Dr James Allen, our Health Innovation Technician, has been tracking the most exciting breakthroughs in health-tech from 2025. Here are his top picks:
World’s first MDR‑compliant 3D‑printed PEEK facial implant
3D Systems, working with University Hospital Basel, produced the first Medical Device Regulation (MDR)‑compliant 3D-printed PEEK facial implant inside a hospital, enabling patient-specific implants on site.
Read more here.
Where we can help: We have 3D printers, including PEEK, and CAD software to create anatomical models or prototypes of implants, experimenting with shape, size, and lattice structures.
First clinical trial of a 3D‑printed bioresorbable airway splint
Michigan Medicine and Materialise began a pivotal trial for a bioresorbable 3D-printed airway splint that supports paediatric airways and dissolves over time.
Read more here.
Where we can help: Build bio-inspired, biodegradable prototypes with our 3D printers using PLA/PHA filaments to explore scaffold designs.
First fully customised titanium spinal implant surgery
UC San Diego Health performed the first anterior cervical spine surgery using a fully custom 3D-printed titanium implant tailored to a patient’s anatomy.
Read more here.
Where we can help: We have Renishaw metal 3D printers to prototype patient-specific surgical guides or models.
First-ever laser‑3D-printed total knee implant
Naton Biotechnology, in collaboration with academic partners, has developed the world’s first total knee implant manufactured by laser powder bed fusion (LPBF), using a cobalt–chromium–molybdenum alloy.
Read more here.
Where we can help: We have metal 3D printing machines to prototype lattice or joint‑implant-style geometries on a smaller scale, simulating how structural strength and porosity change with design.
World’s first body‑scale knitted NFC sensor network for wearable health
Researchers have developed a full‑body near-field communication (NFC) e-textile, knitted with conductive yarn and twin meander coil design, that allows battery-free sensors sewn anywhere on the garment to communicate via NFC. This provides a scalable, ultra-low‑power method for body-wide health monitoring.
Read more here.
Where we can help: Use our sewing machines and electronics equipment to prototype electronic embedded clothing for health monitoring.
World’s first biofeedback‑enabled neck isometric exercise device
Researchers at Banaras Hindu University (BHU) and Indian Institute of Technology (BHU) (IIT‑BHU) have developed the world’s first biofeedback‑enabled neck isometric exercise device, integrating force sensors and real‑time visual feedback to transform neck rehabilitation therapy.
Read more here.
Where we can help: Use our Arduino bio signal kits, load‑cells and display modules to prototype your own biofeedback platform. Record muscle force or activation, visualise feedback in real time and experiment with guided rehab routines in the makerspace.
World’s first full-arm exoskeleton for stroke rehabilitation
Vilje Bionics has developed the world’s first exoskeleton that supports movement in the entire arm (shoulder, elbow, hand), enabling stroke survivors with very limited residual motion to regain functional productivity.
Read more here.
Where we can help: Use our laser-cutting facilities and electronics kits to build a prototype arm exoskeleton. Combine servo motors, structural components, and inertial sensors to detect user intent and experiment with amplifying tiny residual movements.
First in‑vivo semi‑automated laser tissue soldering for bowel closure
Researchers demonstrated a robot-assisted, laser-based system that can close bowel incisions in live pigs without manual suturing. This is the first in-vivo contact-free surgical soldering system, representing a potential step-change in minimally invasive surgery.
Read more here.
Where we can help: We can build early-stage robotic prototypes to simulate precision cutting systems for biomedical or educational applications.
World’s first smartphone-based dental photogrammetry system
PIC Dental has developed the world’s first commercially available smartphone-based photogrammetry app for capturing full-arch dental implant positions. This innovation makes it possible to record highly accurate 3D implant data using just a phone, significantly lowering the cost and complexity of digital implant workflows.
Read more here.
Where we can help: We have a high-end photogrammetry setup, smartphones, and 3D-modelling tools to capture and convert the data into mesh files and prototype with 3D printing.
World-first remote neurosurgical planning in Mixed Reality (MR)
Neurosurgeons in the UK and US collaborated remotely using MR headsets to plan a patient case; the first documented fully remote multi-institution neurosurgical planning session.
Read more here.
Where we can help: We have virtual reality equipment to visualise medical scans or 3D anatomical models, and we can create scenes and scenarios through CAD design.
