Healthcare Additive Manufacturing Market

Market Overview

The global healthcare additive manufacturing market size was valued at USD 1.99 billion in 2022. It is estimated to reach USD 11.62 billion by 2031, growing at a CAGR of 21.6% during the forecast period (2023–2031). The release of the newest orthopedic goods and further economic growth will promote future market expansion for additive manufacturing in healthcare.

Additive manufacturing, often known as 3D printing, is an intriguing technology whose advantages are embraced, creating real-world medical applications daily. AM is employed in the healthcare industry to produce diagnostic tools and implants. The application of additive manufacturing in medical technology has recently increased due to technological advancements. Several methods are used in healthcare additive manufacturing, including stereo lithography, e-beam melting, laser sintering, and laminated manufacturing.

Many of the restrictions of conventional manufacturing processes, including milling, casting, forging, and manufacturing, are eliminated by additive manufacturing (AM). This creates new opportunities for mass customizing intricate geometries and parts at an affordable price that was previously impractical. This makes it possible to add new features to medical tools that support dental, implant, and orthopedic patient care. This method is applied in various medical contexts, including but not restricted to neurosurgery, oral and maxillofacial surgery, cardiothoracic surgery, gastroenterology, and gastrology.

Highlights

• Laser sintering dominates the technology segment
• Medical implants dominate the application segment
• Polymers dominate the material segment
• North America is the highest shareholder in the global market

Market Dynamics

Global Healthcare Additive Manufacturing Market Drivers

Demand for Customized Additive Manufacturing

Some of the most promising applications of additive manufacturing, or 3D printing, are in medicine, where it can be used to create tissues, organs, orthopedic and cranial implants, dental prosthetics, and other low-cost, complex medical parts and components. The rising number of surgical procedures and the prevalence of chronic illnesses are two factors that have been identified as driving high demand and unmet needs in the healthcare sector, which are expected to contribute to growth over the forecast period.

Additive manufacturing will meet the growing demand for customized services brought on by the rise in surgical procedures. Moreover, technological advancements, increasing adoption, and growing consumer awareness regarding enhanced applications are anticipated to increase the scope of bioengineered healthcare products, driving the growth of additive manufacturing. For instance, in 2017, medical technology firms such as Stryker came up with precise medical parts of titanium-based anterior and posterior cervical cages developed by 3D printing.

Advantages of Additive Manufacturing and the Rising Geriatric Population

The increasing prevalence of additive manufacturing can be attributed to its advantages over conventional production methods. The use of modern technology, design freedom, dimensional precision, the use of a wide range of materials including metal, plastics, and polymers, build speed, and the ability to create complex parts/geometry, such as cooling channels and honeycomb structures, are a few of the benefits of additive manufacturing. However, producing implants and prostheses is the primary application of additive manufacturing in the healthcare industry.

Additionally, the surging geriatric population has led to an increase in orthopedic procedures like knee and hip replacements, which has increased demand for implants and prostheses and required faster production. As a result, additive manufacturing plays a crucial role in satisfying this demand, further fueling the market's growth.

Global Healthcare Additive Manufacturing Market Restraint

Lack of Skilled Professionals

Innovations in additive manufacturing technologies and materials demand new capabilities and skills, both managerial and technical. The innovations in this industry have outpaced the manufacturing workforce's ability to adapt. The scarcity of skilled workforce affects growth, innovation, quality, and production capabilities. In addition, the engineering and technical skills required for successful additive manufacturing range from data management and material technology to equipment design. Successful engineers must be resourceful and creative in the continuously evolving and developing industry. This skill gap is expected to be an important restraint to market growth.

Global Healthcare Additive Manufacturing Market Opportunities

Patent Expiration

Expiring patents have released the monopolistic control of original pioneers of the additive manufacturing industry. For instance 2009, the patent for the Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) printing technique expired. The patent expiration caused a huge price drop in FDM printers, and companies such as Ultimaker and MakerBot developed consumer-friendly 3D printers. With the expiration of patents, a rise in the number of players in the additive manufacturing market has been observed.

Furthermore, emerging players are creating varied applications of the same technology at a much lower price. The top three technologies that were affected by this are liquid-based (liquid-based stereolithography), power-based (selective laser sintering-2014), and material-based (direct metal laser sintering and selective laser melting-2016). Hence, patent expirations are expected to create opportunities for market growth.

