We’re kicking things off today with a little business news, as Raplas appointed Multistation as a sales partner, and Carbon announced commercial availability of its dental FP3D resin in the U.S. and Canada. Serial production of ceramic 3D printed ear molds was achieved with Lithoz technology. Finally, a unique database out of Masaryk University offers free access to anatomical models for educational and clinical purpose, and researchers in Australia are bioprinting placenta organoid models to study pregnancy complications.
Multistation Signs On as Raplas Sales Partner in France
France is working to speed up its Industry 4.0 adoption. UK-based Raplas, which manufactures large-scale SLA systems, recently signed a collaboration agreement with French AM distributor Multistation. A well-established partner to French industry, distributing a wide array of digital and additive manufacturing solutions, Multistation will now represent Raplas as its official sales partner in France, and expand access to high-performance AM solutions there. This will help Raplas strengthen its presence in one of Europe’s most important industrial markets. The company’s resin-based platform are used in multiple industries, such as automotive, medical, industrial tooling, and aerospace, and with Multistation as a sales partner, many customers in these sectors will now have direct access to Raplas’ proven AM portfolio.
“France is a strategic market for Raplas, with leading industries adopting additive manufacturing at scale. We are delighted to partner with Multistation, whose expertise and customer relationships make them the ideal representative of our technology in France,” said Richard Wooldridge, CEO of Raplas. “Together, we will help French manufacturers unlock new levels of performance and productivity.”
Carbon Announces Commercial Availability of Dental FP3D Resin
The FDA-cleared FP3D resin offers dental labs reliable, economical, and fast production of flexible partial dentures.
Carbon has announced the full launch and commercial availability in North America of its FP3D material, a flexible, removable partial denture (FRPD) resin for dental laboratories. The company has been working with Keystone Industries for several years to develop this resin, driven by real feedback from dental labs looking for a 3D printable denture alternative to laborious traditional methods. FP3D, an FDA-cleared Class II medical device, is said to be the first dental resin to use Carbon’s dual-cure chemistry, which offers improved comfort, durability, flexibility, translucency, and dimensional accuracy, and has been previously validated in applications like bike saddles and footwear midsoles. Patients will appreciate the better fit, lifelike aesthetics, and cost advantages of 3D printed partial dentures made with FP3D. It’s available in multiple shades, passes ISO 10993 standards for biocompatibility, and was designed to be seamlessly integrated into existing digital denture workflows, including Carbon’s own AO polishing cassette.
“FP3D sets a new standard for what digital dentures can achieve, and is already making a real impact in dental labs. Initial feedback has been overwhelmingly positive – labs are particularly impressed by the material’s translucency, and the ease of integration with existing workflows,” said Terri Capriolo, Senior Vice President of Oral Health, Carbon. “By introducing our dual-cure chemistry to dentistry, we’re helping labs to further streamline their operations, reduce costs, and deliver better outcomes for patients.”
Carbon is currently undergoing the process for European regulatory approvals, and expects FP3D resin to be available across Europe next year.
Lithoz Announces Serial Production of Custom, 3D Printed Ceramic Ear Molds
Swiss company OC GmbH, which manufactures otoplastics and hearing protection, and German service provider CADdent announced that they’ve achieved a major breakthrough in 3D printing patient-specific ceramic ear molds for hearing aids. The two used high-performance LCM 3D printers from Lithoz to reach serial production of ear molds made from alumina-toughened zirconia, or ATZ. The CeraFab S65 Medical printer was able to achieve ear molds with wall thicknesses below 1 mm and dimensional tolerances less than ±50 µm, while also maintaining the necessary delicate inner channels. The acoustically neutral ear molds are biocompatible, durable, and ultra-precise in fit, and were manufactured without support structures, while at the same achieving structural stability, thanks to Lithoz technology. Additionally, the process is scalable for small-batch industrial production, as 15 ear molds can be printed per build platform. This news is just one more achievement that Lithoz can add to the CeraFab S54 Medical’s already superb track record of mass customization for medtech devices.
“These technical achievements demonstrate the distinct advantages that ceramics offer for otoplastics. Unlike polymers or titanium, ceramic earmoulds offer long-term biocompatibility alongside superior durability and wear resistance,” explained Jurij Belik, the CEO of OC GmbH. “ATZ’s acoustic neutrality ensures uncompromised sound quality, and the material’s aesthetic properties allow for customisable, high-value designs.”
