Additive manufacturing (AM) is a growing technology in the medical device world, being used to create patient-specific products, develop surgical guides, and make anatomical models. Despite its continued adoption in medical device manufacturing, there are still obstacles for companies looking to implement the technology.
One of the main barriers is the more regulated environment of the medical world. Laura Gilmour, founder and principal consultant of LG Strategies LLC, works with medical device manufacturers and additive manufacturing service companies to help bridge this gap.
Professionals in the medical field want to better understand AM technologies to effectively incorporate them for medical use cases, while AM professionals know all the technical details, capabilities, and benefits the technology offers.
“AM companies understand the technology, the materials, how everything works, how to design for AM, all of those things,” Gilmour explains. “But then when it comes to the medical device world, they need to know how to translate that knowledge into a more regulated environment.”
The Need for Navigating Medical Device Regulations
As founder of LG Strategies, Gilmour helps medical manufacturing companies successfully bring their devices to market. That can involve anything from assisting in the design phases to ensuring part quality passes inspection to meeting the requirements of the FDA and other regulatory bodies.
Gilmour’s expertise goes beyond just additive manufacturing, but much of her experience has revolved around medical devices that in some way use AM technology. This is why on April 14 she is presenting in the healthcare track at the RAPID + TCT Conference, where she will discuss how to successfully navigate quality requirements and regulations for medical devices that integrate advanced manufacturing technologies.
According to Gilmour, her session appeals to both additive manufacturing service and technology providers and medical device manufacturers. The FDA has recently transitioned into a slightly different method for quality system regulation, and these changes affect both groups.
“AM companies want to know what they can offer medical device manufacturers who have to work within certain regulations,” explains Gilmour. “They want to be able to make the technology more appealing for the medical field, whereas medical device manufacturers need to ensure the technology can meet certain requirements. My presentation focuses on bridging that gap and how each side can collaborate to achieve the same goal.”
In Gilmour’s experience, AM service and technology providers are sometimes intimidated by the regulatory environment of the medical field and can be put off by how long it takes to break into the medical space. Medical devices do have to meet certain requirements, but oftentimes additive is still the best choice for creating those products.
“My session will demonstrate how AM businesses can retool their current offerings to fit into the medical space — it just requires a translation of language between the two groups,” says Gilmour. “There doesn’t need to be a complete reinvention of the wheel to overcome the hurdles when using AM in medical device manufacturing.”
Leveraging AM for Medical Devices
As a professional who works with medical device manufacturers, Gilmour knows the obstacles they face and the requirements they must meet to adopt AM. Despite these barriers, Gilmour discovered that a lot of these companies have already found that AM is the best way to manufacture the product they want to create.
It’s not surprising that many medical device manufacturers are looking to adopt AM, given the advantages the technology offers. Medical professionals utilize AM in a number of ways, from making anatomical models to better prepare for surgery to creating personalized implants, and more. One of the main uses is creating patient-specific medical devices, which is much more cost-effective when using AM.
“Another interesting use case for AM in the medical field is the creation of metal implants with a porous or lattice structure,” says Gilmour. “That implant goes against a patient’s bone, and the bone will actually integrate into those features. These are mostly standard-sized implants, but some more agile medical device manufacturing companies are working to make these implants patient-specific as well.”
It’s clear that leveraging AM to make more cost-effective personalized medical devices has several benefits, not only to the actual manufacturers, but also to improve patient outcomes and drive innovation within the medical field.
Medical Manufacturing at RAPID + TCT 2026
Gilmour is a speaker in the healthcare track of the upcoming RAPID + TCT conference. With RAPID + TCT 2026 taking place in Boston — a leader in the healthcare and medical manufacturing space — this year’s event will prominently feature additive manufacturing’s presence in the medical space.
In addition to the conference’s healthcare track, the expo floor will also feature a Healthcare Showcase with representatives from hospitals, research institutions, medical technology companies, and healthcare systems. This showcase will have decision-makers who are exploring AM for personalized care, surgical planning, biocompatible materials, and other medical use cases.
As a past attendee at RAPID + TCT, Gilmour views the event as a way to see what’s new in the AM space and learn how the technology is evolving. She says the conference is a good opportunity for attendees to explore new techniques and discover ways professionals are innovating with AM.
“For those in the medical world, the conference features presentations on new medical innovations and different places the technology is being used in the healthcare space, from dental offices to hospital labs,” Gilmour says. “Then there’s a whole show floor where you can see what different companies are doing. Being able to go see and learn all of this at once in one location is so useful for professionals in AM and affiliated fields.”
If you’re a professional interested in seeing the latest innovations in additive manufacturing, check out what RAPID + TCT 2026 has to offer. As North America’s largest additive manufacturing and industrial 3D printing event, the conference and show floor offer multiple opportunities for attendees to learn about AM and explore use cases and products. And if you’re involved in the medical field, make sure to check out our healthcare conference track. You can register now for RAPID + TCT, taking place April 13 – 16, 2026, at the Thomas M. Menino Convention & Exhibition Center in Boston.
Biography:
Laura Gilmour, Founder and Principal Consultant, LG Strategies, LLC
Laura Gilmour, MS, is founder and principal consultant of LG Strategies, LLC. Laura has worked with additive manufacturing in medical devices since 2009. She has held a variety of roles within the medical device industry over the last 20 years including global medical business development manager at EOS, research and development engineer at several medical device manufacturers, a pre-market reviewer at the US Food and Drug Administration and a key advisor to the Veterans Health Administration’s advanced manufacturing ‘point of care’ efforts. During her time at the FDA, Laura was a founding member of the organization's Additive Manufacturing Working Group. Using this vast experience, she helps medical device and healthcare organizations implement advanced manufacturing into their business and bring medical devices to market.
Laura is a member of Women in 3D Printing and a STEM mentor at the University of Texas, Austin. She holds a bachelor’s degree in bioengineering from the University of Pittsburgh and a master’s degree in biomedical engineering from the University of Tennessee Health Science Center.