b'DISRUPTING MEDICALDEVICE MANUFACTURINGWITH CUSTOM 3D PRINTING VITRO3DCamila Uzcategui, Ph.D., dreamed of being a doctor. That changed when she visited Guatemala to help establish a health clinic. She discovered doctors and nurses in the Latin American country didnt have the nec-essary tools to provide adequate care. That drove me to an epiphany, Uzcategui said. To make the greatest impact possible, I would have to work on innovating technology.Instead of enrolling in medical school after earning her undergraduate degree in physics, Uzcategui switched gears and decided she wanted to develop healthcare devices and manufacturing processes. ShewasacceptedtotheUniversityof Colorado Boulder, where she earned her Ph.D. in Materials Science & Engineering and met Johnny Hergert. As they were discussing their future a year before graduating from theCamila Uzcategui, Ph.D., Co-Founder and CEO, Vitro3Dprogram, the COVID-19 pandemic erupted, and the university shut down.can be used to make a variety of custom, We used that time to become entrepreneurs,3D printed medical devices at high speeds, Uzcategui said.simply by changing the cartridge and the She decided to co-found Vitro3D with Hergert,material inside it.We look at the who is the companys Chief Technology Officer.Because you get approval on the device, not Instead of laboratory work, Uzcategui andon the printer, were working with partnerspriorities for who are closer to the patient, Uzcategui HergertsubmittedpatentstoVenturesaid. We look at the priorities for the patientthe patient Partners at CU Boulder, which made themfrom their perspective and what we can do eligible to participate in the universitys entre-preneurial programs.to make it less costly, more custom andfrom their more personalized. We did every entrepreneurial program theyThe company joined the first cohort of theperspective.had to offer, which probably wouldnt haveColorado Life Sciences Incubation Program happened if it hadnt been for the pandemic,and raised $1.3 million in an oversubscribed she said. We wouldnt have had time. seed round led by Buff Gold Ventures withCAMILA UZCATEGUI, Ph.D.Co-Founder and CEOFor now, Vitro3D is focused on using itsparticipation from angel investors, RockiesVitro3D volumetric 3D printing technology to makeVenture Club, Caruso Ventures, and The dental aligners. But the disruptive technologyDeming Center Venture Fund. 16 BIOSCIENCE COLORADO 2023-2024'