XRIZE Opens Path Into The Healthcare Sector

RIZE announced a key integration that could open up more sales of their full-color XRIZE device in the healthcare sector.

The XRIZE is an unusual machine in that it is one of the few devices that can 3D print in full color. It’s able to imprint full color textures on the surface of 3D prints, achieved using their ingenious inkjet system that is part of the RIZE devices.

The new arrangement deals with Synopsys’ Simpleware software. Simpleware is a 3D processing tool for medical data, and is typically used for 3D visualizations and simulations.

However, the key value of Simpleware in this arrangement is that it integrates with a broad spectrum of medical equipment that produces 3D scan data. Many of these devices use unusual (for the 3D print world) file formats such as DICOM, which are not normally used or possible in many standard 3D print utilities.

Since Simpleware is able to collect and process medical 3D data, it is able to provide that same data for use in 3D printing, even though its standard functions are visual.

In other words, if you had data from a random medical device and hoped to 3D print it, you’d be hard pressed to figure out the data workflow and processing required to get the job done. This integration should smooth that path significantly, and Simpleware can perform a number of 3D operations on the data along the way.

The news this week is that RIZE announced their XRIZE full-color 3D printing solution is fully compatible with Simpleware. They said:

“The XRIZE full-color industrial desktop 3D printing platform is compatible with Synopsys’ FDA 510(k)-cleared Simpleware software. Simpleware software is cleared for creating models from medical imaging that can be exported to compatible printers such as XRIZE to produce physical replicas used for diagnostic purposes in the field of orthopedic, maxillofacial and cardiovascular applications. As part of its clearance process, Synopsys used the XRIZE platform to validate an end-to-end DICOM to 3D print workflow, enabling a 3D Point-of-Care (POC) solution for end-users.”

It may have been technically possible for someone to convert DICOM files into data printable by the XRIZE system previously, but if done the resulting prints could not be used in a medical setting due to the lack of regulatory certifications.

In this arrangement RIZE effectively inherits the Synopsys’ certifications and thus opens up their system for healthcare use. It’s a very strategic move by RIZE, as it avoids the long process of obtaining their own certification.

The XRIZE system should be entirely compatible with a wide variety of installations at healthcare facilities, simply because of the safety features of the system. Its material system is designed to not emit any VOCs or nanoparticles through chemistry, meaning there is no need for expensive ventilation systems at installation sites.

Five of their devices have achieved the UL GREENGUARD 2904 certification, and the XRIZE is one of them.

Sales of XRIZE systems should grow notably in coming years as a result of this integration, as there is an ever-increasing amount of customized medical applications. RIZE is now set to ride that wave going forward.

Via RIZE, EINPressWire and Synopsys