Scholarlink

This study evaluates the environmental impact of using nickel-free stainless steel powder for producing medical implants, focusing on additive manufacturing (AM) of stabilizer brackets used in the Nuss-bar procedure. Currently, titanium-based implants produced via CNC milling form the alternative for nickel-allergic patients, but their production is associated with high environmental impact. A comparative life cycle assessment (LCA) was conducted on three production routes: CNC-milled titanium, electron beam melted (EBM) titanium, and laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) of a nickel-free stainless steel. The results demonstrate that LPBF of the nickel-free alloy significantly reduces CO2 emissions (by 69% vs. CNC titanium and 58% vs. EBM titanium) and overall environmental impact. The findings highlight the potential of lower-impact materials in reducing the carbon footprint of healthcare for select use-cases.

错误：搜索内容不能为空，请输入英文关键词
错误：关键词超出字数限制，请精简
高级检索

The Production of Nickel-Free Stainless Steel Medical Implants: Demonstrator and Life Cycle Assessment

  • 会议论文

  • 出版模式：

    开放获取

  • 发表日期：

    2026年

查看全文
  • Brent Hendrickx,
  • Pooya Hosseini,
  • Atte Antikainen,
  • Tomi Lindroos,
  • Andoni Sanchez-Valverde,
  • Xuan Yang,
  • Joost R. Duflou

摘要

This study evaluates the environmental impact of using nickel-free stainless steel powder for producing medical implants, focusing on additive manufacturing (AM) of stabilizer brackets used in the Nuss-bar procedure. Currently, titanium-based implants produced via CNC milling form the alternative for nickel-allergic patients, but their production is associated with high environmental impact. A comparative life cycle assessment (LCA) was conducted on three production routes: CNC-milled titanium, electron beam melted (EBM) titanium, and laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) of a nickel-free stainless steel. The results demonstrate that LPBF of the nickel-free alloy significantly reduces CO2 emissions (by 69% vs. CNC titanium and 58% vs. EBM titanium) and overall environmental impact. The findings highlight the potential of lower-impact materials in reducing the carbon footprint of healthcare for select use-cases.