3D Systems advances bioprinting tech for ‘first-of-its-kind’ nerve repair

3D Systems announced that its 3D bioprinting technologies have enabled FDA approval for the regenerative repair of peripheral nerve damage. For the last several years, 3D Systems has partnered with TISSIUM, a French MedTech company that is a pioneer in the development of biomorphic programmable polymers for tissue reconstruction, to develop a bespoke 3D printing solution for the repair of damaged peripheral nerves.

Combining TISSIUM’s expertise and proprietary biomorphic programable polymers with 3D Systems’ ground-breaking regenerative medicine bioprinting technologies has resulted in the successful development of a fully bioabsorbable 3D-printed medical device for nerve repair utilising a unique photopolymer.

This device, called COAPTIUM CONNECT with TISSIUM Light, is a first-of-its-kind, atraumatic, sutureless solution for the repair of peripheral nerves. Earlier this week, TISSIUM announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted De Novo marketing authorisation for this solution. This milestone validates the polymer’s clinical potential and paves the way for its use across a broad spectrum of transformative applications. Its unique polymer characteristics enable the production of high-resolution, elastomeric biodegradable implants that are unique in the industry.   

“This is a significant advancement in patient care,” said Scott Turner, vice president, advanced systems, 3D Systems. “It has been tremendously rewarding to work alongside the talented team at TISSIUM to design a complete 3D bioprinted solution that offers the potential for patients to recover from peripheral nerve damage. I truly believe this will redefine treatment paradigms and offer hope to individuals that have suffered from the effects of nerve damage in regaining their quality of life.”

This milestone is yet another proof point of 3D Systems’ nearly decade-long leadership position in bioprinting. In 2017, 3D Systems entered into a joint development program with United Therapeutics Corporation, the goal of which is to establish an unlimited supply of human lungs, requiring no immunosuppression, allowing all patients with end-stage lung disease to receive transplants which will enable them to enjoy long and active lives.

3D Systems has focused primarily on establishing the 3D printing technology to produce scaffolds meeting the extreme precision and resolution requirements for a functional human lung and to do so in a manner that yields the physical, mechanical, and biocompatibility performance to influence cell behavior and reproduction required for extended use in the human body. Its Print to Perfusion™ process enables 3D printing of high-resolution scaffolds, which can be perfused with living cells to create tissues.

Through the combination of bioprinting technology, biocompatible 3D printing materials, and a broad range of cell types including patient-derived cells, the Company’s biomedical engineers can construct patient-specific living tissues.

“Over the past several years, we have made phenomenal progress building upon Chuck Hull’s invention of 3D printing, and pushing its capabilities into new frontiers,” said Dr. Jeffrey Graves, President & CEO, 3D Systems. “Whether in our medical device business through the production of patient-specific implants and surgical solutions, or through the work our regenerative medicine team is doing, 3D Systems is making a profound impact not only on how healthcare is delivered, but on the quality of patients’ lives, and continues to solidify what I believe is an unparalleled role we play in advancing medicine with additive manufacturing applications.

“This latest accomplishment by TISSIUM, enabled by our unique 3D printing technology, is one more example of how 3D Systems is transforming patient care for a better future.”

According to Markets and Markets, the global 3D bioprinting market was valued at 1.3 billion USD in 2024, and is expected to reach 2.4 billion USD in 2029. Nearly 40 years ago, 3D Systems created the innovation of 3D printing and reimagined the approaches and processes for product development, parts manufacturing, and personalised healthcare through additive manufacturing solutions.

The Company’s additive manufacturing solutions are transforming how healthcare is delivered. As a pioneer in personalised healthcare solutions, 3D Systems has worked with surgeons for over a decade to plan more than 150,000 patient-specific cases and additively manufacture more than two million implants and instruments for 100+ CE-marked and FDA-cleared devices from its world-class, FDA-registered, ISO 13485-certified facilities in Littleton, Colorado, and Leuven, Belgium.

3D Systems is leveraging this experience to innovate bioprinting technologies to transform patient care. By enabling the fabrication of living tissues, the Company believes its bioprinting technology will unlock the promise and potential — to develop new therapeutics, and to improve patient lives.