Removing healthcare barriers with 3D printing

Cyrille Lecroq, CEO of WeMed spoke to Med-Tech Innovation about how it developed the world’s first additively manufactured connected stethoscope.

First, tell us a bit about WeMed and how you started?

We are a French start-up that specialises in designing devices for telemedicine. WeMed was created with the goal of ensuring that every person receives access to healthcare, by developing telemedical devices that enable healthcare advice and treatment, even when hospitals and doctors’ surgeries are at capacity.

My wife is a nurse who has been working on the front-line throughout the pandemic. She told me first-hand how difficult it has been for healthcare workers to keep up with their patients, which means some patients are being sent home without the possibility of a medical follow-up. 

We knew that something needed to change to ensure that everyone was receiving the necessary care in an unprecedented time, and WeMed was born.

What kind of devices have you developed?

We’ve since developed our first device, the SKOP, a stethoscope that allows truly remote medical diagnosis, acting as a substitute for a visit to the doctor’s office. The SKOP responds to a global issue concerning access to medical care and its availability helps individuals gain access to remote healthcare particularly during crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic, where healthcare facilities are overwhelmed. 

How is this device different to what’s already out there?

The SKOP is the first cardiopulmonary auscultation medical device intended for both healthcare professionals and the general public, as well as the first connected stethoscope to be 3D printed. The device’s acoustic quality is made possible using cochlear technology, inspired by the human ear using biomimicry design concepts. 

The SKOP is a universal device for both healthcare workers and the general public. It works on all tablets and phones, as well as communication platforms such as WhatsApp and Zoom. Its ease of use means that it is intuitive and available for everyone, ranging from isolated families, and retirees, to various at-risk groups. We have also made it affordable to the wider population, and therefore produced it at low-cost.

Why did you opt for 3D printing in developing SKOP?

The SKOP needed to be produced at high volumes and speeds to quickly relieve pressure on healthcare facilities, while maintaining its high quality, precision, and reproducibility.

We worked with contract manufacturer Third, to leverage its expertise in additive manufacturing. 3D printing offered many benefits to this project — it meant we could produce a complex geometry quickly and cost-effectively. However, lots of 3D printing technology on the market that offers high-volume also carry a very high cost.

3D printing reseller Hava3D introduced Third to Nexa3D’s products as the solution. Third then brought Nexa3D into the project, so we could benefit from the advantages of the NXE 400 — printing on an industrial scale at a sufficiently low production cost. 

The printer also offers a very high print fineness, which is essential to the acoustic quality of the device. Scale up costs were eliminated, as we procured 20 NXE 400 printers for our partner Third to manufacture the SKOP, bringing greater return on investment.

What are WeMed’s future plans?

WeMed’s mission is to make the SKOP international. SKOP is now CE-certified and has obtained marketing authorisation in Canada. We are currently in the process of obtaining authorisation from the USA. 

Remote access to healthcare will ensure everyone receives the level of care they deserve, as well as increase patient satisfaction. We are now working on several medical devices with a philosophy similar to SKOP and plan to use Nexa3D’s ultrafast technology in the future.