Regional Analysis

Based on region, the global healthcare additive manufacturing market is bifurcated into North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, and the Middle East and Africa.

North America Dominates the Global Market

North America healthcare additive manufacturing market share is the most significant global market shareholder and is anticipated to exhibit a CAGR of 19.7% during the forecast period. The prominent market expansion drivers are the aging population, high purchasing power, strong government support for high-quality healthcare, and favorable reimbursement policies in the United States and Canada. For instance, in the U.S., Patient Protection and Affordable Act (PPACA), also known as Obamacare, provides affordable and quality health insurance schemes for its citizens. Moreover, favorable government initiatives to support research and development in the concerned market also increase the adoption of devices manufactured using additive manufacturing, boosting the market's growth.

Additionally, the U.S. has the most sophisticated healthcare infrastructure comprising multispecialty hospitals and clinics and high adoption of healthcare products and services due to high per capita income and consumer awareness about emerging technologies. The country also has a high pool of additive manufacturing companies with robust distribution networks. These companies are also involved in research and development in association with the National Institute of Health (NIH) and other government-funded institutions to bring innovative technologies into the healthcare additive manufacturing market, thereby creating opportunities for market growth.

Europe healthcare additive manufacturing market growth is estimated to exhibit a CAGR of 19.1% over the forecast period. Strong government support, an advanced healthcare system coupled with a growing geriatric population, a declining birth rate, and well-developed healthcare insurance programs can be attributed to the substantial market growth in the region. Furthermore, prominent research and development activities undertaken by government agencies and renowned regional institutions support market growth. For instance, the UK-based Rapid Prototyping & Manufacturing Association (RPMA) organizes events to promote additive manufacturing, and its audience includes university researchers and key industry participants. Similarly, Additive Manufacturing Association (AMA) promotes the adoption of product development and prototyping and provides valuable information to the 3D printing industry. Such factors are expected to aid in further market growth.

Asia-Pacific is anticipated to register the quickest CAGR during the forecast period because of increasing per capita income, economic development, and high unmet medical needs of a large population pool in China and India. There is significant demand for dental 3D printing due to the increasing number of people undergoing tooth replacement surgeries. In addition, the growing use of implants in orthopedic procedures, coupled with the rising prevalence of arthritis and rapidly improving healthcare infrastructure, support market growth. Moreover, rising consumer awareness of healthcare issues and technology developments in developing nations will support market expansion.

Latin America hosts an increasing number of events, including lectures, workshops, and symposiums. These initiatives promote and spread awareness about the use of 3D printing in healthcare, which is expected to foster market growth. For instance, an event called 3D Print Week (Si3D) was held recently at the Technological Institute of Buenos Aires in Argentina. The event attendees were from additive manufacturing industries, industry experts, academia, and medical and dental professionals, who were brought together on a single platform. In the event, the latest innovations, trends, scope, and challenges faced were discussed, which helped in highlighting the capabilities of additive manufacturing technology in healthcare. These initiatives are anticipated to be essential to the expansion of the Latin American healthcare market because additive manufacturing is still in its early stages of adoption in the region.

In the Middle East and Africa, the surging prevalence of non-communicable diseases, like renal failure and diabetes, is expected to propel market growth over the forecast period. Patient-specific 3D-printed replicas of kidneys play an effective role during complex renal surgeries. 3D replicas of kidneys help in planning surgeries and patient education. The number of kidney donors is less than that of patients needing kidney transplants. Therefore, it becomes important to perform surgeries efficiently, and as 3D-printed organs are cost-effective and reliable, their adoption is expected to increase over the period.

Segmental Analysis

The global healthcare additive manufacturing market is segmented by technology, application, and material.

Based on technology, the global healthcare additive manufacturing market is segmented into stereolithography, deposition modeling, electron beam melting, laser sintering, jetting technology, laminated object manufacturing, and others.

