Analysis

May 16, 2019

This startup is 3D printing breast implants for cancer survivors

The implant dissolves as healthy tissue grows to form a new breast.


Kitty Knowles

4 min read

Inside 3D printed breast implant startup Lattice Medical. Credit: Creative Commons / Flickr / National Library of Medicine.

Nearly a decade ago, three women — a mother and her two daughters — underwent double mastectomies in France. The family then spent years on waiting lists for reconstructive surgery, before dozens of operations and numerous complications to put in silicone implants.

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Julien Payen, cofounder Lattice Medical.
Julien Payen, cofounder Lattice Medical.
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Lattice Medical's early prototypes.
Lattice Medical's early prototypes.
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Lattice Medical showcases the intricate forms that can be 3Dprinted.
Lattice Medical showcases the intricate forms that can be 3D-printed.
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Maria João Cardoso
Maria João Cardoso
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