How a 3D Printer Makes Flexible Medical Devices with Two Liquids
This patent describes a specialized 3D printing system that precisely mixes and deposits two liquid silicone parts to create flexible, solid medical devices like prosthetics, using a rotating and translating base and a special nozzle that prevents drips.
Original patent title: “Additive manufacturing system, method and corresponding components for making elastomeric structures”
This patent describes a specialized 3D printing system that precisely mixes and deposits two liquid silicone parts to create flexible, solid medical devices like prosthetics, using a rotating and translating base and a special nozzle that prevents drips. Granted to Ossur Iceland ehf in 2025 with 9 claims, and it is expected to expire in 2042.
Coverage
What does this patent actually cover?
This system is designed for "additive manufacturing" (3D printing) of medical devices using liquid silicone. It uses two separate reservoirs, one for "part A" and one for "part B" of an uncured liquid silicone material (ClaimclaimA numbered sentence at the end of a patent that legally defines what the inventor owns. The most important section.Read more → 1). These two parts are kept separate until they reach a "dynamic mixer" inside the "deposition apparatus" (the print head), where an "impeller" blends them together just before they exit the "nozzle" (Claim 1). The mixed silicone is then deposited onto a "cylindrical or conical mandrel" (a rotating mold) which can both "rotate" and "translate" (move along its axis) (Claim 1). The print head also moves to build up the desired shape (Claim 1). A key feature is a "pneumatic suck-back valve" that pulls back the silicone from the nozzle after each deposit, ensuring "clean breaks between distinct filaments" (Claim 1). For example, it could precisely build up layers of a custom prosthetic liner directly onto a rotating mold.
The gap
What does this patent NOT cover?
- Does not cover 3D printing systems that use non-silicone materials or materials that are not two-part liquid curable systems.
- Does not cover systems that mix the two silicone parts before they enter the dynamic mixer within the deposition apparatus, as the patent specifies a "combined, but unblended, flow" before mixing.
- Does not cover deposition onto flat or irregularly shaped substrates that are not cylindrical or conical mandrels.
- Does not cover systems that lack a pneumatic suck-back valve to prevent dripping and ensure clean filament breaks.
- Does not cover systems where the mandrel does not rotate and translate, or where the deposition apparatus does not translate.
These exclusions are unique to PatentBrief — derived from the actual claim language, not patent-office boilerplate.
Key facts
What made this novel
The noveltynoveltyThe requirement that an invention be different from anything publicly known before its priority date.Read more → lies in the combination of a dynamic mixer that precisely blends two liquid silicone components just before deposition, coupled with a pneumatic suck-back valve that actively retracts material from the nozzle. This ensures consistent material properties and prevents messy drips, allowing for intricate and high-quality elastomeric structures.
The Patent Drawing
Schematic visualization of the patent's claim structure. Hand-drawn diagrams in progress for each landmark patent.
Where you've seen this
Real-world examples
Custom prosthetic liners
Orthotic inserts
Soft robotic components
Flexible medical implants
Custom seals and gaskets made of silicone
Why it matters
The bigger picture
This patent is important for creating custom medical devices that need to be flexible and precisely shaped, like prosthetic sockets or orthotics. By allowing precise control over the mixing and deposition of elastomeric materials, it enables the creation of devices tailored to individual patient needs, which can improve comfort and function. The ability to form clean breaks between deposited material segments is critical for high-quality, consistent structures.
Filed
March 29, 2022
Granted
September 16, 2025
Market context
Who's building on this
Companies in this space
Ossur Iceland ehf, the assigneeassigneeThe entity that owns the patent — usually the inventor's employer or a company.Read more →, is a global leader in prosthetics and orthotics and is actively developing technologies in this space. Other companies like Carbon, Stratasys, and 3D Systems also develop advanced additive manufacturing systems for various materials, including elastomers, and could potentially build on or compete in similar areas.
Market impact
This technology can enable the creation of highly customized and complex elastomeric medical devices, potentially reducing manufacturing time and cost for patient-specific solutions. It allows for precise control over material properties and geometric accuracy, which is crucial for comfort and function in prosthetics and orthotics. This could lead to more widespread adoption of 3D printed flexible devices in healthcare.
