China makes global breakthrough in high-speed 3D printers for medical equipment

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 opened 15 new international air cargo routes in September, adding 42 round-trip flights per week, the China Federation of Logistics and Purchasing (CFLP)’s air logistics division said on Sunday.

The newly launched routes included nine to Asia, four to Europe, and two to North America.

The cargo transported on the routes mainly included cross-border e-commerce goods, fresh food and agricultural products, electromechanical and electronic products, high-end manufactured goods, and consumer goods for daily use.

The flights are operated by nine airlines, eight of which are Chinese carriers.

According to CFLP’s air logistics division, China had opened a total of 130 new international air cargo routes as of September 30 this year, adding more than 334 round-trip flights per week.