RICOH Leverages Stratasys Partnership and Technology to Expand Point-of-Care 3D Medical Modeling in the U.S.

RICOH leverages Stratasys partnership and technology to expand point-of-care 3D medical modeling in the U.S.

OCTOBER 13, 2022

What started for RICOH, a global leader in advanced manufacturing, as an engineering partnership with Stratasys in the early 2000s (to develop PolyJet technology using RICOH printer heads) has blossomed into RICOH 3D for Healthcare—an integrated HIPAA-enabled workflow to develop, design, and produce patient-specific 3D printed anatomic models—powered by Stratasys technology.

3D printed, patient-specific models are increasingly being used for pre-surgical planning to give providers a tactile, visual way to prepare for a case. But at many healthcare facilities, providers and administrators have not been exposed to the latest advancements in patient-specific medical modeling or do not yet have the technical expertise or resources to set up their own 3D printing lab onsite.

Today, RICOH is leveraging its expertise in advanced manufacturing and logistics to get 3D medical models into the hands of providers in two ways—by offering point-of-care printing where a Ricoh Managed Services team works onsite and manages an entire 3D print lab with Stratasys technology, or an on-demand option where models can be ordered, printed at the Ricoh facility using Stratasys printers, and shipped directly to the provider.

“If a surgeon is going to plan for a surgery, we want to make sure they have the absolute best preparation they can have and that means removing any barriers to get this technology into the hands of providers so they can deliver the absolute best patient care.”

Gary Turner, Managing Director of Additive Manufacturing North America for RICOH

RICOH’s Stratasys technology portfolio includes the following models; J750 Digital Anatomy Printer,  F370 FDM printer, J5 MediJet and Origin One.

By harnessing Stratasys technology, the RICOH sales team has been able to more broadly demonstrate the value of patient-specific models and on-premises 3D printing solutions to providers.

“We provide the people, processes and technology to help healthcare providers incorporate 3D printing at their facility. Whether you want to simply order a patient-specific medical model, or set up a fully-staffed, on-site lab, RICOH offers the expertise to make this invaluable tool more accessible.”

Patrick Gannon, Director of Production for Additive Manufacturing at RICOH

Most recently, RICOH 3D for Healthcare received 510(k) clearance from the FDA for  craniomaxillofacial and orthopedic patient-specific modeling and ISO 13485 certification for their Quality Management System — important steps to deliver functional, ultra-realistic models to providers across the country.

“We’re working to democratize access and make it as easy as possible to get patient-specific models into the hands of surgeons everywhere—not just at the institutions that are at the leading edge of the technology.”

Gary Turner, Managing Director of Additive Manufacturing North America for RICOH

On-demand medical modeling: How it works

• A healthcare provider requests a 3D printed medical model before surgery.
• The facility uploads 3D files of the patient anatomy to RICOH’s 3D Case Management and Workflow Portal.
• RICOH’s biomedical engineering team consults with the team at the healthcare facility and prepares the files for 3D printing.
• RICOH prints the model(s) at its production facility using highly-accurate, leading edge 3D print technology from Stratasys.
• RICOH packages and ships the model to the healthcare provider for timely, seamless delivery.

Accessible medical modeling powered by Stratasys

RICOH’s 3D printing production facility features leading-edge Stratasys technology.

J750 Digital Anatomy Printer

• For unparalleled visual models including full color and transparency and for simulation of biomechanically accurate functional models ranging from flexible blood vessels to rigid bones.‍

J5 MediJet

• For high quality, visual and full color models—designed to provide high fidelity color and transparency.

Origin One

• For high speed printing of single material, high resolution models.‍‍

FDM 370

• For quick, durable, lower cost models made in single material.