The laser sintering segment owns the highest market share and is predicted to exhibit a CAGR of 20.3% during the forecast period. In laser sintering, the material is heated using high powered laser without being liquified to create complex, high-resolution objects. Two types of laser sintering methods exist Selective Laser Sintering (SLS) and Direct Metal Laser Sintering (DMLS). SLS is similar to SLA and uses a laser to sinter powdered materials such as plastic, metal, ceramic, or glass into a solid structure. The laser traces the pattern of each cross-section of the 3D design onto a powder bed. Following the completion of the first layer, the bed will be lowered before a second layer will be added to the already existing layers. In addition, the bed continues to lower until every layer is built and the model is ready. Unlike other technologies, the main advantage of SLS is that it does not require a support structure to build the product.

Additionally, DMLS is specific for metals only and uses a laser to melt ultra-thin layers of metal powder to build 3D products. Stainless steel, titanium, and cobalt-chrome are some of the available metal choices. DMLS is frequently utilized in the manufacturing of medical implants.

Stereolithography, or SLA or SL, is a laser-based technology that uses UV-sensitive liquid resin. Photosensitive liquid resin is solidified using a UV laser beam to build the 3D object layer by layer. It enables the manufacturing of accurate prototypes and complex forms from photosensitive resins. In addition, SLA is perfect for making parts of orthodontic and prosthetic appliances, as it creates precise models with fine details and smooth surfaces. A common application of this technology in the medical device industry is to create patient-specific surgical cutting guides.

Based on application, the global healthcare additive manufacturing market is divided into medical implants, prosthetics, wearable devices, tissue engineering, and others. 

The medical implants segment is the most significant contributor to the market and is estimated to exhibit a CAGR of 21.3% over the forecast period. Medical implants are devices that are employed to replace defective organs. Other implants provide support to tissues and organs, monitor body functions, and even deliver medication. In this context, "medical implants" encompasses dental and orthopedic implants. In addition, medical implants offer several benefits, such as increased productivity, cost-effectiveness, the ability to incorporate scaffolds, and customization of implants. AM printing is particularly cost-effective for small-sized dental or spinal implants.

Tissue Engineering includes the application of AM in tissue fabrication. For instance, scaffolds or tissues are used for drug discovery, drug delivery, regenerative engineering, etc. As per an article published by NCBI in 2018, additive manufacturing has rapidly grown in tissue engineering since 2000. It also emerges as an alternative technique to regenerate damaged organs or tissues. Additive manufacturing techniques, such as SLS and FDM, are appropriate for fabricating controlled porous structures using biomaterial in tissue engineering and scaffolding.

Based on material, the global healthcare additive manufacturing market is metals and alloys, polymers, biological cells, and others. 

The polymers segment dominates the global market and is projected to exhibit a CAGR of 21.4% over the forecast period. Polymer-based AM has been used for decades in creating medical instruments, prosthetic limbs, and related accessories. Polymers-based models are also used for medical education purposes. Such models help in preoperative planning, implant design, and diagnosis. In addition, polymeric materials have been used in solid, liquid, and powder forms for AM of medical devices and implants. A wide range of polymeric materials like high-density polyethylene, polystyrene, polymethyl methacrylate, polycarbonate, polyethylene, polycaprolactone, polyetheretherketone, nylon (PA6, PA12, and PA66) can be processed using selective laser sintering for production of medical devices and implants such as spinal, hip, and knee implants.

Additive Manufacturing (AM) uses a variety of metals and metal alloys, including titanium, stainless steel, and cobalt. The most common metals used for surgical implants are titanium alloy Ti-6Al-4V, cobalt-based alloys, and stainless steel 316L. The most commonly used titanium alloy is Ti-6Al-4V (Ti64), as it has better resistance to corrosion compared to cobalt-based alloys and stainless steel. Moreover, titanium is used for spinal implants, as titanium fusion implants can incorporate intricate porous features. Titanium fusion implants have high strength, allowing inspection windows in the implant sidewalls to evaluate implant integration with host tissue.

Recent Developments

• June 2023- Formlabs introduced two healthcare-specific materials for its Form 3B 3D printer series. The Form 3B, Form 3B+, and Form 3BL desktop stereolithography systems from the additive manufacturing company have been designed for use with Dental LT Comfort Resin and Biomed Durable Resin at point-of-care settings, medical device production, and dental and orthodontic labs.
• May 2023- Ricoh USA, Inc. announced that RICOH 3D for Healthcare, a HIPAA-compliant, ISO 13485-certified 3D medical manufacturing center for the development, design, and production of 3D-printed anatomic models, received 510(k) certification from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).