A medical technology company in southwest China has pioneered globally unprecedented speed in the 3D printing of orthopedic casts, producing personalized supports in less than half an hour.
The state-of-the-art machines are the world's first 3D high-speed printing (3D HSP) systems for producing medical equipment, developed by West China Pitech, headquartered in Chengdu, the capital of southwest Sichuan Province.
The printers can rapidly produce external fixation supports similar to plaster casts used in emergencies and to help patients recover from injuries. The technology has now been widely applied in 16 provinces and regions across China.
"Our equipment is the world's first 3D HSP printer. Traditional machines usually take five to six hours to print, but that's been shortened to about 20 minutes. This is key to the new quality productivity forces that we advocate for now, as it gives patients a better experience and provides more timely treatment," said Sun Miao, general manager of West China Pitech.
Besides 3D printing, the company also takes a leading role in medical rehabilitation. One of their products, a robotic device with a control stick that can be pushed and pulled in all directions, lets patients play the classic Chinese tile game of Mahjong and other interactive games to aid upper limb recovery.
"You can start trying to push it forward. We now control this hand, shuffle the cards here, and fully mobilize people's subjective initiative," said Zhang Tailue, head of the logical feature team of West China Pitech.
The level of resistance on the control stick can be adjusted based on the personalized needs of the patient, according to Zhang.
"The scenarios we are currently targeting are communities and homes. With our equipment offered to communities, the elderly can simply go downstairs and spend a few minutes completing these. It’s an important example of the new quality productive forces, as it allows more people to enjoy a better experience at a lower cost," said Zhang.
China makes global breakthrough in high-speed 3D printers for medical equipment
China makes global breakthrough in high-speed 3D printers for medical equipment
The 32nd Beijing International Book Fair (BIBF) concluded on Sunday after a five-day run, sealing 2,835 copyright trade agreements and letters of intent between Chinese and international publishers.
The fair brought together over 1,700 exhibitors from 82 countries and regions, with social sciences, children's books, and science and technology titles ranking as the top three categories in trading volume.
At the exhibition, the first batch of results from the China-Italy Classic Works Mutual Translation and Publishing Project was officially unveiled.
Four works have completed mutual translation and publication: Chinese titles "I and the Temple of Earth" and "An Overview of Ancient Chinese Architecture", alongside Italian classics "I Canti" and "From the New Science".
"I believe this will bring great cultural value to readers in both Italy and China. This year marks the first achievement, and we are now in the process of deciding the four books to be translated next year," said Federico Roberto Antonelli, cultural counselor of Italian Embassy in China.
Domestic publishing houses continued to push high-quality works for overseas promotion.
China's "Road Choices in the Past 100 Years", a record of China's century-long development journey, saw its Arabic, Russian, and Portuguese editions launched at the fair.
"This book has already been translated into five languages. We've found that many international colleagues are paying close attention to this type of books. We also believe that books on the origins of Chinese civilization and other traditional cultural classics (and similar topics) are of high demand," said Song Zhijun, executive director and Party secretary of Life Reading New Knowledge Sanlian Bookstore.
"Charming Guangdong," a book celebrating Lingnan culture, has signed a copyright deal with a Polish publishing institution to expand its international audience.
This year's fair featured a rich variety of copyright export categories, covering literature, art, history, and other fields, with notable achievements in children's publications going global.
Haiyan Publishing House signed strategic cooperation agreements with publishing institutions from the United States and Sri Lanka, centered on its "Chinese Classic Folk Tales Picture Book Series" as part of the Chinese Civilization Heritage Collection.
The 32nd Beijing International Book Fair opened on June 17 at the China National Convention Center in Beijing under the theme "Books as a Bridge for Dialogue, Exchange and Win-Win Cooperation".
32nd Beijing Int’l Book Fair concludes with 2,835 copyright agreements
