Formlabs has announced the availability of BioMed White Resin and BioMed Black Resin. The company says these new biocompatible materials shows its commitment to advancing medical uses of 3D printing to enable for fast medical device iterations, reliable surgical planning, and custom tools for ground-breaking healthcare research.

BioMed White and Black Resins are an addition to Formlabs’ materials line-up, which includes other resins used in healthcare and dental applications such as BioMed Amber, Elastic, BioMed Clear, and others.

BioMed Black and White are USP Class VI certified and provide high performance, sterilisation compatibility, and long-term stability, designed for applications where opaque materials are preferred for functionality or aesthetic quality. BioMed Black and White Resins are now available for order.

These resins have already been used to improve point-of-care manufacturing and patient outcomes, and BioMed White Resin was used already in a lifesaving surgery for an endangered bird:

• When BioMed White Resin was in development, Formlabs donated the material for its first use in a successful surgery of an Indian Hornbill at ZooTampa. 
• A custom 3D printed prosthetic casque for the bird needed to be lightweight, hard and durable.
• BioMed White fit those requirements and the resin even happened to be compatible with the yellow preening oils secreted from the glands above her tail, giving the new casque the same bright glow as her original one.

Gaurav Manchanda, director, medical market development, Formlabs, said: “3D printing is a critical technology for advancing precision healthcare. Formlabs enables providers and medical facilities to improve care with patient-specific models, surgical guides, custom medical devices, and more with a variety of resins and materials that are safe for patient use. By expanding this library with the new BioMed Black and White resins, providers, medical device manufacturers, and other facilities can advance innovation and adoption of 3D printing to benefit patients.

“Already, BioMed White Resin has been used in a first-of-its-kind restorative surgery for an Indian Hornbill at ZooTampa. The resin suited the needs of a unique, custom prosthetic for the bird’s casque, supporting a complete recovery.”