company and additional information gleaned from the company’s website.