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 Researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras have developed 3D-printed face implants for patients suffering from black fungus.

Also known as Mucormycosis, black fungus disease has been a cause of great concern in India. One of the most devastating effects of this disease is the loss of facial features, which can have a profound impact on the patient’s mental and emotional well-being.

It was reported in Covid-19 patients as well as those with uncontrolled diabetes, HIV/AIDS and other medical conditions. Reports suggest that about 60,000 mucormycosis cases have been registered in India post-Covid.

The fungus responsible for mucormycosis can invade the tissues of the face, causing necrosis and disfigurement. In severe cases, patients may lose their nose, eyes, or even their entire face. Furthermore, the loss of vital organs can affect a patient's ability to breathe, eat, and communicate, making it difficult to perform everyday activities.

While reconstructive surgery is a viable solution for these patients, patient-specific implants and procedures are expensive.

The implants, developed by IIT partnered with ZorioX Innovation labs, a start-up founded by Dental Surgeons in Chennai, are based on metal 3D Printing or additive manufacturing.

Zoriox Innovation takes part in the surgical procedures while IIT Madras handles the design and 3D printing. The implants are made of medical-grade titanium, which are commonly used for reconstructive procedures.

“Additive manufacturing (3D printing) has already emerged as a viable and cost effective, net shape manufacturing process for low volume production of complex body implants with specific custom-made designs. Extensive research activities are already being carried out in IIT Madras to commercialise this technology for printing patient-specific implants in stainless steel Ti-6Al-4V and Co-Cr-Mo alloys,” said Dr Murugaiyan Amirthalingam, Associate Professor, Department of Metallurgical and Materials Engineering, at IIT Madras.

“Using unique in-house algorithms, a patient’s MRI/CT data is converted to printable CAD format and custom implants are printed from medical-grade titanium using an indigenously-built laser powder bed facility in IIT Madras,” Dr Amirthalingam added.

The researchers also rolled out the #Right2Face initiative to help poor and needy patients with patient-specific custom maxillofacial implants to treat black fungus patients. Around 50 implants have been performed on people from economically-weaker sections.