Medical Modeling, Materials and Manufacturing (M4) Lab

Finding engineering solutions for real-world needs in clinical medicine

The M4 Lab was designed to support the life-saving efforts of medical professionals and Ohio State faculty by stimulating and centralizing research innovation around bioengineering, medical device development and clinical 3D printing.

The Medical Modeling, Materials and Manufacturing (M4) Division is where medicine, advanced manufacturing and other materials-related research areas converge to pursue innovative approaches to advance health and well-being in our society.

The M4 Division brings together an interdisciplinary team of experts under one roof at the Pelotonia Research Center in Carmenton at The Ohio State University. The group includes representatives from the College of Medicine’s Department of Otolaryngology and the College of Engineering’s Center for Design and Manufacturing Excellence (CDME).

In the M4 Lab, biomedical engineering and clinical experts utilize 3D printing to find innovative engineering solutions for real-world needs in clinical medicine. Their current efforts aim to benefit patients undergoing new, uncommon or complex surgeries at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center by providing access to 3D anatomic models. These devices help medical professionals with surgical planning, patient education and medical training.

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What We Do

Using state-of-the-art software tools, 3D printing technologies at Ohio State allow experts in the M4 Division to rapidly print complex geometries and shapes for patient-specific applications, including OR models and cutting guides. With advanced manufacturing technologies, we also take medical device innovations from a concept through design and prototyping to de-risk products and bring ideas to reality.

M4's capabilities are enabled by an array of 3D printers and a team of engineers with medical device experience from previous projects at Ohio State’s manufacturing hub on West Campus. Different types of 3D printers housed at the M4 Division permit various fabrication methods, including photopolymerization, polymer filament extrusion and silicone casting and processing.

On top of research and clinical support activities, the division is an experiential education platform for undergraduate research assistants, providing students with real-world experience and on-the-job training that will position them as top candidates for medical device company hires. Additionally, postdoctoral researchers, medical students and residents from across medical and engineering disciplines can collaborate there to create innovative health care solutions.

Who We Serve

The new clinical 3D printing and engineering facility will meet specific needs of the medical community, while being managed and operated by biomedical engineering and clinical experts with firsthand experience commercializing medical devices.

The first project executed by the M4 Division team resulted in a 3D model of a patient’s mandible, or lower jawbone. The team used imaging from a CT scan to create an exact replica of the 3D anatomy of the patient’s jawbone. That model was soon used in the operating room to successfully facilitate the reconstruction of that patient’s jaw after the removal of a segment of bone.

A value tool for surgeons, a 3D anatomic model printed specific to a patient can be used to explain, prepare, or practice for a procedure. 3D printed models can also play an important role in education and are used by medical students, residents, fellows, and experienced surgeons learning new or uncommon techniques.