HP Partners With Medical Device Developer

Mighty Oak Medical, a medical device development company that specializes in creating and commercializing spinal technologies, announced a technical partnership with HP for 3D printed healthcare applications produced using HP's Jet Fusion 5200 3D printers. Applications being manufactured include Mighty Oak’s cornerstone product FIREFLY, a patient-specific pre-surgical planning and navigation platform.

Mighty Oak has achieved FDA clearance and CE-mark for FIREFLY’s 3D printed medical models and 3D printed surgical guides.

Mighty Oak Medical’s FIREFLY solution is designed to increase precision and safety, while reducing efficiency challenges common in spinal fusion surgery, by providing surgeons with accuracy to-the-millimeter concierge pre-surgical planning done in 3D on virtual renderings of patients’ spines, the company reports. 3D printed anatomical models and disposable guides are then used by surgeons to drill, tap, and place pedicle screws quickly and safely. Now, with HP’s industrial Multi Jet Fusion technology, FIREFLY is streamlining and reducing printing turnaround time.

“It was important for us to maintain our focus on the spine and develop innovative solutions that make surgical procedures safer and more efficient,” says Heidi Frey, president at Mighty Oak Medical. “We have always viewed 3D printed, patient-specific solutions as an ideal way to achieve those two objectives, and now, thanks to HP’s 3D printing technology, the healthcare industry is undergoing a massive transformation in terms of the solutions, patient experience and outcomes new 3D printed medical devices can provide.”

With an 11-year history of applying additive manufacturing technologies to enhance and produce spinal technologies and medical devices, Mighty Oak’s familiarity with 3D printing technology resulted in the FIREFLY complete navigation system for streamlining the surgeon’s workflow and reducing screw placement time, the company reports.

Since installing HP’s Jet Fusion 5200 printers onto its factory floor, Mighty Oak Medical is experiencing efficiencies. These hyper-personalized patient-specific guides eliminate intraoperative radiation exposure for both surgical staff and patients, and the maintenance and technician costs associated with other solutions. HP’s 3D High Reusability PA 12 material offers strength, detail, and surface finish with higher contrast.

“Mighty Oak is currently leading the charge towards a more advanced medical device and orthopedic industry with its FIREFLY solution,” says Greg Elfering, head of Americas Go-to-Market, HP Personalization & 3D Printing. “By minimizing costs, enabling personalization, and improving efficiency and accuracy of care for patients, Mighty Oak and HP are demonstrating how the power of innovation can positively impact patients and the healthcare industry.”

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