careers

From Happy ⁢Meals to Healing: How MedCAD⁤ Founder Pioneered 3D-Printed​ Implants

For‌ Blake Hairston, ​the path from designing children’s ‍toys to crafting custom medical implants wasn’t a‌ planned career shift, but a response to a changing landscape and a burgeoning technological prospect. After a accomplished career in ⁢toy design, including work ⁤on‍ McDonald’s Happy Meal⁣ toys and ⁢Bratz ⁤dolls, Hairston recognized a shift in the job market in the late 2000s. She observed that many of her peers’ roles were moving to Asia, ⁢leaving medical and aerospace as​ primary growth areas within ⁣the U.S.

Recognizing the potential of 3D modeling within healthcare, Hairston ​made a pivotal decision. “It was thrilling and scary, but I ‍saw the opportunity⁢ because the technology⁣ was so new,” she recalls. She ‍left her ‍stable 9-to-5 job and launched MedCAD.

Initially, Hairston began experimenting with anatomy modeling,⁤ adapting software ‍previously⁤ used in toy growth for applications like orthognathic surgery – specifically ⁤jaw and teeth repairs. By 2009, she had developed a business ⁢plan aimed at securing FDA clearance. Her innovations began to attract attention, particularly ⁢from ​a younger generation ⁣of surgeons who were ⁢agreeable with⁤ advanced technology and 3D animation.

A single phone call in 2009 dramatically altered the course of her⁤ company.‌ “I ‍had one ⁣of⁤ those⁢ pivotal moments in your life, where your whole world changes,” Hairston explained.‍ “I got a phone call from a surgeon that I knew, and he said, ⁣’Hey, you know, do you‍ think you could make me ‍a cranial implant?'”⁤

That request marked ‌the beginning of MedCAD’s focus on creating custom implants for patients ⁤with deformities resulting from trauma or physical abnormalities. While skull implants remain a notable part of the business, MedCAD has expanded to include reconstruction products for the foot, ankle, and​ face, all designed using 3D technology.

“We were some of the earliest people‌ doing‍ it,”‌ Hairston stated. “There’s a⁢ fantastic thread to all of this is, that we are able to bring a person back as much as we can‌ to a​ normalized state with a lot ​less surgeries. [Patients are] ‌waking up with⁣ the ability to have teeth implants⁢ after they heal. That’s ⁢the power of this technology-we can do a⁣ more holistic approach to reconstructing a foot⁤ or​ a face.”

Nearly two decades after⁣ its founding, MedCAD has​ achieved profitability‍ and ​is experiencing significant growth. the company currently generates‌ an estimated $10 million to $20 million in annual revenue,‌ with cranial and neuro products⁢ driving growth at a rate of 18%⁢ to 25% year-over-year as 2022. While ‍the majority of ⁢revenue comes from long-term contracts with‌ global medical leaders, MedCAD is also expanding⁤ through a direct-to-hospital ​strategy.

Despite her success in ‍both toy ⁣design and⁣ business ownership, Hairston finds the most fulfillment in the impact ​her implants have on ‌patients’ lives. “Toys are really fun for‌ children, but they’re not played with for long,” she said.”We can really make a⁤ difference making these kinds of products for ‍humans that change their lives. That ‍gave me a lot of the power and the passion ​to‍ do⁢ it.”