To make the desert bloom, innovators in Israel developed drip irrigation, directing drops of water to the roots of plants where that liquid is most needed.
Spurred by that concept, a medtech company active in Miami has just earned a U.S. patent for a bone implant that can drip out medicine inside the human body, reducing chances of infection after implant surgery. Arcomedlab received the U.S. patent in July for its 3D-printed, synthetic bone-implants with antibiotic drip-release, adding to its patents on the devices elsewhere.
Now, Arcomedlab plans to market the implants across the U.S. through its Miami branch, CEO Ilan Rosenberg told RefreshMiami.com.
“This U.S. patent is a dream come true for us,” said Rosenberg, delighted by authorization in the world’s largest medtech market, known for rigorous standards on intellectual property. “It gives us 20 years of exclusivity in the U.S. with our patented system. We were inspired by drip irrigation in Israel that brought flowers to the desert.”
From Chile to the United States and beyond
Founded in Chile in 2018 and now based in Delaware, Arcomedlab uses 3-D printing to make customized, synthetic bones that can be placed inside the head, face and other parts of the body. It prints the implants from a thermoplastic called PEEK long used by the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration.
Custom 3-D printing allows for hollow implants, which are faster to make and more affordable than implants sculpted from solid blocks of material, Rosenberg said. The hollow devices can be fitted to drip out medicine relying on gravity, “with no electronics inside,” said the CEO.
Since 2022, Arcomedlab has delivered some 1,000 of its custom implants to patients in Chile, Peru, Mexico, Colombia, Argentina and Spain, including the world’s largest skull implant that covered nearly the entire head of a 12-year-old boy. It now is working to expand its offerings beyond the skull and face to the thorax, Rosenberg said.
The company prints the implants in its own labs in several Latin American countries, and it’s now starting to license out the technology. It now holds patents for its drug-release devices outside the U.S. in five countries: Chile, the Netherlands, Spain, Italy, and Saudi Arabia, with applications pending in many more nations, said Rosenberg.
To serve the U.S. market, Arcomedlab now seeks a U.S. partner. It would consider licensing its technology to produce the implants in the U.S. or could team with a U.S. distributor to sell its implants printed elsewhere, among other options. The devices still require U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval for U.S. sale, Rosenberg said.
An achievement for Chile, dubbed ‘Chilicon Valley’
The new U.S. patent underscores Chile’s push to develop its tech industry for export, earning the small South American nation the nickname “Chilicon Valley.” Chile’s government has been targeting Miami as a key entry point for ventures expanding into the U.S.
“This patent represents not only a milestone for Arcomedlab but also for Chile’s medtech sector. It shows we can produce high-quality solutions for the world,” said Claudia Serrer, trade commissioner in Miami for ProChile, the country’s trade promotion agency.
Other medtechs started in Chile and active in Miami include Levita Magnetics, Serrer said. Levita uses magnets and robots in minimally-invasive surgery to reduce scarring and speed recovery for patients.
“In the end, these are companies born in Chile that are growing in the U.S. and becoming part of the local innovation ecosystem. That creates opportunities for both countries,” said Serrer, whose office helps companies from Chile to go global.
Arcomedlab receives fresh capital
Arcomedlab has raised more than $2 million to date to fund its international growth. It recently obtained $500,000 from Chilean-Israeli group Lejaim, linked to investors Lion and Amir Zabilsky who are active in social housing and restaurants, Rosenberg said.
The company now operates with some two dozen full-time employees, about half in Chile and the rest in Mexico and Colombia. Arcomedlab soon plans to open a lab in Ecuador and to start distribution of its implants in Central America and the Caribbean, said the CEO.
READ MORE IN REFRESH MIAMI:
- Bone troubles? Chile’s Arcomedlab, with a Miami branch, makes 3D-printed skull implants
- Building tech unicorns: Lessons from OpenFX’s Harrison Mann, especially keep customer-focused.
- Magic for restaurants? New AI-based MAJC helps hospitality workers get jobs, build careers
- New Florida law brings Israeli stem-cell innovator to state
- Medtech company from Chile, with Miami branch, receives U.S. patent for bone-implant with antibiotic drip inside – August 20, 2026
- Building tech unicorns: Lessons from OpenFX’s Harrison Mann, especially keep customer-focused. – August 3, 2026
- Magic for restaurants? New AI-based MAJC helps hospitality workers get jobs, build careers – May 26, 2026
