Spanish Hospital Cuts Therapy Equipment Costs by 97.6% With 3D Printing

La Candelaria University Hospital in Tenerife is producing custom hand rehabilitation tools for 56 euros per batch using a 3D printer, down from 2,316 euros when ordering the same parts through traditional suppliers. That is a saving of 97.6% per item, and the hospital has already manufactured around 12 models and nearly 30 individual pieces since launching the program.

Custom Therapy Tools

The Occupational Therapy area within the hospital Rehabilitation service uses the printer to make mechanotherapy tools for patients recovering from tendon ruptures, metacarpal fractures, and limited mobility conditions.

Occupational therapist Teresa Fernndez says the technology lets her team do something off-the-shelf equipment cannot: tailor each piece to the individual patient. With the 3D printer, we have the opportunity to adjust each piece to the patients specific requirements and improve upon the original moulds.

Canadian Board Example

One example is the Canadian board, a perforated board with interchangeable rods used to treat hand, wrist, forearm, and elbow injuries. The standard version is patented, so the hospital cannot reproduce it directly. Instead, Fernndez team designs its own versions.

The original board is quite large, and some patients only need to work on a specific part of the hand, such as a finger. Therefore, a smaller, more manageable replica is more convenient.

Capacity Gains

The capacity gains have been just as striking as the cost savings. Fernndez previously saw seven to nine patients a day, with one patient every 30 minutes. I had one patient every half hour, but now I can attend to up to three and see about 12 to 15 people each day.

La Candelaria is reportedly the only facility in the Canary Islands producing custom therapy equipment this way.

Beyond Therapy

The program has expanded beyond therapy tools. Technicians are also printing maintenance components for aging hospital equipment, provided those parts do not come into direct contact with patients and are not safety-critical.

Discontinued 40mm valves for hospital shower trays are one example. We manufacture them, which not only saves money regarding the parts cost but also helps avoid extensive renovation works with a simple solution.

National Database Planned

Section head Alejandro Estvez said the team plans to build a national database of the prototypes it has manufactured, which any hospital in Spain could use as a reference. The hospital recently acquired a second 3D printer.