Next month at formnext 2025, you can see the 3D printed, patient-specific, ceramic ear molds for yourself at Lithoz booth C35, Hall 11.1.
Database for 3D Printing Anatomical Models at Masaryk University
3D printed medical models can be very useful for both educational purposes and in clinical practice. To help with both of these, the Faculty of Medicine at Masaryk University in Czech Republic has launched a free portal with a collection of 3D printable anatomically accurate models of organs and bones, in addition to educational simulators. This database operates within the university’s 3D printing laboratory at the Simulation Centre (SIMU), and it’s unique because unlike other, unmoderated platforms, the models in this portal have one important distinguishing feature. Each one has a professional guarantor, often a practicing clinician or educator, who is responsible for the model’s anatomical accuracy, and these guarantors also help fill the database with more models due to their own specific requests, like a model of the large intestine for practicing laparoscopic suturing. 3D printing educational tools in-house can cut down on large stockpiles of training aids, and offer major financial savings.
“There was a case where a supplier offered us a cannulation simulator for the umbilical cord that was unsuitable for teaching purposes. So, we developed our own. Moreover, we can produce some simulators at just a fraction of their typical cost,” explained Ing. Jiří Travěnec, Deputy Director for Technology at SIMU.
The collection currently has seventy models, which was the target amount set by the project, but Travěnec is sure the database will keep growing.
Bioprinting Placenta Organoid Models to Study Pregnancy Complications
Fig. 5: Syncytiotrophoblasts form on the outer surface of trophoblast organoids in suspension culture. Organoids grown in Matrigel or bioprinted conditions were harvested from the matrices after 3 days before transferring to a low-attachment plate for suspension culture. a Live cell images of gel-embedded and suspended organoids at days 12 (D12) and 28 (D28); scale bar = 100 µm. Suspension of organoids was independently repeated twice. b Images of harvested organoids cut at 5 µm thickness and stained by haematoxylin and eosin; scale bar = 100 µm. c Harvested organoids fixed, immunolabelled for syndecan-1 (SDC-1, pink) and co-stained with DAPI (grey). Confocal z-stacks of 60 µm depth were processed for visualisation using NIS Elements denoise.ai algorithm. Z-stack images of an organoid from each condition presented as maximum intensity projections (MIPs) with XY and XZ orthogonal views and optical z slices 30 µm apart. Arrows depict syncytialised areas on the outer surface of organoids. Scale bar = 100 µm. Suspension of organoids was independently repeated twice.
During pregnancy, a temporary organ called the placenta develops in the uterus to provide hormones, nutrients, and oxygen to the growing fetus. But, it can also be responsible for many complications, such as preeclampsia, preterm birth, and even stillbirth. Researchers at University of Technology Sydney, Inventia Life Science, and University of Newcastle have come up with a new day to study these complications. In their study, the team explains how organoids derived from single cells are very useful for “studying organ-like structures that recapitulate key features of native tissues1.” But, these are limited because they’re so reliant on animal-derived matrices, which hinders reproducibility and brings in variability. Bioprinting techniques, like extrusion and droplet-based methods, can help, as they’re able to precisely deposit cells. So the researchers bioprinted a placental organoid model, using a synthetic polyethylene glycol (PEG) matrix and ACH-3P, which is the first trimester trophoblast cell line, and applied the organoids to model inflammatory conditions, in order to investigate the effects of current and new therapies for preeclampsia.
“Trophoblast organoids can provide crucial insights into mechanisms of placentation, however their potential is limited by highly variable extracellular matrices unable to reflect in vivo tissues. Here, we present a bioprinted placental organoid model, generated using the first trimester trophoblast cell line, ACH-3P, and a synthetic polyethylene glycol (PEG) matrix. Bioprinted or Matrigel-embedded organoids differentiate spontaneously from cytotrophoblasts into two major subtypes: extravillous trophoblasts (EVTs) and syncytiotrophoblasts (STBs). Bioprinted organoids are driven towards EVT differentiation and show close similarity with early human placenta or primary trophoblast organoids. Inflammation inhibits proliferation and STBs within bioprinted organoids, which aspirin or metformin (0.5 mM) cannot rescue. We reverse the inside-out architecture of ACH-3P organoids by suspension culture with STBs forming on the outer layer of organoids, reflecting placental tissue. Our bioprinted methodology is applicable to trophoblast stem cells. We present a high-throughput, automated, and tuneable trophoblast organoid model that reproducibly mimics the placental microenvironment in health and disease.”
To learn more, you can read the study here.