By 3D printing a custom-made mold, every woman can get a custom-made pressarium in the future. A prototype of a pressarium that Saxion University of Applied Sciences has developed together with hospital group Twente (ZGT), TechForFutre and several partners shows that insertion is easier and less painful.
One in four women over the age of forty has uterine or bladder prolapse. For women who have given birth, this number rises to one in three. “It is a problem that many women suffer from. Moreover, it has a lot of impact on their daily lives. Yet talking about it is still taboo,” says Angelique Veenstra – van Nieuwenhoven, gynecologist at ZGT. The prolapse of one or more organs, such as the uterus, bladder, intestines or a combination, causes all kinds of complaints.
Saxion University of Applied Sciences and ZGT are conducting research into the wider use of 3D printing in healthcare
Easy to insert
A diaphragm can reduce the symptoms of a bladder or uterus prolapse or prevent the prolapse from getting worse. A diaphragm is a silicone ring that the doctor or gynecologist inserts vaginally to strengthen the position of the uterus. This can be experienced as unpleasant. The pessary should be removed, cleaned and reinserted every 3 to 6 months. Women can do this themselves, but they often experience a threshold. That is why Saxion, together with the gynecology department of the ZGT, developed a prototype diaphragm that is easier to insert and remove due to its shape and ease of use. The mold used to make the diaphragm is 3D printed. The 3D printing of the mold should make it possible in the future to tailor-make the pessary for each patient in the hospital. Because it becomes easier to insert and remove the pressarium yourself, the pressure on care will be reduced.
Medical 3D printing as a new standard
The results of the research will be included in a two-year RAAK public survey at Saxion University of Applied Sciences. This research focuses on the further development of 3D printing of personal medical devices. “We want to link the technical knowledge of 3D printing to the medical knowledge of the institutions we work with,” says Anne Pasman, researcher at the Saxion Industrial Design research group:. “By using each other’s knowledge, experience and facilities, we want to give medical 3D printing an enormous boost.”