3D Printing Medical Devices Market

Market Overview

The global 3D printing medical devices market size was valued at USD 2.55 billion in 2022. It is projected to reach USD 9.79 billion by 2031, growing at a CAGR of 16.1% during the forecast period (2023-2031). 

3D Printing, also known as additive manufacturing, is the process of creating three-dimensional solid objects from digital files/designs. It enables the creation of complex functional shapes by cutting out or hollowing a piece of metal or plastic. In 3D Printing, an object is created by laying several successive layers of materials till the object is created. Medical printing devices offer an array of benefits to users across the healthcare lifecycle. 3D Printing facilitates improved treatment outcomes and procedural efficiency and minimizes reintervention costs, offering potential benefits as a widespread care pathway for complicated injuries.

Medical and surgical centers are projected to drive the demand for 3D printing medical devices during the forecast period, 2019–2026. Additionally, the rapid adoption of technological advancements such as portable, multi-material, colored 3D printers and others in the medical industry is also propelling the demand for 3D printed devices. Moreover, with novel applications in surgical implants and prosthetics, 3D printing technology is revolutionizing the medical field – offering medical practitioners an opportunity to develop customized and patient-specific implants.

Market Dynamics

What Are The Primary Factors Driving The Market For 3D Printing Medical Devices?

Rising Investment in 3D Printing

Public-private funding for various initiatives in the 3D printing sector has significantly increased in recent years. Such research and funding initiatives are anticipated to accelerate the development of 3D printing technologies and products, thereby bolstering the market for 3D-printed medical devices. The nTopology (U.S.) company raised USD 40 million in funding in September 2020 for the development of the nTop software platform for additive manufacturing techniques. The development of a new generation of the electron-beam additive manufacturing (EBAM) printer received funding of USD 2.6 million from Innovate U.K. in March 2019 at the University of Huddersfield (U.K.).

Increasing Cases of Osteoarthritis

One of the key factors propelling the growth of the 3D-printed medical devices market is the rising prevalence of osteoarthritis and similar musculoskeletal conditions. Osteoarthritis is a condition that affects the cartilage in the joints and the tissues around them, leading to pain, stiffness, and a loss of joint function in those who are affected. The ability to reproduce a patient's joint using 3D printing technology gives surgeons access to vital information that might not be visible on a 2-dimensional scan. Age increases the likelihood of developing osteoarthritis. For instance, the U.S. National Library of Medicine report projects that by 2040, 78 million (or 26%) U.S. adults ages 18 and older will have arthritis that has been officially diagnosed by a doctor. Thereby promoting the use of 3D-printed medical devices and enhancing market expansion.

What Are The Main Factors That Will Slow Down The Market For 3D Printing Medical Devices?

Lack of Trained Workforce

A significant barrier to the effective adoption of 3D Printing in the medical device industry is the lack of skilled technicians for additive manufacturing. A very small pool of qualified personnel is currently available, which is made even more problematic by the market for 3D-printed medical devices evolving so quickly in terms of technology and materials. The lack of training programs and a workforce that fully comprehends the design process and production cycle in additive manufacturing also has an impact on the quality of the final product. The medical device industry's overall adoption of 3D Printing would be constrained by the lack of such a workforce.

What Are The Future Opportunities For 3D Printing Medical Devices?

The Surge of Digital Manufacturing

Over the years, there has been significant progress in the digitization of medical and dental procedures with the goal of enhancing clinical workflow. Digital dentistry and surgeries are replacing traditional ones in the industry. Digital manufacturing is the method of creating a physical object directly from a digital design using computer-controlled procedures. Direct digital manufacturing is gaining popularity in comparison to conventional manufacturing methods as 3D printing technology develops. It has a distinctive set of benefits because it shortens the time between design and production and boosts output.

Regional Analysis

The global 3D printing medical devices market is bifurcated into four regions, namely North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and LAMEA.

North America is the most significant shareholder in the global 3D Printing Medical Devices market and is expected to grow at a CAGR of XX% during the forecast period, owing to the rising demand for 3D printing medical devices, coupled with the growing awareness about these devices in the region. For instance, FORECAST 3D, a U.S.-based service bureau, announced the acquisition of 12 H.P. Jet Fusion 3D printers with the capacity to offer full-run 3D manufacturing. Additionally, in June 2018, the University of California (UCSF) partnered with the Chinese 3D printer manufacturer INTAMSYS to launch the 3D printed orthopedics research initiative with cost-effective technical orthopedic implants.

