The Lattice (Official 3DHEALS Podcast)

Sam Onukuri takes us through his remarkable 30-year journey at Johnson & Johnson, where he transformed the landscape of medical devices through pioneering work in 3D printing technology. As a material scientist who led the development of J&J's Center of Excellence for additive manufacturing, Sam offers rare insights into how a global healthcare giant approached innovation and personalized medicine.
The conversation reveals the fascinating evolution of medical 3D printing from basic prototyping to FDA-approved implants. Sam shares the story behind breakthrough products, such as the TrueMatch graft cage – a PCL-based, bioabsorbable scaffold for bone reconstruction that has dramatically improved patient outcomes. His candid assessment of where personalization succeeds (craniomaxillofacial implants) and where it falls short (knee replacements) provides a nuanced perspective rarely found in technology discussions.
We examine the unexpected challenges that have shaped the industry, including the complex regulatory landscape, the emergence of surgical robots, and the economic realities that have tempered some early expectations. Sam's firsthand experience with point-of-care printing initiatives and customized surgical instruments provides valuable lessons about striking a balance between innovation and practicality in healthcare settings.
Looking toward the future, Sam identifies promising frontiers, including bioprinting, advancements in materials science, and the integration of AI with 3D printing technologies. For students and professionals considering careers in this field, he emphasizes the importance of strong engineering fundamentals and experiencing both startup and corporate environments to develop a comprehensive skill set.
Whether you're a healthcare professional, engineer, investor, or simply curious about how medical innovation occurs, this conversation offers an authentic glimpse into the triumphs, setbacks, and unrealized dreams that continue to shape the future of personalized medicine and additive manufacturing.

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In this follow up interview to Dr. Evin Chen's written interview with us, we learned a lot more about why Taiwan could be an excellent center for healthcare 3D printing and bioprinting innovations.
Dr. YiWen Chen (or Evin Chen) received her M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering (Nanomaterial Group) Florida State University, USA. She joined China Medical University Hospital and funded the 3D Printing Medical Research Center in 2014. She is responsible for leading the team and developing and implementing the 3D printed medical research and clinical application integration. She is also the Associate Professor of Graduate Institute of Biomedical Science at China Medical University since then. Dr. Chen’s research interests focus on developing and delivering advanced and affordable 3D printed medical care including biomedical devices, implants, and therapeutics for medical applications. Several of her patents and technologies have to tech-transfer to industries. She was awarded the 2017 and 2018 Innovation in Taiwan. She is also a member of the Board of Supervisors of the Additive Manufacturing Association in Taiwan(AMAT) and a board of directors of China Medical Derivatives Corporation – Everyoung Biomedical International. She is responsible for providing relevant technical advice and is often invited to serve as lecturers at many international academic conferences. Many achievements of her research team are also recognized by high-impact journals, media, conference scientific publications, and published works. She has published 35 peer-reviewed articles and holds 15 issued/pending patents. Dr. Chen will be a speaker for the upcoming 3DHEALS2020 conference.

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This fun and insightful conversation with Juan Pablo Garcia Venegas, the engineer behind works on Instagram @m3daid. Juan shared with us how he was inspired to create various 3D printed medical models for the simple but important goal to help the medical students and trainees to learn human anatomies better, with advantages of not recognizing three-dimensional shape but also mobility and functionality, things impossible from an anatomy book.

I could not agree more.

Here are my first several attempts in 3D printing Juan's model of a shoulder. I cannot wait to do more. We will be sharing Juan's STL files in a new 3DHEALS file-sharing portal. Stay tuned for announcements.

Video recording, notes link: https://3dheals.com/3d-printing-for-medical-students

About our Guest:

Juan Pablo Garcia Venegas

(Instagram @m3daid)

"My name is Juan Pablo García, I'm a biomedical engineer from Monterrey, Mexico. Currently, I'm an R&D Engineer at BMC Medical Manufacturing, which is a Mexican company focused on the development of medical devices. During my studies, I had the opportunity to make internships in hospitals as a clinical Engineer, as well as being involved in high-tech projects such as skeleton manufacturing and orthosis design. I think that digital manufacturing and 3D printing will change the way that medicine is being approached."

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Dr. Jenny Chen (3DHEALS) interviews 3DHEALS2020 software design panelist Gavan Wilhite, an interesting conversation on how game developers have huge potential role in future biofabrication software design, fascinating VR world and how that translates into Gavan's eventual desire to have a bigger impact in the physical world he is part of, and last but not the least, how generative design can play a big role in future design software development.
Gavan Wilhite, Founder AltspaceVR

Gavan Wilhite has spent his career leveraging video game technology to create a positive impact in other industries. He helped reinvent educational games at Disney, founded AltspaceVR, a social virtual reality company that was acquired by Microsoft, and is a Forbes 30 Under 30 recipient. Originally from Honolulu, he now lives in San Francisco where he is building 3D generative modeling tools to accelerate tissue engineering.

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Hear our exclusive interview with Mr. Kuntay Aktas, Co-Founder of BTech Innovation

"I am a passionate technology executive, leader, and strategist. I am an expert in additive manufacturing, medical 3D Printing, AM technology implementations, and applications.

I am the co-founder of BTech Innovation and currently working as CEO of the company. During my years at BTech Innovation, I’ve had the privilege of working with global companies (USA, UK, Germany, Sweden, France, Belgium, Italy, Latvia, Netherland, Canada) and technology experts as a representative, consultant, and partner all around the World.

I have the ability to manage multi-disciplinary projects and to navigate complex challenges. I have always been an integral part of the BTech team who succeed in many global case studies, awards and projects and became leading engineering companies in the additive manufacturing industry. I will be speaking at 3DHEALS2020. "
Full in-depth written and video interview can be found here.

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