Stratasys invests in Axial3D to bring 3D printing of anatomical models to the medical sector

Med-tech startup Axial3D announced the closure of a $ 15 million investment round, where $ 10 million was invested by Stratasys, a leader in polymer 3D printing solutions. This is Stratasys’s first investment in this company. The two companies will also be offering a joint offering to make patient-specific 3D printing solutions for hospitals and medical device manufacturers more accessible, making it a leading healthcare solution.

Personalized, 3D-printed anatomical models are used for pre-operative planning and diagnostics to improve treatment outcomes while reducing the time spent in the operating room. They are also used in education and training and the development of medical devices. The creation of a 3D printed model from patient scan data usually takes several hours and requires a high level of technical knowledge and expensive software licenses. Axial3D’s AI-based algorithms enable CT and MRI scans to be segmented for these models without significant investment in time, specialized skills, and high upfront costs.

Stratasys is a leading supplier of 3D printers, materials and software for these anatomical models. The J850 Digital Anatomy 3D printer enables medical customers to create models that not only accurately reproduce the appearance of human tissue, but are also biomechanically realistic when sewing, cutting, or inserting and positioning medical devices.

Stratasys has estimated the value of medical 3D printing at approximately $ 2.8 billion. “Many of the world’s leading hospitals are already using our MediJet and Digital Anatomy 3D printers for medical models,” said Dr. Yoav Zeif, Stratasys CEO. “We believe that by working with Axial3D we can remove barriers to entry for the rest of the majority of hospitals in many countries around the world, dramatically increasing the use of 3D printing in preoperative planning, so it’s really a standard part of patient care. It’s about providing customers with a complete, customized solution that is fast, automated and scalable“.

Source: Stratasys press materials