< + > Ricoh’s 3D Printing Improves Surgical Accuracy and Safety One Layer at a Time

Imagine a surgical guide so precise that it snaps onto the bone like a perfectly fitting glove, directing a surgeon’s every cut and drill. This is the reality of Ricoh’s 3D printing technology for healthcare.

To find out more, Healthcare IT Today met with Ricoh at the #HLTHUSA conference in Las Vegas. Gary M. Turner, Managing Director of Additive Manufacturing North America at Ricoh USA.

Key Takeaways

1. Hyper-Personalized Care. Ricoh’s 3D printed guides are tailored to each patient’s anatomy, enabling surgeons to perform highly precise procedures, from osteotomies to tumor resections.
2. Improved Surgical Outcomes. These guides help surgeons reduce operating time, leading to faster recovery and lower risk for patients.
3. Cost and Safety Benefits. By reducing surgical time, the technology lowers anesthesia exposure and hospital costs while improving overall patient safety and surgical efficiency.

Printed Guides for Surgery

Ricoh’s 3D printing technology uses patient-specific CT or MRI scans to create custom surgical guides that snap onto bones, guiding surgeons with incredible precision. These guides eliminate guesswork, enabling faster, safer, and more accurate procedures.

The process is simple yet powerful. Biocompatible polymers are shaped using digital light processing (DLP) technology to match each patient’s anatomy. These guides help surgeons target tumors, plan incisions, and minimize tissue removal. The result? Reduced operating times, less blood loss, and faster recoveries.

“We have tools focused on patient specific applications for surgical interventions,” explained Turner. “Every minute you have a patient under anesthetic increases the risk of complications and recovery. So the faster a surgeon can perform that surgery, the better experience and outcomes for the patient.”

In a way, these 3D printed guides from Ricoh are the epitome of personalized care.

Learn more about Ricoh at https://www.ricoh.com/industries/healthcare

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