Prototal collaborated with Cerca Magnetics, a UK-based medical technology company, to manufacture lightweight, wearable helmets for magnetoencephalography (MEG) using Industrial 3D Printing. The project demonstrates how Industrial 3D Printing enables complex geometries, scalable production, and reduced time to market for advanced medical research equipment.
Cerca Magnetics develops next-generation brain imaging systems using advances in quantum sensing. Their work focuses on transforming traditional MEG technology — historically dependent on large, fixed, and expensive equipment — into wearable systems that allow natural movement during scanning. This approach expands access to MEG scanning, including use cases involving children and long-duration studies that were previously impractical with conventional systems.
The Challenge
Traditional MEG scanners rely on large, rigid structures weighing several hundred kilograms.
Cerca needed a manufacturing solution that could support:
- Highly complex geometries, including internal channels, undercuts, and lattice structures
- Lightweight yet robust components suitable for wearable medical equipment
- Multiple helmet sizes, accommodating users of different ages
- Fast development cycles without the cost and delay of tooling
Conventional polymer manufacturing methods, such as injection moulding, were unsuitable due to design complexity and tooling requirements.
Manufacturing Approach
To meet these requirements, Prototal’s site in the UK manufactured the MEG helmets using Industrial 3D Printing.
Technology and Material Strategy
- Industrial 3D printing for Polymer in SLS-technology, enabling complex internal geometry without support structures
- Lightweight design, allowing free movement during scanning
- Tool-free production, reducing lead times and development risk
The SLS process enabled Cerca to reduce a traditional 500 kg MEG scanner into a range of wearable helmets weighing just over 1 kg each, while maintaining structural integrity and functional precision.
Production and Quality Control
Prototal UK supported the project across multiple production stages:
- Design review and manufacturability assessment of CAD models
- Serial production using industrial SLS systems
- Dimensional and visual quality inspection to ensure compliance with application requirements
After inspection, helmets were finished using Prototal’s permanent surface coloring process, allowing different sizes to be easily identified by color while maintaining surface durability.
Results
The collaboration enabled Cerca Magnetics to bring a new class of MEG equipment into clinical and research environments.
Key outcomes included:
- Lightweight, wearable MEG helmets enabling patient movement during scanning
- Multiple helmet sizes produced on demand with high dimensional accuracy
- Elimination of tooling costs and reduced time to market
- Improved accessibility for pediatric and motion-sensitive studies
- A scalable manufacturing process suitable for ongoing development and refinement
The collaboration between Prototal and Cerca Magnetics highlights how Industrial 3D Printing can enable new medical device architectures that are impractical to produce with traditional manufacturing methods. By combining the 3D printing technology SLS, controlled post-processing, and collaborative engineering support, Prototal helped transform MEG scanning from a fixed, infrastructure-heavy system into a wearable solution for advanced brain research.
