A 3D medical technology centre in Bristol has helped cyclist Dave Richards reconstruct his face after a serious accident, making him the first person in the UK to receive bespoke facial prosthetics created using 3D printing.
In 2021, a man was seriously injured when a drunk driver ran over him and his friends while driving in Somerset. Richards was trapped underneath the car and suffered severe burns and compression to the right side of his body, including his face.
He was given a custom facial inlay and neck splints to address the scars. It all started with a 3D scan of his face, after which the center’s specialists created a digital model and cast the prosthesis. Dave says the prosthetics have helped him feel more confident.
The Bristol 3D Medical Centre, which opened in April on the site of the former Frenchay Hospital, is believed to be the first facility in the UK to combine 3D scanning and printing in one place. It also models damaged organs with precise detailing of blood vessels and nerves to prepare for complex operations. One of the centre’s key technologies is a PEEK printer that operates at temperatures of up to 200°C.