Healthcare 3D Printing Market - Growth, Trends, COVID-19 Impact, and Forecasts (2022 - 2027)

[Report Description]

The healthcare 3D printing market is expected to register a CAGR of nearly 17.5% during the forecast period.

Globally, the COVID-19 pandemic, caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), has spread across various countries, leading to diverse health systems overload, worldwide. Because of the high number of patients and the supply chain disruption, it generated a shortage of medical devices and personal protective equipment.

According to a research study by Guilherme Arthur Longhitano et al., published in Progress in Additive Manufacturing Journal November 2020, the additive manufacturing community emerged to fight against the lack of medical devices during the COVID-19 pandemic. Diverse designs were produced and are currently being used in hospitals by patients and health workers. Moreover, there has been increasing use of 3D printed devices, such as face shields, face masks, valves, and nasopharyngeal swabs, which shows a positive impact on market growth. Thus, additive manufacturing is still a relatively recent technology used in medical applications and may ensure that additive manufacturing continues to help humanity fight against pandemics.

Additive manufacturing, often referred to as 3D printing, can provide cost-efficient methods to produce highly complex and customized components, single parts, or small batches of products.

Dental laboratories and hearing aid manufacturers get the maximum benefit from 3D printing in healthcare. A growing number of hearing aids are 3D printed in current innovations and technological advancements, making it one of the important factors to positively drive this market over the forecast period. This has been the case with dental implants as well.

With an increasing number of procedures for dental implants, the need for customized procedures has risen. This can be catered to by 3D printing techniques. 3D printing technologies capabilities are being explored at a rapid pace across the developed markets for a wide variety of applications in the medical/healthcare field.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO) 2020, one in six COVID-19 patients suffers from difficulty in breathing. Thus, a ventilator that supplies sufficient oxygen into the patient’s lungs and removes carbon dioxide support may be required. A promising development, such as 3D-printed ventilators, has taken place in Spain. Although it cannot be described as a ventilator but an emergency unit, it can be beneficial for patients who are suffering from breathing difficulty, but cannot be for serious cases.

Other factors, such as technological advancements, leading to the enhanced application and increasing scope of bioengineering products, are driving the growth of the healthcare 3D printing market. For instance, according to a research study by Gordon M. Paul et al., published in Missouri Medicine Journal February 2018, 3D models can assist surgeons to study the impaired organs before the operation, explore various approaches and acquire hands-on experience. This process shortens operation time and ultimately improves the outcome of the operation for the patients, the surgeons, and the patients’ care providers. However, factors, such as shortage of skilled professionals and stringent regulatory guidelines, are expected to impede market growth over the forecast period.

Key Market Trends

Metals and Alloy Segment is Expected to Grow with High CAGR Over the Forecast Period

For any 3D-printed device to be used for implant/other medical uses, biocompatibility is of utmost importance. Any material used must comply with surface chemistry, surface topography, and other parameters that drive biological response to the implanted device. Titanium alloy and pure titanium are the most preferred and biocompatible metallic materials for a biomedical implant.

According to a research study by Ayca Aydin et al., published in Emergent Materials Journal February 2021, globally, hospitals are overwhelmed by the volume of patients and the lack of personal protective equipment (PPE), including face masks, gloves, eye protection, and clothing. In addition, the lack of nasal swabs that are used for testing and respirators, which are emergency devices that help patients breathe for a short period of time. In order to overcome the limited number of equipment available, 3D printing is integrated into the process of the COVID-19 battle by manufacturing the equipment that is convenient.

Thus, 3D printing was found to be the perfect technology, and a wide variety of biomaterials, such as metal and alloy, hydrogel, and polymeric biomaterials based, have been used and developed as inks for creating 3D structures with a wide range of size and stiffness.

Titanium alloys, like Ti6Al4V, improve strength and have resistance to corrosion. However, it is important to consider that the high elastic modulus in titanium causes an elastic mismatch between the bones and the implant. On the whole, titanium is one of the most adopted metals for 3D printing for medical applications.

According to a research study by Ayca Aydin et al., published in Materials Today Bio Journal June 2019, 3D printing of metals with controllable structures represents a state-of-the-art technology that enables the development of metallic implants for biomedical applications. Biological 3D printing is expected to provide an unprecedented opportunity through the continuous development and improvement of the biomedical materials industry and 3D printing technology.

Furthermore, with advancements in technology, 3D printing titanium is expected to revolutionize medical device manufacturers over the forecast period. However, 3D-printed devices require software and material specifications that are more stringent than the specifications of the other traditional medical devices. These factors are expected to provide steady and consistent growth to companies and overall business over the forecast period.

North America Dominates the Market and Expected to do Same in the Forecast Period

Some of the factors that are driving the market growth in North America region is due to increasing trends and developments in customized 3D printing and technological advancements, leading to enhanced applications.

According to a research study by Rance Tino et al., published in 3D Printing in Medicine Journal April 2020, in the United States, during the COVID-19 pandemic 2020, 3D printed ventilator splitters and adjustable flow control valves have been adapted, such as the no2covid-ONE valve a single ventilator for use with multiple patients who have different oxygen requirements. Thus, such a new creative solutions for increasingly complex challenges from COVID-19 is boosting the market growth.

Advances in medical 3D printing technology and increasing 3D printing medical applications have made tremendous contributions to fields throughout healthcare.

Furthermore, rising demand for customized implants during surgical procedures coupled with growing R&D investments is also boosting the 3D printing market growth. For instance, iIn the United States, Ohio State University in collaboration with Nexxt Spine, LLC., is conducting a clinical trial to evaluate and compare radiographic and clinical outcomes in patients who are to undergo combined interbody/posterolateral lumbar fusion procedures, supplemented with pedicle screw instrumentation, using the Nexxt Spine Nexxt MatrixxTM 3D-printed titanium cage or the HonourTM poly-ether-ether-ketone cage.

Increasing adoption of 3d printing technologies also driving the market growth. For instance, in Canada, Ottawa is the first hospital to have an integrated medical 3D printing program for surgical planning, education, and research. It will have general uses for cancer patients, fracture patients, orthopaedic and vascular patients, as well as for skull-based tumours. It also will open up new avenues for research. Thus, owing to above mentioned factors it is expected to drive market growth in North America region during the forecast period.

Competitive Landscape

The healthcare 3D printing market is consolidated, competitive, and consists of a few major players. The major players in the market have implemented certain strategies, like product launches, to sustain market competition. With the rising demand driven by the increasing medical applications, manufacturers are investing more in R&D, which may drive the market in the forecast period. Some of the major players of the market are Stratasys Ltd, Renishaw PLC, 3D Systems Inc., Nanoscribe GmbH & Co. KG, and Nano3D Biosciences Inc., among others.

Additional Benefits:

• The market estimate (ME) sheet in Excel format


• 3 months of analyst support