Just-in-time implants to radically advance tumour surgery

The five-year ‘Just-in-time implants’ project brings together the Australian Government, RMIT University, the University of Technology Sydney (UTS), St Vincent’s Hospital Melbourne and global medical technology firm Stryker. Worth more than $12.1m in research effort, the work is funded by Stryker with co-funding from the Innovative Manufacturing Cooperative Research Centre (IMCRC), which is contributing $2.36m in cash. RMIT’s Professor Milan Brandt and the project team will combine 3D printing, robotic surgery and advanced manufacturing to create tailored implants for patients with bone cancer.

“Our aim is to bring the technology to the theatre,” said Brandt. “While patients are having their cancer removed in the operating theatre, in the next room, we are custom printing an implant to precisely fill the space left after removal of the diseased bone.”

St Vincent’s Professor Peter Choong said just-in-time implants will transform the delivery of care for people with bone cancer: “By combining specialised imaging techniques, 3D printing and the accuracy of robotic assisted surgery, we are aiming to deliver a personalised implant in time for the surgeon to remove the cancer and repair the patient’s bone in the one operation.”

The process represents a major shift in the way implants are designed, manufactured and supplied, and could lead to bespoke local manufacturing.

“This is the future of implants and robotic surgery,” said Rob Wood, Director – Research & Development for Stryker South Pacific. “Australia is leading the way globally in developing and implementing new manufacturing models and technology in the medical space – combining robotic surgery and additive manufacturing.”

David Chuter, CEO and Managing Director of the IMCRC, said the project was a great example of how research-led innovation in manufacturing drives better products, services and processes.

“This is a significant research investment into Australia by Stryker, seeing a global organisation collaborating with two Australian universities and a local hospital,” said Chuter. “It highlights how Australia’s medtech environment offers research partners a unique setting for innovative research programs. Specifically, this project will establish advanced manufacturing capabilities that will ensure competitive advantage domestically and internationally. It will also train a new generation of engineers and researchers in medical robotics and the additive manufacturing of medical implants.”

Professor Emmanuel Josserand, Director of the Centre for Business and Social Innovation at UTS, said the project would also have a wider impact for business and the economy as Australia transitions to advanced manufacturing.

“Not only will there be direct business opportunities for Australian companies to become medical suppliers to Stryker, with its global supply chains,” he said. “There will also be an opportunity for the technologies and manufacturing know-how developed within this project to transfer over time to other local industries. These sorts of advanced manufacturing capabilities will ensure competitive advantage for Australian businesses, domestically and internationally.”