Claim 1 — Plain English
What this patent covers
This system is designed for "additive manufacturing" (3D printing) of medical devices using liquid silicone. It uses two separate reservoirs, one for "part A" and one for "part B" of an uncured liquid silicone material (Claim 1). These two parts are kept separate until they reach a "dynamic mixer" inside the "deposition apparatus" (the print head), where an "impeller" blends them together just before they exit the "nozzle" (Claim 1). The mixed silicone is then deposited onto a "cylindrical or conical mandrel" (a rotating mold) which can both "rotate" and "translate" (move along its axis) (Claim 1). The print head also moves to build up the desired shape (Claim 1). A key feature is a "pneumatic suck-back valve" that pulls back the silicone from the nozzle after each deposit, ensuring "clean breaks between distinct filaments" (Claim 1). For example, it could precisely build up layers of a custom prosthetic liner directly onto a rotating mold.
The clever bit
The novelty lies in the combination of a dynamic mixer that precisely blends two liquid silicone components just before deposition, coupled with a pneumatic suck-back valve that actively retracts material from the nozzle. This ensures consistent material properties and prevents messy drips, allowing for intricate and high-quality elastomeric structures.
What it does not cover
- Does not cover 3D printing systems that use non-silicone materials or materials that are not two-part liquid curable systems.
- Does not cover systems that mix the two silicone parts before they enter the dynamic mixer within the deposition apparatus, as the patent specifies a "combined, but unblended, flow" before mixing.
- Does not cover deposition onto flat or irregularly shaped substrates that are not cylindrical or conical mandrels.
- Does not cover systems that lack a pneumatic suck-back valve to prevent dripping and ensure clean filament breaks.
- Does not cover systems where the mandrel does not rotate and translate, or where the deposition apparatus does not translate.
Patent timeline
Application submitted to the patent office
Application published, typically 18 months after filing
Patent officially issued
Patent enters public domain
PatentBrief Score
Impact Score
Early stage
Citation count
0/40
No citations yet
Claim breadth
6/20
Moderate scope
Recency
20/20
Granted within 5 years
Assignee scale
0/20
Independent or smaller assigneeassigneeThe entity that owns the patent — usually the inventor's employer or a company.Read more →
PatentBrief Impact Score — based on citation count, claim breadth, recency, and assignee scale. Not a legal assessment.
Heuristic Value Estimate
What this patent might be worth
$20K – $65K
Midpoint $41K · 15.5 yr remaining · industry ×0.9
Heuristic only — blends forward/backward citation counts, claim scope, time remaining, litigation history, and CPC-derived industry baseline. Real valuations need a professional appraisal.
Claim text not yet imported for this patent
The original legal language
Original claims
9 claims as filed with the patent office.
Concepts involved
Citations
Patent lineage
Cite this patent
Asgeirsson, S., DLAB, J., & Sigfusson, L. (2025). How a 3D Printer Makes Flexible Medical Devices with Two Liquids (U.S. Patent No. 12,415,312). U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/12415312/additive-manufacturing-system-method-and-corresponding-components-for-making-ela
Auto-generated from the patent record. Double-check author order and the issue date against the official USPTO document before submitting.
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Common Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
What does How a 3D Printer Makes Flexible Medical Devices with Two Liquids cover?
This patent describes a specialized 3D printing system that precisely mixes and deposits two liquid silicone parts to create flexible, solid medical devices like prosthetics, using a rotating and translating base and a special nozzle that prevents drips.
Who owns patent US 12415312?
Ossur Iceland ehf owns this patent, granted in 2025.
When does this patent expire?
This patent is expected to expire on March 29, 2042, when the invention enters the public domain.
What problem does this patent solve?
This patent is important for creating custom medical devices that need to be flexible and precisely shaped, like prosthetic sockets or orthotics. By allowing precise control over the mixing and deposition of elastomeric materials, it enables the creation of devices tailored to individual patient needs, which can improve comfort and function. The ability to form clean breaks between deposited material segments is critical for high-quality, consistent structures.
What does this patent NOT cover?
Does not cover 3D printing systems that use non-silicone materials or materials that are not two-part liquid curable systems.
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