Case Study: Walter Reed Army Medical Center achieves faster, more precise custom implants with 3D Systems (Geomagic FreeForm)

Delivering Custom Implants Faster With Geomagic Freeform

3D Medical Applications Center at Walter Reed Army Medical Center creates custom anatomical models and implants for DOD and VA hospitals. The center’s clinicians faced slow, difficult modeling workflows—parts could take days to design—yet implants must fit precisely and be produced affordably and quickly for injured soldiers.

By adding Geomagic FreeForm to their workflow (converting CT/MRI slices to STL, NURBS modeling, digital sculpting and Boolean operations) and producing SLA prototypes for surgical templates, the team cut design time from days to about 2–3 hours per part. After roughly 8 hours of training they completed multiple skull implants (and began a pelvic implant), achieving faster turnaround, better fit and smoother, more refined implant shapes.

Walter Reed Army Medical Center

Stephen Rouse

Director