The archive · Product Ideas · Product decision · 2026
XION 3D-prints an autoclavable steel housing to unite its camera head
XION's Spectar camera head is 3D-printed stainless steel, letting every component become one compact, hygienic, autoclavable object.
XION GmbH
What it had to solve
Medical instruments usually stack functional components, with each part's structure decided by technical requirements alone. XION's Spectar camera head aimed for a single formal and functional unit that is also light and easy to sterilize.
How it works
Endoscope camera heads are typically assemblies of many functional components, each shaped by technical requirements rather than by the whole. XION's Spectar series started from a different question: could the entire camera head be one formal and functional unit?
The key decision was the housing. XION 3D-printed it in stainless steel by laser-melting metal powder, which the company believes had never been done in this context. Nobody knew what wall thickness would keep such a printed housing permanently tight, but a thin wall was essential for keeping the steel camera head light and compact.
Additive manufacturing let the housing wrap tightly around the internal components, producing formal precision and ergonomic surfaces that conventional production could not achieve. The design then followed hygienic principles throughout: smooth transitions that resist contamination, a coupler that survives sterile covers, and tactile controls with raised lettering for operation under sterile conditions.
The camera head won Red Dot Best of the Best 2026, and the jury highlighted its affordance: looking at the camera is enough to understand how to operate it, with fingers finding the right contact points naturally.
Why it lands
- 3D printing let the housing follow the components and the hand instead of the limits of machining.
- A thin, permanently sealed printed wall reduced weight while keeping the steel autoclavable.
- Hygienic design with minimal joins lowered contamination risk in a device that must be sterilized repeatedly.
- Tactile controls and haptic edges made operation safe and obvious even with gloved hands.
What it did
The Spectar camera head won Red Dot Best of the Best 2026, with the jury praising its outstanding affordance — 'merely by looking at the camera, you immediately know what you need to do.' The additive approach reduced weight and made possible a compact geometry and surface finish that conventional methods could not reach.
What you can take
When manufacturing constraints dictate the form, changing the process unlocks the design: 3D printing turned a medical housing into one integrated object that is lighter, cleaner and easier to use.
Since then
XION continued to develop the Spectar camera system around the printed housing, extending it to 3D endoscopy attachments that work with the same compact head. The Red Dot Best of the Best 2026 award recognized the design, with the company framing the additive housing as a new basis for integrating function, hygiene and form in medical instruments.
Sources
- Red Dot Design Award: Spectar Camera Head
- XION GmbH — Designer profile interview with Michael Tiltmann
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