Method for Additive Manufacturing of a Medical and/or Pharmaceutical Product and Corresponding Product

Simple SummaryContent extracted from patent full text and abstract with AI.

This patent describes an advanced additive manufacturing (3D printing) method for producing medical and pharmaceutical products such as tablets, implants, and prostheses. The method involves electrostatically charging and selectively depositing powders that may contain pharmaceutical ingredients, allowing for precise, customized, and efficient production of layered products with tailored compositions. The process enables the integration of multiple materials or drugs, precise spatial control, and can be used to create complex, multi-functional items individualized for specific patient needs.

Use CasesContent extracted from patent full text and abstract with AI.

• Manufacture of personalized pharmaceutical tablets with controlled drug release profiles.
• Production of custom medical implants or prosthetics with integrated drug delivery (e.g., coatings that release medication at the implant site).
• Creation of medical devices with regions containing different drugs or different material properties, tailored to patient specifications or treatment requirements.
• Parallel manufacturing of different or identical medical/pharmaceutical products (e.g., batches of tablets with custom dosages).
• Production of multi-material or multi-compound devices for complex drug therapies (e.g., combination tablets, layered drug delivery systems).
• On-demand, decentralized manufacturing of patient-specific medicines in pharmacies or hospitals.

BenefitsContent extracted from patent full text and abstract with AI.

• Enables high-precision and individualized customization of medical and pharmaceutical products, increasing treatment effectiveness and patient compliance.
• Reduces material and active ingredient waste through targeted powder placement, especially valuable when using expensive pharmaceutical substances.
• Allows for multi-material and multi-functional product design (e.g., implants with graded drug medication zones or tablets with multiple active compounds).
• Facilitates the integration of different materials or drugs without requiring post-manufacture assembly or joining, streamlining production and improving product robustness.
• Improves control over drug release profiles and spatial distribution within the product (e.g., encapsulation for delayed release, gradient transitions for stepwise medication).
• Enables efficient, potentially automated parallel manufacturing (batch production), increasing scalability and economic viability.
• Minimizes handling and contamination risk due to contactless powder application, which is important for sensitive pharmaceutical materials.

Technical Classifications (CPCs)

Inventors & Applicants

Patent Abstract

The invention relates to a method for additively manufacturing a medical and/or pharmaceutical product and to a medical and/or pharmaceutical product manufactured in a corresponding manner. At least one powder (P2) which has at least one pharmaceutical ingredient is provided. One or more product layers (B1, B2, B3) of the product to be manufactured are produced, wherein in order to manufacture a product layer (B3), at least one powder fraction (A3) of the at least one powder (P2) is applied by electrostatically charging the powder fraction (A3). An application unit (7) is electrostatically charged at least in some regions using electrophotographic methods, and the electrostatically charged powder fraction (A3) is received by means of the application unit (7), which has been electrostatically charged at least in some regions, and is transferred to an application surface (F). The applied powder fraction (A3) is solidified.