Europe is projected to witness significant growth in the 3D printing medical devices market due to technological advancements, a strong and stable R&D environment, and innovation. In April 2017, Adidas announced its partnership with the Silicon Valley 3D printing company Carbon to create 'Futurecraft 4D shoes', which have 3D printed soles produced with digital light synthesis technology. The Cerium medical device company's 3D-printed bone graft got approval for use in patients across Europe in July 2022. According to reports, MyBone is the first commercially available 3D-printed bone graft approved under the Medical Device Regulation 2017/745. It has also received ISO 13485 certification. Thus, maxillofacial and orthopedic surgeons across the continent will now have access to the patient-specific bone graft.

Asia Pacific is likely to experience considerable growth in the 3D printing medical devices market during the forecast period. According to the E.U., the value chain for 3D printed medical devices is gaining momentum with government efforts in promoting technological possibilities of orthopedics. Additionally, countries such as India and China are gaining prominence based on a rapidly growing aging population and rising need for advanced healthcare, among others. Using 3D printing technology, Zoriox Innovation Labs created implants for facial reconstruction in March 2022 in India. A team of surgeons, dentists, mechanical engineers, biomedical engineers, software engineers, graphic designers, prosthetists, and anatomists work together at Zoriox Innovation Labs to offer a 360-degree solution for facial reconstruction and its related needs.

The LAMEA region is expected to witness moderate market growth, with several vendors expanding their operations and implementing favorable regulations in Latin America and the Middle East, and Africa. In Dubai, hospitals have made it compulsory for doctors to use 3D Printing to successfully operate on patients who have suffered a cerebral aneurysm in four veins, using a 3D printed model of arteries to map out how to safely navigate the blood vess

Segmental Analysis

The global 3D printing medical devices market is segmented by component, technology, and application.

By Components Analysis

Based on components, the global market is bifurcated into Printers, Materials, and Software & Services.

The software and services segment is the highest contributor to the market and is expected to grow at a CAGR of xx% during the forecast period. The market demand for software and surgical guides is driven by the cost-effectiveness, utility, uniformity, and accuracy provided by services for medical device 3D printing, as well as by an increase in the demand for personalized 3D printed medical devices among hospitals and surgical centers.

The printer segment is expected to witness a higher CAGR, owing to the increasing demand for 3D-printed medical devices for creating patient-specific organ replicas, which are utilized by surgeons to practice before performing complicated operations.

By Technology Analysis

Based on technology, the global market is bifurcated into electron beam melting, laser beam melting, selective laser sintering, photopolymerization, direct metal laser sintering, and others.

The laser beam melting segment is the highest contributor to the market and is expected to grow at a CAGR of xx% during the forecast period due to the technology's expanding use in the dental industry and in the production of prosthetics for minimally invasive surgeries.

The Photopolymerization segment is expected to grow at a significant rate. Photopolymerization is a 3D printing technology where liquid drops of plastic are exposed to a laser beam of U.V. light; during this process, the light converts the liquid into a solid.

By Application Analysis

Based on application, the global market is bifurcated into orthopedic & cranial implants, dental restorations, surgical instruments, tissue fabrication, and custom prosthetics.

The custom prosthetics segment is the highest contributor to the market and is expected to grow at a CAGR of xx% during the forecast period due to the widespread use of the 3D printing technique in the production of prosthetics and implants, the increased availability of high-quality ceramics and biomaterials for 3D Printing, and ongoing industry investment in the development of cutting-edge 3D printers.  

The orthopedic implants segment is expected to grow at a significant rate. These technological applications are expected to change the aspect of medicine as doctors, physicians, surgeons, and other related experts are able to develop prosthetics that are patient-specific or customized according to the patient's requirements. Such devices can be printed by anyone and anywhere to design and custom print design parts, which has made prosthetics more accessible and affordable to wearers around the globe.

Recent Developments

• May 2022, Organovo Holdings Inc announced its 3D tissue model for Crohn's disease.
• October 2022, Cyfuse Medical K.K gets approval for listing on Tokyo Stock Exchange.