3D reconstruction of human organs (non-biology nature) using CAD software and 3D printers

Abstract

Three-Dimensional (3D) printing is an evolving field, it can be used in various fields including healthcare field, which can be used for different purposes such as in pre-planning operations to help doctors plan the complex surgeries and see the entire area of interest, or it can be used to support the doctors when explaining to their patients the problem they are having, also it can be used in teaching anatomy classes, and other purposes. The 3D printing or also called (Additive Manufacturing) is a technique which produces a physical three-dimensional model by printing two-dimensional images of the required model one layer at a time and put on top of each other. It is used in medicine field by putting layers of medical images of the interior organs of the body acquired using medical imaging modalities such as computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Then, the acquired images are segmented either manually or automatically to form a final virtual 3D model. Afterwards, the virtual 3D model is printed using specific materials which depend on the organ desired to be printed. This project will talk about the different types of medical images and which type is more suitable in printing. In addition, it will cover the common methods of segmentations and how to choose the appropriate materials. With the printers available in the university this project will cover the whole cycle from the scanning images to the physical 3D model. The aim of this project is printing a 3D model of the heart by using CT images of an anonymous patient from Ninewells hospital which can be used for the education purposes. The CT scans have been used in a segmentation software "InVesalius" which is an open-source software. "Meshmixer" is then used to smooth the model and get rid of irregularities and sharp edges. Finally, the model is printed in a 3D printer for educational purposes.