Formlabs says the number of hospitals and health systems using its printers to make swabs, surgical tools and more quadrupled during the pandemic. [Image courtesy of Formlabs]
Formlabs announced today that its 3D printers have made it into the catalog of Vizient, a major group purchasing organization for U.S. health providers.
The Vizient contract is the first for a 3D printing company seeking access to the healthcare market. Officials at Somerville, Massachusetts–based Formlabs said the deal demonstrates the increased demand at hospitals and ambulatory surgery centers for 3D printed surgical tools and medical supplies amid pandemic-related supply chain problems.
When traditional manufacturers were unable to meet the demand for nasopharyngeal swabs for COVID-19 testing, Formlabs 3D printers picked up the slack and produced 70 million, according to the company. Formlabs says the number of hospitals and health systems using its printers quadrupled during the pandemic.
Formlabs boasts that its affordable, professional-grade technology is validated in multiple FDA 510(k) cleared processes for manufacturing surgical tools within the hospital or by third-party vendors.
“The inclusion of the Formlabs technology ecosystem in the Vizient catalog signals an inflection point for 3D printing in the healthcare industry,” Gaurav Manchanda, director of medical market development at Formlabs, said in a news release. “As the first 3D printing company to be listed in the largest and most prominent GPO catalog in the country, Formlabs has solidified its position as the leader driving adoption of 3D printing for precision surgery.”