3-D printer Materialise ($MTLS) and Beijing-based cardiovascular specialist Fuwai Hospital have partnered to open a multidisciplinary 3-D printing center for use in clinical planning. Medical uses are a large and fast growing segment for Materialise, which has done several high-profile deals targeting the industry.
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| 3-D printed heart--Courtesy of Materialise |
The deal will give the fast-growing 3-D printer a foothold in China and build upon its existing position in medical products. It focuses on working with the hospital and Chinese regulators to enable the building of 3-D printed heart models.
"Around the world, these heart models have already proven invaluable for the preparation of complex interventions, thereby improving outcomes and in many cases, saving lives," said Materialise board chairman Peter Leys in a statement. "This is especially true for young babies born with heart defects due to the complexity that comes with treating patients so young and delicate."
In the fourth quarter, the medical segment accounted for 34% of Materialise's $26.1 million in first-quarter revenues--that's only smaller than the 40% for industrial production. The remaining 26% is specifically tied to 3-D printing software sales. Both industrial and medical production has double-digit growth in sales last quarter, but software sales were the fastest with a growth rate of more than 50%.
The Belgian company said it's investing in manufacturing, particularly aimed at medical and aerospace applications, during its most recent earnings call in May. It also said it had brought the manufacturing of complex surgical product in-house.
Last year, it acquired OrthoView Holdings, a British company that offers 2-D digital preoperative planning and templating solutions for orthopedic surgeons. It also submitted its X-ray knee guide solution to the FDA last quarter; this enables 3-D printed surgical guides based on 2-D X-ray images.
On the Fuwai deal, the hospital's president, Dr. Hu Shengshou, said in a statement, "We appreciate the opportunity to work with a company that has 25 years of experience in medical 3-D printing as they help us navigate opportunities and achieve medical 3-D printing goals in a safe, economical and sustainable way. With this collaboration, Fuwai Hospital will become China's leading center for 3-D printed heart model education."
- here is the release